We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michiyo Shinohara a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michiyo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Craft and weaving hold a special place in my heart because they allow me to slow down and appreciate the process of creation. It’s a meditative and therapeutic activity for me. Additionally, I love the feeling of transforming raw materials into something functional and beautiful. I want to share my experience with customers and make them feel special and healed through my art pieces. Selling my work is a way of preserving the time and effort I put into each piece, and it serves as a reminder of my dedication and growth as an artist. Sometimes, I also help my volunteers who assist me with weaving work when they create their own pieces. These are my missions.

Michiyo , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At my brand, I provide clothing products, all made with sustainable materials and produced by myself. My designs are inspired by zen and abstract art, resulting in pieces that are both stylish and environmentally conscious. I make items through weaving because I am a weaver first. I believe in transparency and ensure that our clients know the story behind each garment they purchase.

One of the main problems I solve for our clients is the guilt associated with fast fashion. By choosing my brand, they can feel confident that they are supporting a sustainable and ethical fashion movement. I am proud to be a part of the slow fashion movement and believe that fashion can be a force for positive change.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a result of the pandemic, I quit my part-time job. There was a time when my business completely started, I made tough decisions, and worked tirelessly to turn things around. It was a true test of my resilience, but in the end, it paid off and my business not only survived but thrived. However, that was fun actually; I just posted on Instagram every day during the pandemic.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Manufacturing our products has been an integral part of our entrepreneurial journey. When I started, I had to manufacture them myself because I wanted to showcase my work as one-of-a-kind wearable art. Then, I started making and continue to make my work myself, but now I have some signature designs. Clients can order my work from the popular list on my website. My website and item stories change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shinonyc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shinonyc

Image Credits

Shino NYC