Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shinyoung Park. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shinyoung, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Certainly, consistency. People might think that being consistent is easy, but in fact, it’s quite the opposite. When running your business, there are many more downsides than you can imagine. You may face discouragement, doubts about yourself and your mission, and financial problems. There are far more opportunities to give up, than there are encouragements to keep going. It is crucial to believe in yourself and your vision, and to keep pushing forward no matter what.

Shinyoung, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After graduating from a fashion program in Korea, I embarked on my fashion journey, working in different places and industries. I completed a short fashion course at Parsons in New York, interned at a boutique called Oona in Paris, worked in the production management team at the headquarters of The North Face in Seoul, and designed women’s clothing for the wholesale market in Los Angeles. All of my experiences in major fashion cities have had a great impact on my growth as a designer. MISENVER was created by combining the words “mischievous” and “versatile”, which reflect the primary personalities I pursue in my designs. I aim for my designs to be fun, creative, and to give a contemporary, modern city look to girls. I am proud of how far I have come and that I have started my journey without being from a rich family or having a big capital. Rather, all that has driven me is my belief in myself and my passion for fashion. I recently watched Season 2 of the “Next in Fashion” show, and one of the finalists, Bao, said that “fashion is a rich kid’s sport”, which resonated deeply with me. Especially since I mainly deal with an expensive material, which is leather, it hasn’t been an easy journey. I started my business in LA and sourced all of my materials and manufacturing there so I could easily purchase materials whenever I wanted to without having to worry about minimum quantities and lead times. However, as my company grows, I have to expand my material sourcing beyond Los Angeles. As I have always been aware of ecological issues in fashion, I am at a turning point where I am looking to change the materials I use into sustainable and traceable ones. During a webinar organized by Unique Market about sustainable materials, the guest host said that “small business owners” are the ones with the power to make decisions, and that really struck me. I had always thought that small businesses were the weakest point in the industry, but after that webinar, I truly believe that we are the ones with power. This has given me new business motivation: “small acts matter”. I want MISENVER to unite women from all over the world, without limiting one another, and have a positive impact on the community by being ethical and ecological.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I have a wealth of stories to share about manufacturing, having learned so much during my time with the NorthFace Korea headquarters. As part of the team responsible for down jacket styles, I had to manage the largest and most detailed production orders. NorthFace had manufacturing factories in several countries, and my role involved coordinating with different vendors around the world to ensure the production materials were ordered and shipped in time. Along the way, there were many challenges to overcome. From missing pieces, defects on materials, and managing shipping deadlines, there was no shortage of problems to solve. However, despite the difficulties, the experience was invaluable for building the skills I needed to launch my own brand. While I was confident in my manufacturing expertise, launching my own business brought new challenges. I began my manufacturing in LA, where I had previously worked as a designer and could leverage my contacts in the area. One of the biggest obstacles I faced was that my production quantities could not compete with larger companies, which meant that my products were often accorded lower priority with timing. I had to change factories a number of times, as sample request and finishing dates often got delayed. However, building good relationships with factories is essential in business. In my experience, personal contacts and recommendations from within the industry have proven most successful in identifying suitable factory partners. I prefer getting introduced by someone I know or through vendors I work with, rather than relying solely on online research.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I have been successful in building strong relationships with new customers through markets, as it allows me to personally introduce my products. When I participate in pop-up markets, I become very excited and energetic. I love meeting new customers, talking to them, and hearing from them. The insights I gain from these interactions are more valuable than online statistics.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.misenver.com
• Instagram: @mis_en_ver
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MISENVER
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-park-104849261/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Misenver

Image Credits
I have rights on all the pictures.