Today we’d like to introduce you to Munroe M.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hola! I am Munroe of Qmunroe. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and had an education-motivated stint in NJ for the following decade. Even though I graduated with a BFA, my creative journey really started two years later when I moved to the beautiful land of Venice, LA. While following a promising career path in visual merchandising, I still had an interest in creating my own things. My interests always came out of making something for myself that I couldn’t seem to find in the marketplace. After designing a few items and garnering such positive reactions, I decided to start my own small business called QMunroe (Q stands for quintessence), meaning “The essence of Munroe”. The polysemy name derived from a collection of design products that embodied my personality and style while also putting a name to the journey of finding and creating who Munroe ( I ) was.
I started out with a robust offering of clutches that I made out of my tiny 210 sq ft apartment (featured on Apartment Therapy) in Culver City, that I sold at the Renegade Craft Fair and two boutique stores. After a few years, when I realized that my creativity was not limited to just one medium, I started designing T-shirts out of my studio in Koreatown. Due to the ascension of my professional path, this creative exploration ended up being a longer process. Fast forward to four years later, after wearing my T-shirt designs to work…. I was laid off.
Yes, that happened! After receiving this heavy curveball and trying to find the rug that was just pulled from underneath me….. I sat myself down and had a one-person staff meeting. To plan out and strategize what I wanted to get out of this time off. This is when I devised a plan to launch SCAPE, my T-shirt line. I was finally going to put all my professional garnered skills to use!! I spent two months re-designing my website with just me and my genius computer friend that I’ve known since high school. I did all the photography, photo editing, writing, inventory set-up, designing, and manufacturing. It was surprisingly really fun and rewarding and resulted in a fully functional site by my two-month deadline.
This was just in time for me to apply to sell my product at the Renegade Craft Fair again ( almost a decade later). Unfortunately, all this positive momentum was met with some system error, resulting in my application not being seen, so it is not fair for QMunroe! However, I didn’t slow down and transferred my energy into creating a social media presence. This brings us to the present day (January 2024), where I find myself planning to return to work next month while networking to offer my collection in local boutiques and partnering with celebrity stylists. The future is looking pretty bright, full of infinite possibilities!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve had a few bumps, but I remain pretty grateful when I continue to see my life through the lens of relativity. I had a decade-long relationship end and some medical interruptions, but somehow, art has always saved me. Even as an adolescent, art was my joy, my release, my therapy, my friend. I was going to say that living off of a very humbling income was a challenge, but honestly, I discovered years ago that the best creations come out of having less. Starting with less pushes one to think harder and smarter…I truly believe that was the reason my beloved tiny 210 sq ft studio came together the way it did and was featured on one of the most popular design blogs at the time. There will always be obstacles, but I’ve learned that it’s not the weight that kills you but how you choose to carry it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently design one-of-a-kind T-shirts. They are not screen printed but can be described as a 3D painting you can wear. The name of the collection SCAPE ( funny enough) is also a polysemy, as it speaks to the first realized design that is a translated landscape constructed from collaged pieces of fabric. The other meaning speaks to the escape that the designs allow one to explore when observing them. I am proud that I have still managed, throughout the roller coaster and demands of daily life, to continue to feed my personal creative passions. I enjoy and take immense pride from the professional side of my life but never want to forget that nothing is worth losing what ignites the fire within.
What sets me apart from others is that I find magic in the mundane. I constantly challenge myself to do more with less… and sometimes, it’s out of choice. I appreciate so many forms of creativity, whether it be Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design, fashion, jewelry, and even Classic cars. I take inspiration from all forms and channel it in my own way, which currently happens to be T-shirt design. My designs can be styled up with a suit or down with a pair of jeans.
What makes you happy?
Interior Design, Classic cars, singing, dancing, and sharing a meal/drinks with my family/friends are what make me happy. Good Interior design makes me happy because I am such a visual person, and achieving harmony in an environment satisfies a part of my soul. Classic cars just exude a level of style, class, and attention to detail that I feel is becoming extinct. The last three make me happy simply because they allow me to release all tension and be present in the moment.
Contact Info:
- Website: Qmunroe.com
- Instagram: @scape_by_qmunroe
