If Kiya Tomlin wasn’t so busy, she’d be in an RV
Fashion designer Kiya Tomlin is married to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. They and their three children — Dino, 19, Mason,18, Harlyn, 13 — are at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Tomlin’s fashion inspiration came from a chance encounter with singer Diana Ross, and her husband’s casual work uniform. She and her team are currently making washable face masks for health care providers at her store and production facility in Etna.
Who in your family is having the hardest time with the quarantine?
We are all pretty much homebodies anyway, so sheltering at home is not too far off from the norm for us. If I had to choose, my oldest son is really missing being at college and preparing for the fall football season. But I think we are all enjoying the quality time together.
What song just makes you want to get up and dance no matter what?
We all sing and dance around the house to just about anything. Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” always gets me moving.
When are you most confident?
I feel most confident when I am comfortable — comfortable in my clothes, in my skin, in my stage in life, in my decisionmaking.
Where in the world would you go right now if you could go anywhere?
I would love to take a long RV trip across the country, seeing everything the country has to offer.
Why did you decide to give up your dream of being a surgeon to be a fashion designer?
At the time, I imagined becoming a doctor to be one of the most demanding career paths you could take. I didn’t believe that both Mike and I could choose demanding career paths and raise a family the way we wanted to. No regrets. Not even now.