Taiyo
Role
Founder & CEO
Contribution
Creative Direction
Brand Identity
Business Development
Product Development
GTM Strategy
Web Design
As the founder of Taiyo, a philosophy-first womenswear brand utilizing deadstock and recycled fabrics, I oversaw product development, sales, creative, branding, production in Los Angeles, and operations. Taiyo evolved to become Esme to achieve greater sustainability and scalability.
Website
Milestones & Highlights
Taiyo was primarily direct to consumer and was also stocked in 15+ stores.
Taiyo won first place in Ignition Lab's pitch competition, judged by the Director of Americas at Tech Stars, various angel investors, & more.
Taiyo was featured in Vogue.
Product Development
Every Taiyo design was made by myself - from ideation to the sewing of the sample to the fitting of the garment. From there, we’d source fabric at various deadstock warehouses (‘deadstock’ = fabric leftover from textile mills that would otherwise be tossed in a landfill). We’d make the tech pack in-house then send the sample and tech pack to various factories located in Los Angeles, CA and they would execute bulk production.
Deadstock Warehouse
Deadstock Warehouse
On the left: how the deadstock warehouse counts out the number of yards we purchase from them. It's also an opportunity to quality check bulk yardage.
On the right: Jose, the owner of the manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, CA, shows us the last remaining cuts of the Luna Dress prior to sewing them up.
Very first production run in Los Angeles, CA
Katherine (left), Jose (owner, right)
Very first production run in Los Angeles, CA
Miguel (right), Katherine (right)
Snapshots of flats, specs, and tech packs for Taiyo
Business Model
Taiyo operated on a primarily direct-to-consumer model but we were stocked in 15+ stores in order to promote visibility of the brand and to provide a physical space for those who were Taiyo-curious to try the items on IRL. The video on the right shows our second-ever stockist, Love Only, located in Brooklyn, New York. They gave our Vida Dresses its own rack as they were one of the top sellers in their entire store. They ended up stocking Taiyo at their second location in Manhattan as well.
Photography - Vida Dress
Team
Creative Direction: Katherine Zohar
Styling: Katherine Zohar
Casting: Grayson Wilder
Photography: Grayson Wilder
Editing: Grayson Wilder
We chose to shoot at the desert to capture the shimmer of the dresses’ sheen on the silk pieces, and to capture the stark contrast of the white and ivory pieces. The wind worked in our favor as the fabric danced in mesmerizing detail.
Photography - Vida Pre-Fall
Team
Creative Direction: Katherine Zohar
Photography: Katherine Zohar
Model: Mecca Allah
Soon after our first drop, we released a new color offering, an Ink colored slip dress for 'pre-fall' and captured dancer Mecca's movements on the shores of New York on an overcast day. This was our first shoot where we did not retouch or smooth any part of Mecca and instead embraced all of her-- tattoos, skin texture, and marks -- the elements that are existent on all of us yet are retouched out on editorials. By keeping the background relatively minimal, the viewer is really able to focus on Mecca and the slip dress she danced so beautifully in.
Photography - Luna Dress
Team
Creative Direction: Katherine Zohar
Photography: Grayson Wilder
Casting: Grayson Wilder
The Luna Dress came in Cream (Full Moon), Black (New Moon), and Cream/Black (Half Moon) so we knew our shoot would play with shadow and line as well and the lighting would be inspired by moonlight as opposed to golden hues of the sun.
Photography - Kiera Dress
Team
Creative Direction: Katherine Zohar
Photography: Jessica Fauxly
Casting: Katherine Zohar
Set Design: Katherine Zohar
This drop was released during COVID when people were not going out as much, yet this style was in development and production long before COVID hit. So we drew inspiration from the sanctuary of home, where lush houseplants thrive, as well as the solitary oasis of the garden. Amidst the backdrop of uncertainty, we wanted these images to have a sentimental quality that would inspire a rediscovery of lounging in garments that speak to both elegance and comfort at home.
Photography - UGC Campaigns
We partnered with creators who had impeccable styling talent to create looks from our pieces. We also had a fair amount of organic content come in from consumers and creators who were excited about either the sustainability/mission of Taiyo or the garment itself (or both).
Packaging & Branding
Packaging & Branding
Packaging & Branding
Product Development & Supply Chain