I’m rarely an overexplainer when it comes to most things. I actually kind of pride myself in how not TMI I am about most aspects of my life, especially online. But when it comes to my new brand, Memory, I have this insane urge to endlessly talk about it. Obviously, because it’s my brand and has taken over my life but also because of the fact that it's truly just… me. Doing it all. For the first time in my life, I’m working completely alone, and I’ve been working so hard. I want to share more about the behind-the-scenes. I don’t want to overexplain Memory on the website or Instagram, but I think Substack could be the perfect place to give a little lot of background on how the collection came together: the stories behind each piece, how they were made, how the entire brand came to be, and a bit more about the fit and composition of each piece, for those that are curious.
Let's go ͙͘͡★
This skirt started everything! I got this baby gauze-y star fabric in Tokyo on a trip at the end of last year and it ultimately became the springboard for the entire brand. I originally got the pintuck detail idea from several vintage pieces, e.g. one of my favorite Comme des Garcons skirts and a 2010s-era Chloe skirt. I’ve loved a low rise/low-waisted skirt for the last few years (haven’t we all?!) but felt that the skirts with a little more detail towards the waist are more flattering and ultimately more comfortable too. Skirts are pretty much my daily uniform. And they all happen to be about knee length and pretty straight. I wear a skirt (or a pair of jeans) almost every day out of the year and I don’t think I can live without them, nor have too many. If you look in my closet, I have more skirts than all my dresses + going-out-tops + jackets combined.
I started this journey with just the pintuck star skirt idea in my head and knew there was only one place I could begin. Dongdaemun Market. A massive, multi-story textile market in Seoul where you can buy virtually any type of fabric, trim, or sewing accessory imaginable. I went straight to the basement to find a tailoring ajumma (Korean word for ‘auntie’) to help me create this sample. I quickly learned though that almost all of them work only on “home fashion” — pillows, curtains, bedding, and other various accessories like tote bags and pouches. When I finally found one ajumma who agreed to make my skirt, she was a pain to work with. She kept promising one date but when I would come back on said-date to pick up, I saw she hadn’t even touched what I gave her, and she would kind of chuckle (which, after about the 3rd time, started to become annoying). I got the skirt several weeks later than originally planned (yes, maybe normal for most places in the world, but not in Korea. We respect a deadline!). I was frustrated. The skirt didn’t even fit right. I could tell a pattern was going to be needed. I knew I needed professional advice and help. I, for some reason, really wanted to try to figure this all out without asking anyone for advice or help at first (silly/dumb mistake). But after the frustrations this ajumma brought me, I finally caved and asked around my small network in Seoul and got connected to a production manager who helps independent brands get things made from start to finish. This is when things started to shift and become much more real.
Luckily because we met through a friend, the production manager was keen to help little ol’ me. She connected me to proper factories and pattern makers and we talked through the rest of the collection together. I told her from the start that I didn’t want to be “like her other clients” i.e. hands off and wait for her to bring me things. I wanted to go to the market myself, see the buttons, ribbons, zippers; and the fabrics I wanted to use were already pretty much decided (or so I thought). I really just needed help with factory and production communication. She was down. We sorted out her fee and other logistics and we were off! (Long before I even thought of the word Memory as the name).
Composition: 100% cotton, natural double-layer Japanese gauze cotton with a super soft, almost plushy, handfeel.
Size & Fit: Meant to sit quite low on the hips. For those that don’t have wide hips or a fuller butt, your regular size will definitely work. I have a few friends who are skinny but have wider hips, or an amazing Pilates butt, and the hip area is tight on them. The Medium size has worked perfectly on those girls.
Other: The fabric is naturally double-gauze which gives it that soft, very-slight cushiony feel. I tried many variations of this skirt, with/without lining but ultimately at least for me, and all the girls I’ve seen it on, it’s really not too sheer to cause concern. But if you are wearing really colorful (e.g. pink) or black underwear, yes it will probably show. Regardless, all our skirts are perfect with the boyshorts.
*The Small is sold out and there’s very few of the M and L left. I went to Tokyo just to get more of this fabric last week, so back in stock soon hopefully!
I named this skirt after the Greek island of Symi (should I do a travel guide?!) which I visited last October. It was so beautiful, and the name always stuck with me. It has a fun ring to it, doesn’t it? Greece takes such a big place in my heart. I’ve been many times, and I knew I really wanted to name a piece after a Greek island because of the colors. Don’t get me started on my whole vacation-outfit-philosophy spiel but I will just say this: I dress more fun and have more fun dressing on vacation that any other time ever. It’s so specific. I become more free, more colorful, and definitely more sexy. I think I come alive and always look better on vacation (with a tan) … yet another reason why I love traveling so much.
I found a Korean cotton silk blend fabric and fell in love with all the vibrant color options. I originally went to the silk store in search of a chiffon to try to recreate one of my favorite vintage pieces - a bright neon yellow silk skirt that is a staple for me every summer. Not only could I not find this color, the fabric itself is so expensive. I really wanted to do something in a bright turquoise/cyan blue (originally a top) anyway and there it was. It all worked out. The Symi skirt color is strangely (seriously, not just trying to sell it) so flattering on everyone who tries it on, no matter your skin tone. It’s hand dyed in Korea. I became so close with almost all my vendors but I have a soft spot for the silk store employee because he’s so nice. The fabric had slight color variations (I literally couldn’t tell) after dying and he was freaking out and apologizing, asking if I wanted to have it all re-dyed. I of course said no need! (He said he’s just used to his Korean customers needing everything to be P e r f e c t).
Last thing I’ll say is that silk is really hard to source in Korea. I was shocked, because I know that silk has really deep roots in Korea both in and outside of clothing. But so many Korean brands don’t care for or ask for silk — it’s expensive and a lot of the factories charge extra to work with it because it’s so finicky/delicate. And even though Dongdaemun Market is ginormous I had to venture to a different market entirely just to source silk.
Both the Tokyo Skirt and Symi Skirt have small details that only people like me may notice, but they are still important! A smooth YKK zipper, hook and eye closure, silk hanger straps, and a petersham ribbon along the waistline for extra support and a clean finish.
Composition: 30% silk 70% cotton. A very delicate, soft, lightweight fabric. I chose this fabric because I loved the vibrancy of the color, but also because it’s so lightweight. It gets unbearingly hot and humid in NYC, Seoul, and Tokyo (they all have very similar summer weather) and I really just need to feel naked some days. The Symi skirt may feel a bit fragile for those who wear their clothes hard/rough, but the lightweightedness and cooling feeling from the fabric makes it worth it.
Size & Fit: Same as Tokyo skirt. But since the fabric is lighter weight, it doesn’t run as tight on the hips as the Tokyo skirt. Go for your regular size unless you have really wide hips or a big booty.
Other: Slightly sheer depending on the underwear and lighting situation. But with both the Tokyo and Symi Skirts, the pintuck detail kind of prevents either skirt from reading/appearing actually sheer. They’re not too sheer or sexy for everyday wear, and that’s coming from someone who chooses to dress very modestly in Korea.
*The Symi skirt is also on the verge of selling out. Restock TBD!
The Corsage skirt was inspired by a few different things: a flea market cotton slip skirt from Saigon and an antique Victorian corsage from a shop in Tokyo. I bought the cotton slip skirt in Vietnam for less than 10 dollars and was obsessed with how comfortable and easy to wear it was (it goes with everything). We actually made so many samples of this but none of them felt quite right to actually sell. Like, just selling a completely plain cotton slip skirt felt a bit strange — it was missing something design-wise, and it didn’t feel right to price it at the Memory price point. Through much trial and error, I finally decided to try making it in full silk. I was inspired by the slip/under skirts that several of my Prada/Miu Miu skirts have come with (in the process I discovered and was shocked by the fact that Prada uses a lot of polyester). The silk twill I ended up choosing was quite lightweight (again, many weather-conscious but also price-conscious decisions were made) and definitely sheer. Especially with the Korean girl customer in mind (generally more modestly-dressed than my American friends), I figured it needed an underslip. We tried quite a few different fabrics for this too but the thicker the cotton, the more structured the entire skirt ended up being. We chose 80수 (110-140GSM) weight organic cotton from Korea in the end for the underskirt and it was perfect! For the waistband on both skirts I decided to do a shirring chevron stitch (copied the stitching method from my old Prada slip) to give it a more authentic slip skirt feel. I love the fact that you get 3 separate things if you order this skirt: the silk main skirt, a cotton inner skirt, and the brooch. The brooch looks so good on other things (like the boyshorts!).
Now, the corsage brooch. I originally sourced this in Tokyo at one of my favorite antique shops. It’s from early-mid 1900s England and was truly antique: a bit stained, misshapen, and starting to fall apart. It wasn’t a brooch or pin. It was a flower-shaped corsage, perhaps used as decoration for something once (clothes? home decor?). I bought a couple of them and brought them home. I placed it against the Vietnam cotton skirt and just thought, “This could be cute!!”, and decided to turn the corsage into a brooch. This is where Korea really amazed me because I (very easily) found a corsage/brooch maker in the wholesale fabric market (the top floor is dedicated to all kinds of accessories). The ajumma here remade the vintage corsage exactly, with satin and velvet and some sort of secret resin finish. The back pin drove me slightly nuts as none of the options in Korea were nice-looking enough. We did a lot of tests here too, and in the end I ended up getting the pin backings plated in nickel silver from a local ajushi (uncle) to make it clean and shiny.
Composition: 100% silk twill (outer skirt) and 100% organic cotton (inner skirt)
Size & Fit: Because of the elastic waistband, this skirt is available in two sizes: XS/S and M/L. I wear both comfortably. This is also designed to be worn quite low/right on the hips. Take your regular size/size up for comfort.
Other: I personally don’t always wear the cotton slip under the silk especially if my underwear is white or nude.
Full disclosure, this top in particular I pretty much copied exactly from a very old/antique children’s pajama top I got in Paris last year. It’s soo cute but also soo small. It just barely fits me because I have a pretty small torso and small boobs. I love this top. From the start I was really obsessed with making everything out of natural fibers (almost everything in cotton or silk) because I started Memory as a sort of love letter to all my vintage/antique finds throughout the years. These clothes are truly so old (often 50-100 years!) yet they’ve lasted because they’re well made and the designs are timeless. I really yearn for a time where fast fashion did not exist and clothes were made with natural materials. Nothing feels better than cotton or silk. At the same time, I don’t plan on making Memory’s brand identity centered around being an “eco-friendly/sustainable” (no brand is, LBR), or even a natural-fibers-only brand. Some of the softest jersey fabrics I’ve encountered, especially in Japan, tend to have some amount of acrylic or polyester (even if its <5%). I’ve avoided them so far, but for colder seasons, I might succumb to these fabrics one day! We’ll see.
The bunnies print is really special and fun and I want to do more with it. I got the print from another antique item: a blanket/quilt I thrifted in Tokyo. It’s quite fragile because it’s so old but it’s beautiful and I made all my friends who came over look at all the details - the handstitched edges, the little tassles, and the sheer detail that’s in the print itself. This was a whole other adventure because I could not find a proper scanner for the life of me. After going to so many places, I finally find the nicest old man in Euljiro who has a really big, hi-res scanner. From there, my friend Ben (the most talented designer ever!!) digitized the print for me. I remember being so excited when I got the file (Ben sent it on my birthday) and we got it printed at the wholesale fabric market. Yup, there’s a vendor there that does digital printing on all kinds of great cotton/cotton poplin. I’m telling you… truly nothing is impossible in Korea.
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( ･ ༝ ･)
The Paris Blouse is the exact same silhouette as the Bunnies Blouse, but in a sheer white. I made this in a few different fabrics, including a lot of 100% cotton options. But ultimately, the one with 30% Tencel was just the prettiest one. I learned a lot about fabrics during the making of Memory. I ended up saying yes to this fabric after a bit of research. Tencel is a textile made from wood pulp, typically eucalyptus or beech and it’s recognized as “eco-friendly” because it operates within a closed-loop system and it’s biodegradable. You can almost tell it’s made from wood fibers, it’s quite fascinating. It’s so so soft. It’s delicate and requires gentle care/dry cleaning but again, with hot-and-humid summers in mind, this fabric was perfect.
Composition: 100% cotton (Bunnies) and 70% cotton 30% Tencel (Paris)
Size & Fit: Getting the fit right on this was so difficult, especially because it all started with a tiny children’s top. We were working off a sample size (pictured on India on the website) that fit me (personally) quite well, but it was hard to get into (no zipper openings) and definitely did not fit my friends with boobs or broader shoulders at all. So we loosened the overall fit and I’m still so happy with how it came out. It’s comfortable, almost babydoll-y, and can be worn super casual or a little dressy. It’s so good with a pair of jeans and flats.
The cotton tees are named after my nieces who live in Ireland ♡. (Íde is pronounced Ee-da). I’m obsessed with a good cotton longsleeve and the perfect fitting t-shirt. I really wanted to create these as layering pieces and they are truly my summer essentials. The longsleeve in particular is perfect for layering - so light and easy to tie around waist or throwing in a purse (i.e. portable), and very useful for our AC-filled lives. It gets so cold when you step inside a building or subway in the summer in NYC or Seoul and this is just the perfect layering piece. I think I wear it or bring it with me almost everyday/everywhere these days.
I never knew how difficult it would be to choose colors! It was fun but also exhausting. It’s different now that Memory is out in the world - I can/will/do ask close friends for their opinions (although I’ve learned that this opens up a whole other can of worms lol). But when I was designing this first collection, I was being crazy. Not telling a soul, not asking a soul, and quietly losing my mind because of it. I went back and forth so much, the factories were so over me. We made so many samples, I axed so many things, and I remember them finally saying “You need to place your order. Hurry up!”.
I really want to build a strong signature cotton series. Cotton longsleeves and tees are so important in every wardrobe. I’ve already changed the factory to a better one for the next reorder I do because I found a place that’s truly as OCD as I’ve become. I’ve become obsessed with overlock stitching, ribbed hems/bands, neckline finishes, etc. I studied these details on every good t-shirt I own, from my CDG Girl graphic tees to Prada men’s white tees to Flore Flore, Climax Books (both make their tees in Portugal and they’re perfect) and even Hanes and Champion. I’m learning and growing!
Composition: 100% Cotton. In the midst of finding the best colors, I changed up the fabrics quite a bit. So all 6 are not made from the same exact fabric. They’re slightly different in the weight of the cotton. For the Íde tees: white is the thinnest, I wanted it to be super lightweight and slightly sheer. The charcoal is also quite thin but slightly thicker, and the lime is the thickest (still a bit thinner than your average CDG t-shirt). For the Cora longsleeves: the lilac and white are pretty much the exact same and the mint is a slightly more high-spun cotton but about the same weight. The longsleeves are lightweight enough to wear on summer nights.
Size & Fit: I love the fit of both but the longsleeve is really chefs kiss! I purposefully chose a longer torso so it bunches/gathers a tiny bit when wearing. I love this with skirts or low-rise jeans. The shortsleeve is more made to fit like a baby tee and has a shrunken-vibe, but I made sure it’s still long enough and not a crop top.
I don’t know at what point I decided to add underwear, but it was pretty early on. It started with the boyshorts, which aren’t exactly underwear. I wear them over underwear, under a skirt, or, when on vacay, just as true shorts. The boyshorts are inspired by this Miu Miu pair that I got at full price, at the store, years ago. I never regretted it because I wore them to pieces but it’s probably my most embarrassing purchase. I paid $600 for a simple piece of cotton, essentially. I really don’t do things like that anymore! I know too much now! All this to say, I wanted to recreate them because they really are a perfect wardrobe addition and they should not be hundreds of dollars. I’m also over the logo. Other brands of course have boyshorts but they’re usually higher rise or cheeky in the back and I do not want that.
I’ve been obsessed with finding great deadstock intimates everywhere I go for the last few years, from Sicily to Vietnam. Sometimes the best/cutest pairs are for girls (like, kids) and subsequently don’t fit. I almost gave up on the Memory panties because it was really difficult to get right without a specialized intimates factory but thankfully I ended up finding one. (They’re so good and have been making undies for generations). The Seoul panty is designed after a deadstock pair I got in Seoul many years ago, in a huge pile outside one of the big wholesale markets. I think it was $1. Sadly, they never fit me quite right (very tiny) and it was impossible for me to find a similar pair anywhere. Low rise, medium coverage in the back, pretty picot elastic details, and a button, not a ribbon. (I purposely avoided bows for this first collection.) It took the longest out of everything and so much running around but they ended up being perfect. The panties and boyshorts are also part of the cotton series that I hope to keep making, in new colors and maybe more types of cotton too.
Composition: 100% Cotton
Size & Fit: Both the panty and boyshort are designed to sit lower on the hips and provide a comfortable (not too tight) fit. The elastic on the panty is soft and flexible, and the boyshort is stretchy too. Go for your regular size on both.
Ok, I’m obsessed with silk. But seriously, have you ever worn 100% silk underwear? Not satin-y slippery silk but soft, chiffon-type silk. It’s the best. I named it Kinu because kinu is the Japanese word for silk and I got inspired for these two panties from a Japanese department store find. I actually created a matching bra too, but there were some last minute production issues — they should hopefully become avail next month! The bra with the panty or thong is perfect. The hipster panty has pretty full coverage and no seams along the butt so there are very minimal panty lines, and the thong is the same - very comfortable because of the limited seams. The gusset (reinforced area in the crotch) is made from super soft Pima cotton. I really love the Kinu panties so much. Of course they’re not the cheapest undies you will own due to the fact that they’re 100% silk but, they will last a very long time with proper care.
Composition: 100% Korean silk (gusset 100% Pima cotton)
Size & Fit: Go for your regular size. They measure/look bigger because the silk isn’t as stretchy as cotton but once you put them on they will fit nice and snug. Both the Kinu Panty and Thong sit pretty on the hips. I really wanted to make my own underwear because a lot of what I own is often too high cut and ultimately high rise. (My annoyance with bikinis these days too). I just want simple, well-made, comfortable, low-sitting undies.
I named the poodle brooch after Masterpiece the Poodle, a very famous show dog in New York from the late 40s into the 50s. I’ve been really into brooches lately. (I know, a lot of us are). I sourced an antique brooch in Japan that was the same poodle shape but it was falling apart and missing a bunch of jewels. I actually paid a good amount for it at the time, without even thinking I would ever recreate it, just because I thought it was so cute. I took it to the wholesale jewelry market in Seoul and asked around a lot to see if any ajumma or ajushi could help me recreate it. More than any other market, so many people here scoffed and said no. The minimums were crazy. I wasn’t confident these would sell very well so I really needed to find someone with a lower MOQ. After a lot of searching and almost giving up, I found a nice lady who specializes in exactly what I wanted: diamonté animal-shaped brooches! There are so many strong, cold and harsh personalities in the Korean markets because many of them are cranky elders, so when I find someone under the age of 50 I get excited because they’re almost always so much nicer. It gets exhausting talking to elders all day…! Anyway, the brooch lady was so sweet! She was like, “Oh, I can def make that for you. And you only want 50? Ok, sure.” I was ecstatic. The ribbon trompe l’œil box was the next challenge and probably more difficult to get made than the brooch itself. But the end result was so worth it. This one really makes me smile. And actually, they’ve been selling! I think I’m going to be placing a reorder soon! Thank god, cuz I have so many ribbon boxes left (don’t get me started on packaging MOQs…).
Ah, the stationery. In another life I would love to own a stationery store and offer custom, crazy gift wrapping. I’m so grateful I got to work with my friend Sara. We’ve known each other for 10+ years (we both went to UCLA) but this was the first time we got to work on something together. I’m such a fan of her work. She designed the logo for me and I knew I had to ask for her help and expertise on the stationery accessories. Even before most of the clothes came together, I wanted to make dress up stickers and a vintage-inspired stationery set. I posted a bit about this on my IG stories the other week, but these 2 … phew … they were so time-consuming and tedious to get made. And way more expensive than you might expect. And of course the MOQs are crazy.
Out of allll my vendors, I became the tightest with my paper factory ajumma. Love her so much. She always orders me fast food lunches and I spent so much time in her office for weeks, getting all the packaging made. She really tried to stop me from the doing the stationery set because it was so expensive and she knew I wouldn’t make much money from it. I gave in and gave up each time she brought it up because my bank account was not looking ok lol. But ultimately I came back a week later like, “사장님! I REALLY need to just have it. Sorry!”. The stationery is so special because it’s printed on pearlescent silver paper. It’s truly gorgeous (pictures don’t do it justice) and Sara designed the doll + dot page and envelope. I added the neon pink paper last minute because I wanted to give it a pop of color. I purposefully avoided adding too many logos and got this cute fob-y quote about memories for the letter page. (“A memory is a timeless treasure of the heart.”) I hand glue and assemble the stationery sets myself, to save costs. The dress up stickers went through lots of trial and error too. I take the completed clear sticker sheets, place them in little plastic envelopes and get them studded at the accessories market. I sit next to the studs lady and hand each one to her to make her job easier (I was able to get a cheaper rate because of this). The logo is screenprinted onto the pink cardstock. Did you guys know neon paper is always more expensive?! Everything I’m into is always more expensive… le sigh.
It was all so worth it! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by both items and the amount of people ordering! I don’t know if I’ll ever sell through all of them but I made the decision before manufacturing that this would be more of a marketing cost than a profit-driving SKU.
Next, I want to make a Memory card game. Remember those?!
Well, that’s everything! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading all that. I’m having so much fun with Memory. There’s so much more I want to do, say, photograph, post, and make. I’m so happy I finally decided to do this. I didn’t expect to become this passionate about all this, but what a ride. It’s been just under three weeks since I launched and I’m so grateful that people have been buying the items. I really want to dedicate myself and my time to making this brand cool and fun, wearable, and most of all, good prices and great quality.
from, Suea
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