We were lucky to catch up with Jireh Louie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jireh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

This aspect of starting my brand actually required a mindset change. Innately and culturally, I am inclined to avoid failure. A dichotomy of my character, as a perfectionist, is to imagine up grand ideas and then proceed to defeat them in the overthinking of all the potential obstacles.

The rewiring of this flaw began in college. The underlying principle in my schooling there was to take risks and embrace failure as a powerful tool for growth. That seed has taken root and my understanding of it continues to develop as I implement it in my life and creative practice. I strongly believe now that, as humans, we have the incredible superpowers to 1) make a choice and 2) take action. These are too often squandered. When watching superhero movies, we so easily criticize them for improperly using their powers in a dire scenario, claiming we would have done it better. Yet we are blind to the ways we do the exact same thing; we do not tap into our full potential for fear of failing.

In building my brand, I have strived to turn my ideas into reality with the fullest of my ability. In this way, I have expanded my garment creating skillset, honed my creative process, and gained knowledge of the clothing industry in a far more rapid and visceral way. When the risks are tangible and failure has real implications, lessons are learned so much more powerfully. This in tandem with the understanding that a lack of action means automatic failure anyways in the manifestation of your dreams, forward movement becomes an inevitability.

I started with manufacturing two of my designs, which taught me the importance of precise and accurate communication. I began selling on IG, which taught me the need for proper marketing to build a strong customer base. This in turn pushed me into solo production of garments to minimize financial risk and open up more creative control, which built up my skillset and opened up my eyes to the potential in a more curated and bespoke format of garment and art creation. To supplement my finances in the meantime, I found a job working in a brick and mortar store with clothing that I personally align with in order to further foster an understanding of clothing world.

I undoubtedly have much more to learn, but the ability to fight my fear of failure has been the crux of feeling indefatigable in my pursuit of building a brand.

Nike perhaps has said it most concisely: “Just Do It.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have a background in Industrial Design, but have always focused on soft goods and clothing. This stems from my deep and personal affinity for menswear, styling and fashion. I think clothing is a powerful tool for self-expression, which is something I think I have difficulty with vocally, so it is the form I leaned into more heavily.

My brand’s name is TONO, Latin for “I Thunder” and a play on the Chinese character for my last name 雷, which mean thunder. From the beginning it has been about finding and developing my design voice and my place in this world. Given my difficulty with vocal expression, I wanted TONO and my work to have the strength to speak for me.

I have two lines that I am developing.

The first is what I call my Core Collection. These are pieces that deal more in silhouette, function, and materiality. I am looking to expand this collection in the coming year. These pieces are also what I would consider “products” vs “masterpieces”. Meticulously designed yet manufacturable and distributable.

The second is more of an eclectic ongoing art/apparel project. These pieces are either small run or one of one pieces created more to capture and express emotion. I would consider this side to be my “masterpiece” collection. These are works of art that I have made by my own hands. I am looking to open up this portion of my practice to commissions soon.

I think my obsession with clothing, fabric, and quality, in conjunction with my discerning eye, highly self-critical nature, and distinct lack of love for money, means that the clothing I produce will always be my best work. This to say, as I grow, so will the beauty of the garments that I put into the world.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to TONO, I was working with a small custom furniture and window treatment company, that catered to wealthy clients primarily in the Chicagoland area. This definitely helped me to develop my eye for fabrics and quality as well as my inclination towards custom work.

However, the workplace environment was taxing for me, and there was a significant limitation on my creative expression. This prompted my pivot into trying to start TONO, staying afloat with my 10k savings, (an actually fortunate) Covid-boosted unemployment, and the patience/generosity of my parents.

Although stressful financially, this path has proved to be infinitely more fulfilling. I am grateful to have been blessed with the platform to pursue my dreams and the opportunity to risk failure. I actively choose to carry the burden of achievement to honor all the work my ancestors have put in to give me these opportunities.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I don’t think I realized I was being resilient, because I am so self-critical. Not giving up on things I want has kinda been the way that I approach things in general. This attitude manifests in all aspects of my life, almost to a fault without exception.

TONO has not become a sustainable source of income, and I have been working on it since 2018. I officially launched 2.5 years ago. Perhaps that in itself is a feat, to not have abandoned it when some products flopped (of which there were quite a few), or to have watched peers find huge financial success in corporate careers. But I think I am uniquely creative and powerful, and I believe this path is where I find out what I have to offer the world. So I don’t see much other option other than to persist.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tono.studio
• Instagram: @project.tono