We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ying Yi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ying below.

Hi Ying , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

At MY Knitever, we believe in celebrating the uniqueness of every individual’s size and shape to empower our customers. We’re dedicated to eliminating ill-fitting garments by creating affordable, custom-fit clothing through the innovative fusion of smartphone body scanning and 3D knitting technology. Online shopping is inevitable, yet fitting issues remain the top reason for returns, leading to significant waste in materials, labor, and energy. As a physicist, I am always thinking about how we can solve problems in an efficient and sustainable way.

Ying , 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?

I have been an educator for 12 years, teaching primarily engineering students who are eager to change the world. I always emphasize critical thinking and the use of innovative and creative methods to make the best use of our resources and improve our world.

On April 21st, 2022, as I sat at the Houston Runway Show, I was captivated by the beautiful garments on display but also haunted by the industry’s dark side, as fashion has become the second most polluting industry. I knew there had to be a better way to do fashion.

Determined to lead by example for my students, I began researching and training to understand how we could create a more inclusive and sustainable alternative for the fashion industry. After months of dedicated study, I founded MY Knitever, an apparel e-commerce platform that designs and manufactures garments tailored to each individual’s unique size in an unprecedentedly efficient and sustainable way.

Customers only need to spend a couple of minutes doing a quick phone scan of their body in tight clothing before placing an order. Everything they choose will be made to their particular size and shape in Houston, Texas.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We manufacture our products in Houston, Texas. Before starting my business, I had no experience in the textile industry. When I decided to purchase a 3D knitting (WHOLEGARMENT) machine from Shima Seiki Inc., the president of its USA headquarters had doubts and initially refused to sell me the machine due to its high cost and complexity (over $100,000).

I didn’t give up. Instead, I invested in additional training from Shima Seiki experts and quickly completed a Fashion Design Management Certificate through eCornell online. I also read about 30 books on fashion and business within three months. After this intense period of learning and preparation, Nobby Sasamoto, the president of Shima Seiki USA, finally agreed to sell me the machine and provided excellent mentorship and support throughout the journey.

One of my instructor Michael Caird, owner of the Knitting Mill once told me during a training session that, you will learn the most in production. The lesson I would like to share is that, don’t be afraid that you don’t know everything, you will learn and become better every day when you are manufacturing products.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I would like to recommend a book to all entrepreneurs: The World’s Best Buyer Persona System. This book completely changed my mindset. I used to believe I was the hero creating this awesome new engine for the fashion industry and fell in love with my own products. However, I realized I was disconnected from the people I was serving. They are the ones who spend their money and make lifestyle changes to create real impact.

This book woke me up and influenced me to build stronger relationships with customers, to understand their struggles, and to learn what they want for their lives to be more meaningful. It taught me how to empower their lives through our products.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.myknitever.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myknitever/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559004170044
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yingyi1982/
• Twitter: https://x.com/myknitever
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@myknitever
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@myknitever