Fashion Feature: Asian-Owned Small Businesses to Support
Celebrate AAPI Heritage month by supporting some incredible Asian-owned small businesses!
Happy May & happy Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! Despite a difficult and fearful year, I have never felt prouder of my Korean heritage. I thought the best way to kick off this month of recognition and celebration would be to share some of my favorite Asian-owned small businesses that I have discovered on Instagram! From fashion to home goods, there are so many incredible brands ran by Asian creatives that deserve recognition. Here are some of my favorites:
J.B.W New York
Beads and pearls are the current hottest jewelry trend and J.B.W has you covered. J.B.W New York is a female and Asian-owned brand founded by skincare blogger Joey Wong (@joeybabywong). A driven and 7 months pregnant Joey created J.B.W in the summer of 2020. Her breakout product being personalized beaded mask chains that proved wearing a mask could be stylish. Her signature beaded mask chains have also been featured by the likes of Refinery 29, Self, and NBC’s Today Show.
Instagram post via @jbw_studio featuring their best selling rainbow chain!
She now has expanded her products to include personalized jewelry pieces and has recently launched a collection featuring 18k gold plated pieces with freshwater pearls.
JBW’s newest collection
I’m absolutely obsessed with the trendy, yet sophisticated flair that each J.B.W piece holds. I have a necklace on the way, and I can’t wait to style it!! Her pieces are the perfect way to up your jewelry game or make an incredible personalized gift. Make sure to check out J.B.W and all her socials!
@jbw_studio on Instagram & Facebook https://joeybabywong.com/
JBW is also currently donating 5% of their revenue in support of the Asian community.
plate pillows
One of my FAVORITE brands period!! Plate pillows is an incredible Asian-owned brand based out of Toronto. The owner, Eunsu, is the definition of hustle. She handles everything from the shipping and handling to creating and sharing gorgeous content to her shop’s Instagram @platepillows. She currently crafts and sells coasters, candles, mirrors and glasses. Each product is a functional household item, but with an elevated and aesthetic flair that will effortlessly make you feel like one of those boujee and aesthetic Instagram girls.
Screenshot of the @platepillows Instagram feed featuring her products
Earlier this year, Eunsu had kindly gifted me one of her gorgeous plates to help promote her 2021 launch. It was hard to pick just one, but I chose the iconic Saint Cloud, and I am OBSESSED.
When I tell you that you need one of her coasters, I’m not kidding. There are thousands upon thousands of ways to utilize her stunning coasters. While they are most popularly used as jewelry dishes, tea coasters, and candle holders, the list goes on. The @platepillows Instagram is aesthetic inspo overload as it perfectly showcases how her products have been styled and utilized by her customers.
As a rising senior in college about to move into my first apartment, I am itching to buy everything plate pillows to add to my obsession and current collection. My Saint Cloud coaster has already served several purposes in my house. From a jewelry dish, tea coaster, cookie plate and ketchup packet holder, my plate pillows coaster can quite literally do it all. RUN don’t walk to check out this brand! Eunsu is also one of the sweetest creatives I have connected on Instagram. She is engaged with her audience and is so incredibly genuine, it’s been amazing watching her business continue to grow!
Support Eunsu & plate pillows: @plateplillows & https://www.platepillows.com/
Poppylin
Another fabulous Asian-owned brand is Poppylin founded by Michele Chung @michelechung_ in the summer of 2020. Michele has to be one of the most creative individuals I have come across on this platform as she is a fashion, lifestyle and beauty creator in addition to being a small business owner. While the brand originally launched selling handmade crocheted items, she has now expanded her inventory to include everything from jewelry, fashion and home goods.
Michele took her adolescent hobby of crocheting and turned it into a small-owned and independently ran business by merging her passion for current fashion trends. She hand makes stunning, on-trend pieces including corsets and cardigans and finishes them off with satin lace backs. Her crochet collection includes dainty crop tops with a pretty pastel color palette making each piece the perfect spring staples.
Screenshot of the stunning pastel Instagram feed of @shoppoppylin
Tell me you are obsessed with Poppylin without telling me you’re obsessed with Poppylin… I have purchased the Jasmine top, a white crochet crop top with a lace back detailing, and it’s such a staple piece. It can be worn both ways (front & back) either as a plain white top or showing off the lace detailing making it versatile and fashionable. I absolutely adore that it’s handmade and admire the dedication Michele has put into this piece just for me! I also have purchased her limited-edition crochet pumpkin coasters which my family uses on a daily basis.
I am dying to get my hands on some of her products, especially as I am on the hunt for new apartment things. Right now she has the cutest candles for spring and I am absolutely dying over her Instagram posts! “Poppylin is about dressing the modern woman in the contermpary handmade fashion, whether that’s a woman being a girl boss at her job or dancing freely among the flowers, she is whoever she wants to be. There is no goal too big and there is nothing you cannot achieve in Poppylin.” MIC DROP. Michele is also such a sweet and genuine business owner. She is also heavily engaged with her audience and I am so grateful to have gotten to work with her before!
Make sure to support Michele and her brand: @shoppoppylin on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest
https://poppylin.com/
Studio Anatomique
WOW this brand is stunning! Studio Anatomique is owned by the lovely Rosey Li (@gazetteofstyle)and Natalie Jin that has recently just launched! Their brand was created to share timeless clothing pieces to inspire and empower women (say less and take my money!!). But wait it gets better… they are also partnered with sustainable factories to ensure a positive social and environmental impact. Pieces are made-to-order with a strict zero-waste basis to practice ethical and slow fashion … WE STAN.
The recently launched brand currently offers a gorgeous Spring Capsule complete with romantic silhouettes. Each piece is so dreamy and luxe – totally designed for angels!
Rosey is a sweet content creator herself who I connected early on when I first began posting to my account! As a fellow college student, I am so amazed that she has been able to keep up with her studies, create content and collaborate with brands while also launching her very own! She is such an inspiration to me as a creator and I absolutely adore her and her brand.
Make sure to check out all her socials & support her new brand:
@gazetteofstyle @studioanatomique
https://studioanatomique.com/
Kozy
If you haven’t already, you have to check out Kozy, a clothing brand where comfort meets style! Their mission is to promote cute and high-quality clothing pieces that can be worn comfortably both indoors and outdoors. This adorable brand is owned by two Korean-American sisters, Sally and Catherine, and is based out of Orange County (my hometown!).
True to their mission, they offer a variety of pieces from casual loungewear to springy crop tops and mini dresses. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with this brand where I received their Lilac Lounge Shorts (aka the most perfect loungewear staple!)
My item was not only super cute and true to size, but also of such high quality! The cotton material was thick and durable while laced with soft fleece along the inside. While a lounge wear piece that I comfortably wear around the house, its cute lilac purple is the perfect shade to style for spring in a casual outfit. Needless to say, I’m obsessed period.
These girls were so amazing to work with. They are incredibly professional in the way they hold themselves and in how they run their business. (BTW they respond incredibly fast to emails – I’m not kidding when I tell you they’re amazing). They undoubtedly got their drive and passion from their parents who immigrated to the United States in order to provide them with an opportunity for a better life. I’m so grateful to have been able to work with them and it’s been amazing to watch their small brand grow. If you’re in need to spruce up your spring wardrobe, they have you covered! Make sure you check out their socials @wearkozy on Instagram and TikTok.
https://www.staykozy.com/
Selkie
An honorable mention, while Selkie is not Asian-owned, it is a female-owned business committed to size and cultural diversity. Selkie is founded by former Wildfox Co-Founder, Kimberley Gordon (@wedreamoficecream), a dreamy and artistic creative who designs with the love for folklore and fairytales. The British-American creative has developed a small team of diverse women while continuously seeking new cultural perspective from its employees and dedicated fan base.
Selkie manufactures in China with a factory that is WRAP and BSCI certified. Kimberley is dedicated to keeping her brand diverse and by manufacturing ethically in China she continues to advocate against xenophobia and the often-misconceived perceptions on manufacturing in China. Selkie is a brand comprised by a team of empowered and diverse women FOR empowered and diverse women to wear and live their own fairytales each and every day.
(Check out their Story Highlights featuring their manufacturer in China here)
Via @selkie on IG. Ethereal, dreamy, and inclusive. Selkie is a stunning brand that uplifts all women.
There you have it!! I could gush about each of these brands all day long and I’m so glad AAPI Heritage Month has given me the perfect excuse to do so in this dramatic blog post! I’m seriously in awe by each and every one of these creative women. They deserve every ounce of recognition and if you’ve never heard of them, I highly recommend checking each and every one out! Support doesn’t always come in the form of purchasing. You can follow their socials and keep up with them. A follow, like, and comment can go a long way for a brand and it’s such an easy way to offer free support towards these women who put so much into their work.
I’m so proud of each and every one of you and that I’ve found such an amazing community online of other Asian creatives. I had grown up being one of the few Asian kids in my class and I have realized how truly important representation and recognition is. Cheers to the month of May and continuing to celebrate and uplift other Asian voices. <3
PS. Leave a comment below of some of your favorite Asian-owned small businesses/creators!
Xoxo
Rachel @r.achelkang
#StopAsianHate
Stopaapihate.org
https://asianpacificheritage.gov/