Meet Shaun Ngo of ShaunKnow in Lincoln Heights

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaun Ngo.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m from San Jose where my interest of fashion started just off buying clothes. San Jose is very diverse, growing up in nicer side of town, but being surrounded by different hoods really played a big part in how I grew up. My brother, who was my father figure growing up, introduced me to rap and streetwear, which are my biggest inspirations behind my designs. I didn’t start designing until 2017.

Before that, I went to college at Penn State and got my bachelor’s in Economics. That didn’t necessarily help me with what I do today, but what I learned in class definitely helped me run my own business. During my time in the east coast, I found the time to go to New York, fashion mecca. I didn’t know I was going to get into the fashion industry coming out of college because I had no specific skills in fashion.

After college, I used my network to land an internship at Crooks & Castles. During my short time there, I was able to expand my network and work with the Og’s of streetwear. I learned so much while interning there I suggest to anyone wanting to start a brand to intern for an established brand and soak up as much information as you can while you’re there. Everything I learned in the industry all started with Crooks & Castles, and everything after that was self-taught.

The inspirations behind my brand would definitely start with vintage clothing. Graphics in the 90’s are classic and that’s the first thing I search when I start a design. Anything from vintage rock band tees to sports tees. I try to keep my graphics relevant but timeless, and none of my graphics looks similar to each other. I have a very diverse customer base so I try to keep my designs diverse as well and not stick to one specific style. I’ve designed for rappers, Instagram influencers, models, etc. and I try to adapt to their style and their customers, so I would say my best attribute is my diversity.

Currently, I am a one man team doing all my own printing, logistics, shipping and most of my own designs in Lincoln Heights, but I’m also open and doing a lot of collaborations. I’m in the process of building a team and within the next year, I want to transition to becoming more of a creative agency rather than a brand. I think using my first and last name – Shaun Ngo (Know) – as my brand name, I need to think bigger and expand rather than just being a brand. I’m also working on my cut and sew line KNOWWEAR (@knowwear.la) coming at the end of the year Fall/Winter 2020.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’m not going to say I’ve had it the worst. My childhood wasn’t the best growing up, being raised by a single mother, but we made the best of what we had. We didn’t necessarily struggle financially, I always got what I wanted and now thinking about it, I was spoiled living off one income most of my childhood. It was definitely a rollercoaster for me with my father in and out of my life, but he too always tried to give me what I wanted. I know a lot of people living with separated parents so it’s kinda normal now. If they understand the dynamic of how I grew up. I feel like because your parents are split, they spoil you a little more because they’re trying to make up for lost times.

These early obstacles definitely made me the person I am today, for better or for worse. A lot of it has to do with why I am so independent today. Being pretty much babied and sheltered up until I left for college really opened my eyes. Since college, I’ve been still trying to figure myself out. I’m still trying to find my lane in the fashion industry, but I’m going to continue doing what I do and giving my customers what they want. Finding myself and establishing myself in the fashion industry has been my biggest struggle.

I do what I love everyday so I can’t complain. I don’t make clothes for the money because I remember a few years ago when I first started living in Los Angeles with less than $20 in my bank account and I still tried to make clothes with what little I had. So for me to be here doing what I love everyday without struggling financially is a blessing to me. I just stuck to it no matter the hardships presented to me and I never let anyone put me down. I knew that my creativity was going to take me somewhere as long as I stuck to it. As a kid, my brother used to tell me to follow my dreams all the time because thats exactly what he did, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Some words you live by, and you have to take those words literal. Even though I don’t know my exact path and where this fashion thing is taking me, I just know one day I’m going to make it and I believe in myself, that’s the most important part.

Please tell us about ShaunKnow.
I do everything from A-Z for my brand. I started SHAUNKNOW from the ground up, only me and still just me. One day soon, we will build an empire. And I say we, customers included because that is the most important part of the business. I listen to my customers and try to give them what they want. That is also why I do giveaways all the time because I feel the need to give back to the ones that support me. As for my clients that I design or print for I don’t think of them as my clients but more as a collaborative. They have a vision that they present to me and we make it happen and give it to our customers. I’m most proud of providing my customers with a product that we can both appreciate and be proud of. Aside from getting creative and designing, my other favorite part of the business is shipping because I feel rewarded when I send my products out. I feel like my designs differ from not only other designers but from my own as well because my inspirations change daily depending on my mood. I also collaborate with a lot of different artists on designs as well, @majorwavezz, @conceptos.la, @michelangelo_co on Instagram just to name a few.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have definitely started sooner. I always knew I wanted to do something with clothes I just didn’t know exactly what, so I suggest just getting to it and time will help figure it out. Definitely intern more, learn more, and just be a student to the game. I felt like I threw myself in the deep waters and just had to figure out by myself. Like I said before, I’m still trying to figure “it” out and I don’t even know what “it” is that I’m talking about. I just know I have a lot to learn, but I’m confident that as long as you stick to it and put your heart into it, you’ll pave your own lane. You learn something new everyday and knowledge is power.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shaunknow.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaunknow/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/knowwear.la/

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