The realization, acceptance, and celebration of being many things- not fitting into a specific mold, has been my personal journey and the starting point for KARA. I was born in Los Angeles and raised in Hong Kong with a very artistic Caucasian-American mother and a self-made entrepreneurial Chinese Father. Growing up, I naturally absorbed these cultures and my parent’s characteristics. I learned pretty quickly however, that physically and culturally I didn't fit into society's singular molds of Chinese, Caucasian, North American, artistic, entrepreneurial, progressive or traditional. I am in fact, a combination of all of them. My personal experience has made me acutely aware of how identity for many is multilayered. I am drawn t o creative expressions o f individuality and understanding how people imagine themselves free from stereotypes. When I started KARA, I chose the name from karaoke, which means empty orchestra in Japanese. I loved this idea of an empty space, where you are free to express your personality and creativity as you see it. I embrace this approach in the design of the bags and objects but also in the way I see them in relation to the wearer - empty surfaces onto which you can project yourself. I want the brand to celebrate this multifaceted individual and recognize that as a community, we also manifest a spectrum. Because of my background, I find that a lot of brands have one look, one focus– you really feel like an outsider if you don’t want to look that way. I want KARA to provide great designs with a sense of playfulness and with the attitude that you should wear the bag, the bag should not wear you.