Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Lin.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always enjoyed exploring and creating with my hands, so my mother bought me a sewing machine as a birthday gift in high school. From there, I taught myself to sew and fell in love with how tactile and three-dimensional fashion design was. I felt like it was an art form that was special because we live our lives wearing it. Eventually, I realized that you could make a career out of fashion and I decided to pursue an education in it.
I moved out to New York to study fashion design and specialize in womenswear at Parsons School of Design. I also studied at Central Saint Martins in London as well.
I first cut my teeth at brands such as Diane von Furstenberg, J. Mendel, Armani Exchange, and eventually moved to Germany where I worked as a womenswear designer for Esprit. It was during that time when I really found a love and passion for sustainability and ethical labor.
As a stroke of luck, my brother Kevin was also wrapping up his Master’s degree through M.I.T. and was doing his program abroad in Spain. We’ve always been close growing up, so we thought it would be fun to do a “reunion” trip of sorts in Europe since we hadn’t physically seen each other in a long time. We decided to follow the Orient Express.
Towards the end of our trip, he kindly mentioned that I had been a bit of an annoying younger sister and had complained a lot during the trip about the state of the sustainability and how it wasn’t accessible enough to shoppers. We were sitting in a bar in Vienna when Kevin expressed that he truly believed in my vision as a designer, and my ethos as well.
At first, I thought it was the whiskey talking, but he was serious – if I left my job in Germany to pursue my label, then he’d move back to California with me and do the business by my side.
Within a few months, we were both back in Orange County (where we had grown up) and began the steps to launch KESTAN. For the first six months of our business, we flew to every supplier and factory to personally ensure that we were partnering with the right people.
We started the business by launching online and eventually moved into our first brick-and-mortar. Even as we grow, every piece that enters the KESTAN collection is designed and fitted by myself personally. We’ve slowly grown to expand our womenswear line to include jewelry, handbags, and home goods as well. My experience working for both luxury and mass market brands has allowed me to do something truly special with KESTAN – we offer women a collection of clothing that’s well designed and unique without breaking the bank.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle that I face with KESTAN would probably have to be educating the consumer. In the entire scheme of fashion history, sustainability and ethical labor is still a relatively new concept. And even if more and more people are aware of it, many often assume that it’ll be extremely expensive or adheres to a very specific design aesthetic.
It’s my hope to show people that ethical fashion can coexist with an independent designer label all at accessible prices.
Please tell us about KESTAN.
KESTAN is an independent womenswear label creating clothing, handbags, jewelry, and home goods. We specialize in using eco-fibers, eco-fiber blends, or deadstock fabrics. Our eco-fibers are wood, cotton, or bamboo-based fabrics that are regenerated to create soft, supple, and luxurious fabrics. Our handbags are also 100% vegan leather.
We create clothing for multi-faceted women. Whether you’re headed to the board room, picking up kids from camp, or catching up with girlfriends on the weekend, we have something for you. I want to make it easy for women to integrate sustainable choices into their wardrobe. I like to think of it as designing something beautiful she would have loved regardless, and the bonus is that it’s an ethical, comfortable, and affordable piece.
I’m incredibly proud of being able to marry my creative vision with an ethical ethos. And being able to see my work manifested and exist in the context of someone’s life is so rewarding. My favorite part of the job is hearing from women or seeing photos of where they wear KESTAN. It’s a tangible example of how diverse we are as a gender, and the amazing things we’re doing (and the beautiful clothes we take with us on the journey)!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a child, I was very adventurous and loved playing outside. I would literally be outside from the moment school got out until I had to go in for dinner. I remember one night coming back from one of my adventures with tons of “treasure” – treasure, meaning earthworms, flowers, sticks, and lots and lots of dirt. I came right into the kitchen and threw everything on the dining table to share with my mom, completely ignoring the fact that it was set for dinner.
Instead of becoming upset with me, my mother calmly took everything outside with me. The next day, she surprised me with a play area and a plastic table and seat where I could build my little mud sculptures and set up my small butterfly tent. It’s my favorite memory, because that small gesture from my mother showed me how supportive she was of my creative pursuits, and allowed me to feel free to explore and have fun.
I think that kind of freedom and mentality carried over to adulthood, where I never felt scared to pursue my passions. Even into adulthood when I decided to go to art school or start a business, my mother had always been my biggest cheerleader and believer.
Pricing:
- Dresses: $125 – $135
- Tops: $35 – $105
- Bags: $150 – $165
- Jewelry: $25 – $45 (includes 925 sterling silver)
Contact Info:
- Address: KESTAN
At the Irvine Spectrum
Suite #818 - Website: www.kestan.co
- Phone: 7146948181
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hellokestan
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellokestan
Image Credit:
Photo with pink background and model with glasses and arms crossed: Natasha Wilson, Photo of brunette model standing against concrete wall with layered jackets: Jonathan Roberts, All other photos: KESTAN
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