LOCAL Houston | The City Guide July 2017 | Page 48
STYLE + LEISURE
JUST THEIR STYLE
JUST THEIR STYLE
NAMU SHOP SERVES UP THE RARE
JUST IN TIME FOR THE DESIGN ISSUE: Houstonians JESSIE LEE and JAMES KANG are co-founders and partners in NAMU
SHOP, an almost-year-old online retailer of rare, independent designers not easily found in the United States – with an
emphasis on those from Korea and Japan. In addition, they do occasional pop-up shops throughout the year. LOCAL caught
up with the fashionable duo at their recent pop-up at TOMO Mags in Montrose.
When did you start this business?
Namu Shop has been in the works since July 2016, so nearly a year ago.
We officially launched the site (namu-shop.com) this past March with Spring/
Summer selections, our first season.
How do you select lines you want to carry?
The basis for starting Namu Shop was to carry independent designers that we’ve
personally enjoyed but couldn’t find easily in the US. We focus mostly on rarer
labels from Japan and Korea, emphasizing elevated daily wear – clothes made
for the everyday but with details that make them special. For us, it’s about
staying true to timeless, thoughtful and wearable design. Quality is just as
important – our designers use premium, natural fabrics and produce in storied
manufacturing hubs like NYC’s Garment District, Japan and through artisans in
Bolivia, India and more.
How did you get here?
Jessie: I currently work full-time at an oil & gas software company, having
graduated from UT Austin with a degree in chemical engineeri ng. I’ve always
loved clothes and have wanted to start my own business but wasn’t sure how
or when. In college, I took it upon myself to learn as much about the industry
as possible. I took a patternmaking class at UT alongside my engineering classes
and interned for a summer at a wholesale clothing business in LA. Most recently,
I worked weekends at Myth & Symbol; Trang and Chau (the owners) really
took me under their wing to teach and mentor me about retail and the whole
buying process.
James: I work full-time at a legal services company, and I studied at Colgate
University. Jessie and I are not only partners in this venture together, but also
in life (getting married this year). Though we don’t have a background in
fashion or textiles, we’ve always geeked out about clothes together. When we
both started working, we ordered a lot from shops in Japan and the UK, simply
because the designers we liked were not readily available stateside. The retail
and e-commerce environment is increasingly competitive, but we saw a unique
opportunity to introduce and represent these designers in the North American
market. It’s been an incredible learning experience for us and a real joy to see
people resonate with the concept.
See what they’ve created at www.namu-shop.com .
By Tim Moloney
Photography by Joseph West
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