Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauryn Kawasaki.
Hi Lauryn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love for fashion started at a young age. In my early teen years, I discovered thrifting and quickly became obsessed with the hunt. I started flipping my finds and was able to experiment with my style and design. Since I didn’t grow up with much money to spend on clothing, I learned how to manipulate my thrift finds into garments based by what I saw in stores and couldn’t afford. During high school, my mom taught me how to sew properly and I started to learn how to make clothes inspired by my favorite brands. I started to obtain my own design style and that is when I started my handmade clothing brand, Kinuyo.
I knew I wanted to expand this passion of mine so I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Downtown Los Angeles. I completed the two-year Fashion Design program and learned industry-level skills like sewing, pattern drafting, sketching, collection development and so much more! During my time in school, I kept on top of my clothing brand and gained clients for event gowns, prom dresses, and ready-to-wear.
2020 was when I was able pour into Kinuyo and I started my online shop. I would make garments, test new patterns, and sketch almost every day to keep the creativity flowing and find what made me tick most. Over the past few years, I’ve worked towards expanding my skill base to be able to execute my visions and networking to learn more about the industry and meet new people. Today, I work with clients to make their dream looks come to life! Everything is completely custom from start to finish including sketching, fittings, fabrications and embelishments.
There is much more to come and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The concept of “trial and error” did not sit well with me in the beginning. Working with multiple clients means working with multiple body types, personalities, and desires. I quickly realized how different everyone actually is. My goal with Kinuyo is to make quality garments that make the special moments and little moments in life a little extra special. In order to do that, I needed to accept the fact that nobody is perfect and it’s okay to ask questions.
I like to remind myself that you have to be willing to make mistakes, be willing to talk about it and have the drive to try again. It all comes down to passion. If you deeply and truly love what you do, you will enjoy the trials and errors because that’s how you learn and grow as a creative and a person. Anyone can have the skills but the passionate ones are the ones that will shine.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create custom handmade garments; anything from wedding dresses to event looks to your everyday basics. My design process starts by asking myself, “What would I be wearing in this situation to make it feel like a main character moment?” My style is for the person who loves dressing to enhance and embrace every moment in life. They see clothing as the cherry on top to making the most out of every occasion.
One of my favorite details to incorporate into my more extravagant designs is hand beading and embellishing. I pay very close attention to fit and construction to create sustainable pieces that feel custom to the person wearing them.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Kinuyo is a brand that makes quality handmade custom clothing accessible to everyone! To show your support, feel free to reach out to collaborate on any looks you can dream of for any sort of event. You can also find my shop on Etsy for handmade ready-to-wear pieces. Following on social media will keep you up to date on any upcoming collections and any projects I create!
I encourage everyone to shop slow fashion and support small artists!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/kinuyoxlauryn
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kinuyo_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lauryn-kawasaki
