Meet Karen Han Liao of Happy Our in Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Han Liao.

Karen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I majored in Product Design at a design school in Pasadena. After college, I was fortunate to explore various fields of design and at one point had an opportunity to work at a bag company learning how to design soft goods. My passion for soft goods grew since then.

I married my college sweetheart, and there was a point in our career when we operated a design consultancy for about a year and a half. It was one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking days in our life. I later had my daughter and became a stay-at-home mom to two children. I enjoyed being a full-time mom, but couldn’t resist the desire to work again. Thankfully, the timing couldn’t have been any better as I met my sister-in-law, Joy, a fashion designer who was also seeking for an opportunity. An idea was sparked, and next thing you know, we decided to create a baby clothing brand together.

Many people say working with family and friends can hinder relationships. I’ve worked with my husband and currently working with my sister-in-law, and I must say in both cases, we have developed much stronger bonds through the experience.

It has been a labor of love. From learning something completely new, to firefighting a mistake we made, to seeing our very first order come in, to spotting someone wearing our product on the street, we are enjoying every bit of the journey.

Has it been a smooth road?
We were fortunate to have a good foundation due to the network my partner, Joy, has built over 15 years of being in the fashion industry in downtown LA. Once we designed our first garment, everything just sort of snow balled from there; all the sourcing and developing were done through referrals from trusted colleagues. With everyone’s help, we were able to manufacture our very first collection within 3 months, it still felt like a miracle.

It has been a lot of sweat and tears. On a personal level, juggling to be a mom to two young children was, and still is, one of the biggest challenge, as their demands need to be met constantly.

In addition to the many common challenges that many start-up companies face, a challenge that is unique to our products is finding ways to tell our story. Our fabric is extremely soft and breathable and they sell significantly better in person. In a changing retail landscape that is becoming more online shopping and less brick and mortar, we have to find clever ways to be able to tell the world how great our material is online. So far, the best method has been through word of mouth from our growing consumer by having them share it with the world through social media.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Happy Our – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are obsessed with babies’ comfort. My son , Dylan, was our inspiration. He suffered from eczema as a newborn, and was overheated all the time. He would sweat so much, and it was a struggle for the both of us. I was then introduced to bamboo fabric. The many natural benefits of the fabric helped Dylan become a happier baby, and made us happier parents.

With that as the starting point, we took what is already great in bamboo and improve on it. We have engineered a very unique sewing technique to further enhance on the benefits. We believe we have something unique in the industry, and we promise to continue to seek innovative ideas to make ordinary moments extraordinary.

Our designs are simple, for we believe simple shapes and hues make the product timeless. With a minimalistic mindset, we stripped away all the unnecessary elements to offer easier solutions to everyday routines and also to make quality products that would stand the test of time.

We partnered with various local vendors to create and craft our products from start to finish, for we are committed to build a strong community, and to make earth-friendly products by minimizing resources and transportation needed during the development stage. We strive to achieve the highest levels of craftsmanship and pay attention to every detail.

Being a mother, we also try to support mom-owned business as much as possible. When we participate in events, small or big, we bring marketing materials for other mom-owned businesses to support them. We think it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Last but not least, what I’m proud of is our company‘s mission- We want to bring happiness to every family, by offering soft, timeless, and well-made bamboo garments.

We believe we have something truly amazing to offer, and we have never been more excited to share with the world.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I was raised in LA and moved to OC about three years ago. I will always be an Angeleno at heart. The diversity, weather, food, and the beaches I must say are my favorite. What I least like about our city is the traffic.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheHappyOur.com
• Email: hello@ourhappyour.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappyour/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehappyour/

Image Credit:
iWink Studio

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