Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanna Ainsworth (AKA Yocute).
Hi Hanna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in the LA area and born to Central American immigrant parents, thrifting vintage, dead stock and second-hand pieces were a necessity, rather than the luxury it has become today. I have always enjoyed thrifting and finding pieces that expressed my own unique and artistic style. It was not until college that I realized finding gems at the thrift store was not something that came naturally for everyone. It took some years of experience in sorting and identifying vintage tags, quality craftsmanship, textiles and rare deadstock printed fabric. During this realization, I was studying as a music major and music industry minor at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. In exposing myself to the business side of music, I became fascinated with entrepreneurs. I loved how entrepreneurs were very hardly ever boxed in characters, they were open to the possibilities of creation, innovation and exploration.
In one of my music industry classes that I took as a graduate student, I learned about the “multipotentialite” — “a person who has many different interests and creative pursuits in life. Multipotentialites have no “one true calling” the way specialists do.” I had always known I was never really ever into only one thing and yet after that lecture, my mind felt completely free from trying to convince myself that I could only be a musician for the rest of my life. While I am a musician, singer songwriter and music educator — I am more than just those occupations. I graduated in 2020 and was home all summer getting back in touch with the many interests and creative pursuits I had before committing to six years of higher education.
Granted, I do not regret going to school. I was able to complete my master’s degree, debt free, by 24. For me, that was a HUGE accomplishment. I now feel so grateful that I can really explore and take the time to build something of my own. At the moment, that is my small vintage brand beyondheryears.co. Beyond Her Years is a hand-curated vintage online store providing rare, one-of-a-kind vintage selections while also holding a space for female creatives through our marketplace, hercoolLAB. I created beyondheryears.co to serve as a channel for women to discover their personal style with more intentionality while promoting a journey towards seeking wisdom.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not always been smooth, yet I have had tremendous support from friends and family to bring my vision of beyondheryears.co to life. Sharing the concept and launching the website was probably what came together the most smoothly. I was very passionate about the idea of launching my own vintage brand. I even had concepts of previous vintage curations I had done on my Instagram and Depop shop which helped my friends envision a hand-curated website of my own. Mikaela Elson (@_mikaelaelson), an amazing singer, artist and photographer helped me launch my first vintage collection. I then later met her friends Jewel Luna and Daniel Kagle, who own a Boutique Lighting Company in Los Angeles called, @specialpurposelightingandgrip. I shot my next two hand-curated vintage collections at Kagle’s studio in LA. My latest collection no. 3 entitled, “Becoming” was photographed by Gabriela Freid (@gabriela.freid) and featured models and friends: Talia Cancik, Lauren Hickey, Sofi Kaufman and Niaceli Vital.
My “Becoming” collection is representative of some of the new things that have developed in my own personal life. “Becoming” is defined as, “the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state.” Close to A year ago today, I became a wife and I am currently passing into a state of becoming a mom. During that season of dating, engagement, planning a wedding in a month, moving twice till finally buying and settling into our first home, and then becoming a full-time music educator — beyondheryears.co needed to take a backseat for a while. I am now in the process of learning how to be present in the daily happenings while also still slowly developing beyondheryears. Needless to say, I am still very much excited for the future of my small vintage brand and I see it as something I hope to run from home full-time. Though, I am not there yet and am still in the early stages of exposing my vintage brand.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I hinted at earlier, I am not really one thing. I am a classical, finger-picking guitarist who sings and writes her own music. I am also a music educator, I teach guitar, piano and beginning band at a University Prep School. Meanwhile, I also love taking photos, editing, writing, story-telling, recording tracks, creating
content, look-books, painting handmade cards, discovering talent, finding and reselling vintage. I can do quite a lot in the creative realm and if someone is ever interested in making use of my artistic set of skills, I have learned to see value in it and monetize any work I do. I am most proud of the art and friends I have made through collaboration. I truly believe that the most powerful, meaningful and rewarding moments within music and art-making come from collaborating with other artists and exploring new creative territory while discovering the heights of our artistry.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is going camping with my family in RedWoods. Hearing all the sounds of nature, looking up at the stars, hearing the fire crackling while enjoying quality time with family, without any distractions.
Pricing:
- $300 Italian 80s Silk/Wool Blend Genny Dress
- $180 Vintage White Lace up Bustier Corset Top
- $120 Vintage MA Cherie Pale Pink Night Gown
- $85 Vintage Peachy Tan Ellen Tracy 2-Piece Suit
- $130 Eric Javits Woven Straw Shoulder Bag
Contact Info:
- Website: beyondheryears.co; hannayocute.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondheryears.co/; https://www.instagram.com/hannayocute/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068617666148
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanna-yocute-9896bb14a/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/hannayocutemusic/
Image Credits
personal photo PC: Daniel Moors @danielfromyesterdayvisuals beyondheryears PC: Gabriela Freid @gabriela.freid models: Talia Cancik, Lauren Hickey, Sofi Kaufman and Niaceli Vital location: Special Purpose Lighting @specialpurposelightingandgrip
