Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Yang.
Hi Becca, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Los Angeles native and from an early age, I knew I wanted to do something in the creative world. I studied Fashion Design and Textile Management at NC State University. After living abroad for a few years after my undergrad, I hit the pavement running in 2015 back in my hometown of Los Angeles.
After working in the fashion industry for corporate giants, I soon realized I didn’t want to climb the corporate ladder. Instead, I wanted to create something of my own. The only problem was I wasn’t sure what that was going to be.
Then my brother brought home a rescue named Pope in 2016 and forever changed my life in more ways than one. I instantly fell in love with Pope and just wanted to protect him especially because he was so traumatized. Pope being so skittish and having high anxiety, I wanted to buy him some clothes for an extra layer of comfort and a sense of safety. But I didn’t like what was out in the market for dogs. The clothes didn’t feel comfortable or it had a weird fit on Pope. That sparked an idea and started the trajectory of DOHP Dog. I wanted to create a true dog’s brand where every decision was based on the dog’s comfortability and safety. Of course, I wanted to create fashionable pieces but never at the expense of Pope or any other dog’s comfort. I also wanted to create a business that supported other local businesses. That is why DOHP Dog’s dogwear is all manufactured in Los Angeles.
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?
Not at all but I wouldn’t change anything in my journey. I worked on DOHP Dog for two years before launching the brand to the world in November of 2020. (Yes, I also decided to launch during a pandemic!)
The first year was definitely the hardest because I was starting everything from scratch. I also wanted to create a trusting, long-term relationship with whatever vendors I worked with.
There were many times in the first year where I thought, “This is it! FINALLY!” Then only to be disappointed shortly after because the vendor wasn’t able to deliver as they promised. It felt very defeating because it felt like I was taking a step forward in the right direction only to be taking ten steps back. It was a lot of back and forth but with due time, I was able to lock in two local manufacturers I work with and as well as a trusted fabric vendor.
We’ve been impressed with DOHP Dog, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
DOHP Dog is a true dog’s brand! What that means is I design for your dog and with only your dog in mind. I know we like to buy our dog’s clothes based on the aesthetic we like but I wanted to create a colorful, comfortable world through DOHP Dog products.
For instance, our main colors are blue and yellow because dog’s aren’t color blind. They can actually see different shades of these two colors! Also, I found out through research some dogs have a nickel allergy. That is why we developed our own hardware that is nickel-free to use on all our DOHP dogwear.
Also, safety is a top priority to us. As you can see from pictures, Pope is a tiny dog. He weighs less than 10 pounds. Sometimes because of work, I would have to walk him later at night when it’s really dark out. Pope being a black chihuahua AND under 10 pounds, he’s not easy to spot by people, cars and scooters. That is why we have reflective trim on some of our DOHP dog wear for high visibility to keep your dog safe for night walks or emergency potty times!
DOHP Dog really believes in the importance of supporting local businesses, especially Los Angeles businesses. That is why our patternmaker and manufacturer are here in Los Angeles. Also, when we start a new project, we start by sourcing in Los Angeles, then California, then the US, and then hit the global market. We love L.A. We’re L.A. and we’re all about supporting L.A!
Pricing:
- DOHP Sh*t Hoodie – $59
- DOHP Down Flannel – $49
- DOHP Dapper Ties – $25
- DOHP Case – $23
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.dohpdog.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dohpdog/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dohpdog
