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

Vivi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Made in Hmong was born out of my deep desire to not only rediscover my roots but also to share the richness and beauty of Hmong culture with the world. Growing up, I was unaware of my heritage and the significance it held. It wasn’t until my adolescence that I started to immerse myself in the Hmong culture. I began learning the history and traditions of my people, which fascinated me deeply. During this journey of creating Made in Hmong, I realized the importance of acknowledging and taking pride in my Hmong identity. It’s not just about wearing clothes; it’s about embracing a heritage that I once felt disconnected from. Creating Made in Hmong was my way of showcasing Hmong culture in modern wear.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Vivi Lee and I am a second-generation Hmong American. Made in Hmong is a brand that I created when I was 18 years old. This brand was a way to showcase the Hmong culture. Hmong is a sub-ethnic group that traditionally lives in isolated mountain villages throughout Southeast Asia. Although we do not have a country, the Hmong heritage is preserved through the tales and culture of the Hmong people. When you think of Made in Hmong, I want us to remember the sacrifices our elders made to continue passing on the wealth of knowledge through the generations.

This brand is a tribute to the Hmong culture. Traditional Hmong clothing is known for its bright colors and embroidery patterns. Using graphic design, I want to bring the essence of our traditional Hmong clothing and create new modern versions that can be incorporated into everyday wear. As we grow to accept new traditions and styles, the essence of our Hmong heritage can continue to shine in everyday apparel. I hope that it serves as a gentle reminder of where we have been and how we will grow as a community.

My main goal is to reignite the light in the younger Hmong generations to express their culture. It is through our history that we can be where we are today. I want to show to the younger generation that they do have a voice. Diversity is extremely important to me and since Hmong is such a small sub-ethic group I want to be able to have representation of the Hmong community out in the world. By purchasing Made in Hmong you are buying a conversational piece that allows you to share the Hmong culture with others.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

From a very young age, I always looked up to my grandmother. When I was younger, she used to babysit me. She was a Hmong Herbalist, this is the Hmong people’s version of a doctor. While babysitting me, she would work on drying out herbs that she had grown to help those who were sick. These home remedies helped many people and that was always inspiring to me. The money to fund my business started with a $100 bill my grandma gave me. I remember graduating high school and getting the money as a gift. I wanted to use that money to help others, just like my grandma. Showcasing my culture was my way of helping the Hmong community. With the money from my grandma, I decided to get the supplies for screen printing and make a prototype at home. I ordered everything I needed: ink, screen printing frames, and two sweaters to test it on. After creating and testing the prototype I put out a form for preorders. I let all interested customers know it would take me 2-4 weeks to ship out their orders because I made them by hand. I was so lucky to have family and friends who understood the long wait time. There were so many people who helped me on my journey of starting up Made in Hmong and all the proceeds went right back into the company. I wanted to make sure that I could produce good and high-quality products for my customers. My grandma has always inspired me to help others and curating this business has allowed me to give back to my community. Without her as my role model and for her believing in me I wouldn’t have been her today.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I started my business in 2020, social platforms such as TikTok quickly became popular. I saw this opportunity and started posting my journey creating this business on my personal account. I would show previews of the design I was working on, I would also show the process of how I made each hoodie, and I would show myself packing the orders. Even if I didn’t gain many views, showing the process of how I made the products allowed my customers to feel connected to my brand. This connection was deepened by replying to comments and interacting with them through video replies. It added authenticity to my small business and through my post on social media I built trust with my clients. I soon made a dedicated Instagram and TikTok for my small business and continue to maintain my social media presence. The best advice I could give to any small business owner trying to build an audience on social media is to show the sides of your small business that not many other people see.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://MadeinHmong.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madein.hmong/

Image Credits

Photographers: Ivan Gasca, Esha Lee, and Vivi Lee
Models: Sophy Xiong, Anna Yang, Shihouahnia Yang, Lyla Yip, Vain Kang, Vivi Lee, Kaitlyn Wong, Yvonne Vang