Life & Work with Yao Mei Jing of Long Beach, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yao Mei Jing.

Hi Yao Mei, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was in high school, I had zero interest in fashion. My high school mainly focused on STEM and business, and there wasn’t much space for the arts. Entering college, I initially planned to study business and environmental science. However, during COVID, I started becoming more interested in fashion and began thinking about how I could combine it with my interests—especially sustainability, given how polluting the fashion industry can be, particularly fast fashion.

I had no experience in fashion at all—no sewing, design, or styling—but I decided to take a chance and enrolled at CSULB, majoring in Fashion Merchandising to learn the business side, and minoring in Fashion Design. Through my classes, retail jobs/internships, and involvement in a campus organization called Students in Fashion, I gained experience in visual merchandising, buying, and social media.

In Fall 2023, I studied abroad at Hongik University in South Korea, and that’s where I discovered my passion for fashion design. I learned how to sew, sketch, create flats, pattern make, and develop concepts/mood boards. I designed my first pair of skirt pants—black denim with leather and silver lining—I still remember the feeling of seeing my vision come to life. It was something I had never experienced before. For the first time, I created something with my own two hands, and it gave me a real sense of purpose and confidence. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me realize how powerful clothing can be as a form of self-expression.

During and after my study abroad experience, I went through a challenging period with my mental health and insomnia. While difficult, those experiences shaped me and ultimately inspired my first collection, “Blooming Through Chaos,” an 8-look, 15-piece collection that I released in Spring 2025 for my University’s annual Campus Couture Fashion Show. I designed and constructed the entire collection by hand, often spending long hours sewing after school while balancing my part-time job.

The Collection is a reflection of my emotions & lived experiences—an intimate narrative shaped by mental health and insomnia, capturing the complexity of internal struggle. Drawing inspiration from dystopian realities, visionary futurism, and the unrefined spirit of grunge, the designs capture the raw beauty of chaos and fragmentation meanwhile seamlessly intertwining delicate florals—a visual dialogue between light and darkness, an embodiment of blooming through adversity. With each successive design, the color ways gradually lightens and intensifies, visually narrating the emergence of bloom from the depths of chaos. I’m hoping to release another collection soon and launch my own brand one day.

After debuting my first collection, I began exploring styling more seriously. I had always loved experimenting with my own style, but I never imagined styling for others. Friends began asking me to style them for shoots and music videos, and I also gained experience creating visuals, styling mannequins and window displays while working at 2nd Street USA. Through collaborations and creative projects, I developed my identity as a stylist.
I’m especially drawn to layering, textures, and detailing—using safety pins and various fabrics to create looks that tell a story and evoke emotion. I often gravitate towards dystopian and futuristic aesthetics, but I also enjoy experimenting with different styles.

I graduated in Fall 2025, and since then, I’ve been working across creative direction, styling, and design for editorial shoots/tests, commercial work, collaborations, and assists. I’ve also started exploring hair as another creative outlet. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands like Converse, style music videos, and assist and style for editorials for Harper’s BAZAAR. Currently, I work in e-commerce and social media for a retail store called 3H’s (3H’s Sports Shoes), alongside my creative work.

If you told me a few years ago that I would be doing this, I would say you are insane. What I’ve learned over these past few months/years is to keep chasing your dreams and putting yourself out there, the possibilities are endless. Always trust the process, stay true to yourself, and believe in yourself, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, there were definitely obstacles along the way. While studying abroad at Hongik University, I discovered my passion for fashion design, but I also went through a challenging period with my mental health and insomnia, which deeply impacted me. It was something I had never experienced before, and it ultimately shaped both my perspective and my work, inspiring my first collection, “Blooming Through Chaos.”

That time pushed me to better understand myself and feel more grounded in my emotions—it made everything feel more real and intentional.

After graduating, I faced another kind of uncertainty. Like many people, I struggled with the transition into the job market and felt unsure about my direction. There’s often pressure to have everything figured out, but I learned that growth doesn’t always happen in a straight line. During that time, I stayed proactive, working on creative projects, collaborating with creatives, and networking, which helped me gain clarity in what I truly wanted to pursue.

Coming from a culture where creative paths aren’t always seen as the most stable, choosing this direction hasn’t always been easy. But it’s something I’m passionate about, and I’m committed to continuing to grow and push those boundaries.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work across styling, fashion design, creative direction, and hair, with a strong focus on storytelling. I’m especially drawn to creating conceptual photoshoots—developing narratives through clothing, textures, and overall visual composition. Whether it’s through styling or design, I aim to create work that feels expressive, immersive, and unique.

I’m most proud of the shoots I’ve developed recently, particularly the range of aesthetics I’ve been able to explore and execute. Being able to shift between different visual styles while maintaining a strong perspective is something I’ve worked hard to build, and it continues to evolve with every project.

What sets me apart is that much of my work is self-taught. While I studied fashion at California State University, Long Beach and abroad, my approach to design, styling, creative direction, and hair has largely been developed through hands-on experience—collaborating, experimenting, and consistently creating. Through that process, I’ve been able to build a distinct identity and aesthetic that feels authentic to me.

I’m driven by curiosity and the need to create. I’m a go getter, always looking to push my ideas further and explore new ways of telling stories through my work.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to not compare my journey to anyone else’s. It’s easy to feel behind or uncertain, compare your progress to others. However, I’ve realized that everyone’s path unfolds differently—and that’s what shapes your story and makes you unique.

For me, growth really came from staying committed to the process, even during periods of uncertainty. There were moments where I didn’t fully know where things were going, I felt behind or doubted my abilities, but continuing to create, taking risks, believing in myself, and putting myself out there made all the difference.

I’ve learned that it’s less about reaching a final destination and more about how you evolve along the way. That mindset has helped me stay grounded, trust my instincts and the process, keep moving forward in a way that feels true to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yyaomeijing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yyaomeijing/

Image Credits

“Intertwined”

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Yao Mei Jing
PHOTOS: Em Chen
LIGHTING ASSIST: Jason Bauguess
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Lillian Nguyen
STYLING: Yao Mei Jing
MODELS: Karis Choi, Malena Lam, Jenny Nguyen
HAIR: Yao Mei Jing
MAKEUP: Karis Choi, Malena Lam, Jenny Nguyen

“Dune”

MODEL/STYLING/CREATIVE DIRECTION: Yao Mei Jing

PHOTOS: Justin Lee

“Made In Vietnam”

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Sho Stewart, Imani Marasigan
MODEL: Sho Stewart
PHOTOGRAPHER: Imani Marasigan
ART DIRECTOR: Naveah Sabillo, Saria Serrano
STYLING: Jacob Cabacungan, Yao Mei Jing
DESIGNER: Yao Mei Jing
MAKEUP ARTIST: Helen Hu
HAIR: Saria Serrano, Yao Mei Jing

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: AJ Gonzalez

“Endlessly”

PHOTO: Imani Marasigan

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Yao Mei Jing

DESIGNER/STYLIST: Yao Mei Jing

HAIR & MAKEUP: Aedyn Frazer

MODELS: Kalani Vale, Vivie Ly

ASSIST: Matt Lee

“Light & Shadow”

PHOTO/CREATIVE DIRECTION: Nooj

DESIGNER: Yao Mei Jing

MODELS: Leo Dong, Midiya

MAKEUP ARTIST: Presley Mae

“Proceed with Caution”

PHOTOS: Dylan Uema
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Yao Mei Jing, Dylan Uema
MODELS: Luna Sugawara Ogawa, Yao Mei Jing
STYLIST/DESIGNER: Yao Mei Jing

“Black Venom”

PHOTO: Renee Devilluh

CREATIVE DIRECTION: Yao Mei Jing

STYLIST: Yao Mei Jing

MODELS: Ky Khue Vu, Chaelin Kang

HAIR: Yao Mei Jing

MAKEUP: Chaelin Kang

ASSIST: Magno

CARS: Giovanni Garcia, Nathan Jimenez

“Subjects of Beauty”

PHOTO/CREATIVE DIRECTION: Raymond Lei

STYLING: Yao Mei Jing

MAKEUP ARTIST: Helen Hu

HAIR: Yao Mei Jing

MODELS: Elizabeth Sun Lee, Helen Hu