Sowing Slow Fashion with Lisa Kwong, Founder of SownSmith

Jennifer Norman:
Hello. Hello to all my beautiful humans. Welcome to The Human Beauty Movement Podcast. My name is Jennifer Norman, founder of The Human Beauty Movement, and your host. The Human Beauty Movement is a movement that's dedicated to inspiring the beauty of human experience. We're about cultivating love, well being, and the beauty of self expression to have a profoundly beneficial impact on our world. Take a moment now to subscribe to our show so you don't miss an episode. And share this episode with one new person today. Let them know you're thinking about them and spread the love.

Jennifer Norman:
In today's age of consumerism and fast fashion, I wanted to dedicate today's episode on spotlighting a beautiful human who has chosen to do things differently. Lisa Kwong is the founder of SownSmith, an ethical and sustainable fashion brand that locates 7% of its profits to organizations that fight human trafficking. Not only that, all SownSmith items are created with sustainable fabrics in designs that are modern and minimal, timeless and elevated. By choosing SownSmith, you are choosing high quality fashion from a brand that lives by values of ethical business practices, eco conscious design, and humanity. Welcome to the show, Lisa.

Lisa Kwong:
Hi, Jennifer. Thank you so much for having me.

Jennifer Norman:
It is so great to have you to the show today, and it is rare to find a fashion brand that's ethical and charitable. So I just wanted to commend you, first of all, for making it your life's work to shift the narrative of what fashion presently is. You're helping to transform fashion into something that goes far deeper than the superficial image making, and that's so important in this day and age.

Lisa Kwong:
Thank you so much.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. I would love for you to tell me about yourself and tell me about SownSmith, what is it all about, and why did you start it?

Lisa Kwong:
I guess I'll start with my background. I have a communications degree and a master's in intercultural studies. So I actually worked for an immigrant agency until I got pregnant, and then I had three beautiful daughters, and I feel super privileged to have been able to stay home with them. But then as they got to school age, I was thinking about, like, what I would do for work, and I thought about going back into the nonprofit sector, because that's really where my heart is, is for social justice. But then during that time, this phrase kept coming up. So this is a phrase that I use with my kids all the time, and it's just so applicable in so many ways. So if they're feeling, like, not good enough or they can't do something or they're anxious, I feel like these five little words are like, there's like a TED talk compressed in these five little words. So what I say to them is, show them who you are.

Lisa Kwong:
So it's like, yeah, so I'll, like, drop my daughter off to soccer. I'm like, show them who you are. Or like, my daughter will be really anxious about some kind of social situation or pressure. I'm like, show them who you are.

Jennifer Norman:
So empowering.

Lisa Kwong:
Yeah, it's just about, like, rising and show them who you were created to be. Show them what you're capable of. Show them what's inside of you. Those words that I kept saying to my daughters, kind of like haunting me for me to show myself or my family or the world who I am from that, I kind of just combined all the things that I care about. And so one is social justice. So my heart, I mean, there's so many amazing causes, but for my husband and I, we just felt like, with three daughters, like, the worst thing that could happen would be if one of them was trafficked. So that's just the cause that we decided to get behind was human trafficking. And then secondly, I wanted a place where I could be creative.

Lisa Kwong:
So it's not just like in designing the clothes, but the branding, the content creation. I really love exercising that creative energy. And then third, I would say a lifelong learner. Like, I'm always going to the library. So I wanted kind of a to job where I was always being challenged to learn. And as an entrepreneur, like, that's what...

Jennifer Norman:
That is what you are. You are a lesson learner.

Lisa Kwong:
You know, you're going to be challenged, always learning. And so I love that part. And then finally, I'd say, honestly, I'm actually a pretty low maintenance person. And so I wanted to create clothes that were, like, when it comes to fashion, like, I wanted to create clothes that were simple but they were effortless, so you could look really good, but an elevated without actually putting a lot of time and energy into it. So that's kind of like how it happened. I just kind of combined all those things into stonesmith. And as a creative, I just really think creatives, it requires so much courage to put yourself and your work out there.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah.

Lisa Kwong:
You know, like, you just don't know. I mean, it's not going to resonate with everybody and you're not going to resonate, but you just put yourself out there. And so that was just kind of birthing. This was my kind of process of being okay with who I am and putting it out there and saying, this is who I am. This is who I was created to be. And I'm still in process. Yeah, I'm still, like, being challenged to get out of my comfort zone as I build the brand.

Jennifer Norman:
Absolutely true and wonderful backstory. I love the expression show them who you are, because I wanted to just compare that for a moment to the phrase that I hear all the time, but I always stumble over, and that is, remember who you are. People will always say, remember who you are. And I'm like, I don't even know what that means, but show them who you are is really a declaration of showing yourself who you are. It's because we know that life is a mirror. And it's like if you feel confident and empowered enough to present yourself to the world, then you will feel that within. You'll know that it's right for you. You will feel the empowerment and that confidence rising up within you in order to self express in the way that is authentic for you.

Lisa Kwong:
Absolutely.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. And I love that your self expression is coming through in your journey as an entrepreneur in creating these clothes and knowing that you want to put every fiber of what you believe in and what you stand for, whether it be from a creative aspect or whether it be from social justice aspect, which is incredibly important, you're able to combine those and develop something that is truly your own and something that I believe that the world could definitely benefit from. For sure. And I love also that you are just very humble and open in saying that you are a lifelong learner. Because I think that more and more people these days tout themselves as experts. I'm an expert at this. Just look at me.

Lisa Kwong:
Look at me.

Jennifer Norman:
But truly, that is almost a way to prevent yourself from getting curated all the time. And really waking up and being curious leads to so much new discovery and opportunity and enthusiasm for life. Rather than feeling like I know it all, then it's just like, you may as well just, like, close up shop, then if you feel like, you know, we can all learn, grow, and develop from each other. And so that is specialness of what is being human.

Lisa Kwong:
Exactly.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. Yeah. So tell me what SownSmith means. It has a special meaning in terms of why you chose that word for your brand.

Lisa Kwong:
So I have a very strong affinity for purposeful names. So, like, when I was choosing my daughter's names, we chose them based on meaning as much as the sound. So I was really, like, looking for a word that would embody the meaning of the brand, which I actually couldn't find. And so I just made it up. Sure. And so I love the word stone. I think so has a profound meaning and just a lot of nuance to it. So it is also a play on the word sewn.

Lisa Kwong:
Sewn, like sewing clothes. But sown is like, to me, I feel like all of us are sowing into, like, we are sowing ourselves, our time, our energy, our resources, into something or someone. And I think whether we realize it or not, we're all kind of leaving a trail of legacy of the things that we have sown into. And so sown itself means to invest, to steward, and then smith means expert. So a SownSmith is akin to, say, a goldsmith who is an expert at crafting gold, or a wordsmith who is, like, you, who's, like, so articulate with the words. A SownSmith is someone who is really mindful and intentional about how and what they're sowing, what they're choosing, what they're investing in.

Jennifer Norman:
That's lovely and interesting, because I know a lot of entrepreneurs might choose to use their own names as the brand, and you chose very distinctly and purposefully not to do that, but to choose something that actually represented what you were intending that it would be out in the world.

Lisa Kwong:
Yes, yes.

Jennifer Norman:
Nice, nice. So let's shift gears and talk a little bit about the state of fashion these days and what it is that you see is perhaps problematic with the current fashion industry or the state of fashion. And what you were hoping to achieve with SownSmith.

Lisa Kwong:
Well, I think what people don't realize is that fast fashion is related to human trafficking. So there are over 50 million people trafficked primarily for labor and sex, and 25% of them are children. 71% are women, 29% are men. But I just think people are aware of sustainability in that people don't want to buy something necessarily detrimental to the environment. But I sometimes think that what's overlooked is how the product is made. So something may be sustainable, but is it ethical? Like, went into making that product, and for me, something easy to do when thinking about fashion, it's difficult to buy everything ethically made, obviously. And so what I do is I buy secondhand. I buy secondhand for the kids.

Lisa Kwong:
There are so many great consignment shops, thrift stores. You can get the name brands. You can even get designer brands. And instead of supporting the fast fashion, those go to small, local shops. So I think that's something for your listeners to think about, is to moving away from fast fashion. You can find the same fashion brands secondhand. It's a fraction of the price you're supporting your local economy. I mean, it's a win win.

Jennifer Norman:
Exactly. The other day, I actually did a clean out of my closet and my son's closet and made four bags of decent clothing. It's just like, I don't really use these anymore, so I may as well give them to somebody who may be able to benefit from them and might find more joy in it. It's the Marie Kondo thing. Anything gives you joy, you should keep, and if it doesn't, then gently release it out into the world. But what was so amazing was I didn't realize they give you a 15% off coupon.

Jennifer Norman:
So I go back. I walked into the store, and I'm finding all of these amazing things. I found, like, a Rag and Bone dress, a Splendid dress. What else did I find? It was amazing. I found an All Saints silk dress. I was thinking to myself, wow, this is incredible. And I got probably about 20 things for about $100.

Lisa Kwong:
I love it.

Jennifer Norman:
That's so much fun. I spent about 3 hours there not even realizing that I was going to be spending my whole afternoon at the Goodwill. But it was fun.

Lisa Kwong:
And honestly, I find it so much more fun than going to the mall.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah, I totally agree. You know what? Sometimes I will walk around my mall that is near me and I'll say, everything in that store was made in China. Everything in that, this whole entire mall has been made in China. I mean, because it's so inexpensive, you can tell as far as just the kind of merchandise it is, the kind of sales that they're having. And it's just really, it makes my heart sink a bit when I think about what must have gone into getting all of that merchandise here, selling it for so cheap. Absolutely. And all of that.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. Yeah.

Lisa Kwong:
It's like, if it's a $20 shirt, somebody paid for that. Like, think it comes from overseas. How can that shirt possibly only cost $20?

Jennifer Norman:
And when we're talking about the issue of trafficking, I mean, it's mind blowing to think about 50 million. And I think that that statistic came from 2021. Who, Lord knows, it might be different, it might be higher now, but certainly people taken from their families, children taken from their families, kidnapped, that the parents don't know where they had gone to be shipped to someplace where there might be a slave master, there might be a company that is choosing to lodge and store and only utilize these individuals for either sex or labor. It is devastating. It's horrible, and it is something that can be rectified. We need to just like with anything, it's like you've got to shine light on the issue in order to be able to see it and dispel it. Got to be cast out of our thinking, out of our economy to, you know, for people to be making money, other people like that. Yes.

Lisa Kwong:
There are more people enslaved today than ever in the combined history of our world. Like, that's crazy.

Jennifer Norman:
Oh, my gosh. You know.

Lisa Kwong:
Yeah.

Jennifer Norman:
I was actually having a conversation with a gentleman who wanted to create ethical hair extensions, because almost all of the hair extensions, I mean, he went over to India and he said, he took videos and he showed me, he said, do you see these, these children that are literally separating the strands from each other? And I said, oh, my gosh, look at them. And they're so young working. He said, those are slaves. And I was like, it just blew my mind. Blew my mind. It's like, buy this hair on Amazon or wherever you buy your wigs, and it's like, oh, it's so cheap. How is it that it's only 50 dollars for human hair? There you go. There you go.

Jennifer Norman:
So it's something to certainly think about. Yeah. That happens in lots of industries, most notably, I would say the fashion industry, perhaps. But I know it happens across other industries as well.

Lisa Kwong:
It does. It happens in every country and I think in various industries and depending on the country, it does look differently. But it's happening in every country.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. Yeah. And so can you describe, can you shed awareness on our listeners? What does ethical fashion look like? What does slow fashion look like? What can you describe it? And what does that mean?

Lisa Kwong:
In its simplest way, form, I think ethical fashion is when clothes are made and they consider the planet and the people simply. So what kind of effect was made on the environment? And then what kind of effect was made on the people that made the clothes? I think it's very difficult, though, in this day and age to be able to tell if it is ethically made or not. So unless it's says it's ethically made, like, it makes sense for people to have it made cheaply overseas with slave labor.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. And I think that that's where the call for transparency in the supply chain has become so much more recognized. It's like, where did this come from? How is this made? Where were the materials sourced? How was it sourced? And just making sure that people are being very honest. Companies which are made of people are being honest and being able to say to the consumer, this is why it costs more, because we actually made it locally because we are paying a fair wage, because we don't exhibit the same kinds of labor practices that others do in this industry, which is ripe with concerns.

Lisa Kwong:
Yeah, absolutely. And I think people are slowly getting educated on it.

Jennifer Norman:
I also wanted to mention, I was at a convention where the keynote speaker was talking about how if we are willing to do something to people, then we're doing it to the planet. If we're willing to do something to the planet, then we're doing it to the people. We are intertwined completely. And so if we have exploitative practices where we are just depleting the earth of its resources, we'll do the same thing to people. And if we're willing to do that to the people, we'll do that to the planet like it's one in the same. And so environmental sustainability is very much akin to social justice because it is trying to treat the planet as well as people with respect and dignity.

Lisa Kwong:
Absolutely.

Jennifer Norman:
Absolutely. Yeah. And so from the fashion sense, making sure that not only are the labor practices fair and just, but also the fabrics themselves and how the fabrics are sourced. Can you talk a little bit about sustainable fabrics?

Lisa Kwong:
Sustainable fabrics are when the fibers themselves are natural fibers and or recycled so that they are biodegradable. That's what a sustainable fabric is. Like that polyester that's never breaking down. Like, those man made fibers are not going to break down. So that's why it's important to get natural fibers, because over time, they will break down in the earth.

Jennifer Norman:
Right. It is a crazy amount of fashion that is actually made out of plastic. I couldn't believe it. Between acrylics and polyesters, I was like, oh, my gosh. It's something like 90% of all fashion has plastic in it. We are just drowning ourselves in plastic.

Lisa Kwong:
Yes. It's crazy. And that stuff is never going to break down. Like we are just polluting our earth.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. Yeah, it is. Let's talk about the kinds of products that you have for sale, because I did notice that it seems like the items that you have in the shapes are, you know, they're really very comfortable. They're almost made for somebody that wants to either work from home or wants to do their casual, like, grocery shopping, but still look polished, still look like they've got style to them. Yeah, but comfortable. Yeah.

Lisa Kwong:
Yes. That is. You just described it perfectly. So it's just having simple pieces that are effortless, but when you wear them, you feel elevated and you look elevated and they're super comfortable. They're also pieces that you can kind of mix and match into your wardrobe. They're very versatile because they're just basics. And I believe, again, as an ethical fashion brand, it needs to be timeless. Like, it's something that you can wear 5-10 years from now.

Lisa Kwong:
It's not trendy that you're just going to throw away. It's just your classics that you can wear all the time.

Jennifer Norman:
Yeah. Yeah. And you also sell jewelry, too. And your jewelry is actually made in America.

Lisa Kwong:
Yes. Yes, it is.

Jennifer Norman:
It looks like a paperclip. Yeah, yeah.

Lisa Kwong:
It's just kind of, the whole design of every piece is just things that I wear all the time. And so I just wear chains all the time. It's just simple. It's kind of, it elevates your everyday look. And, yeah, they're made by a wonderful lady in America.

Jennifer Norman:
Amazing. Amazing. And so tell me what your inspiration is for different designs. How do you get your inspiration for your clothing and what goes into the, I guess just the whole approach to lifestyle.

Lisa Kwong:
I love to read, so I'm always going to the library or the bookstore, and I'm, like, old school. Like, I need to, like, flip the page on this in a book. I'm not a Kindle girl, and so I just love to go and kind of be inspired. And I feel like a lot of my inspiration comes from books on art, on fashion, people's lives. And it's really those beautiful coffee table books from different countries, even. I think it's just, that's my inspiration. And the style is just, it's simple. It's kind of like understated refinement, just very organic, very timeless.

Lisa Kwong:
Those are the things that I'm drawn to. Those are the things that I think will stand the test of time. Just very minimal and comfortable.

Jennifer Norman:
One thing that I've noticed is that with fast fashion is just that every couple of days, it's like never ending new products. Never ending new products. And then all the old stuff, all that old merchandise sometimes just gets tossed. It just goes straight into the landfill. I've seen pictures of just tons and tons of just like, mountains of clothing that just go into these landfills. And it's such a shame. Whereas with slow fashion and what you're doing is just being very mindful about everything that you're putting out there. Every single design is like, okay, how can we make this timeless so that it can last, so that it doesn't need to obsolete itself with the next look or trend or what have you?

Lisa Kwong:
Exactly.

Jennifer Norman:
And so lastly, what is your favorite part about being a fashion designer?

Lisa Kwong:
The best part is just getting feedback from women, just hearing how they feel beautiful, they feel comfortable, they feel confident, and they feel like to me, in my head, I'm like, they feel like they can be who they were created to be. So I feel like I'm helping women show who they are, which is what this is all about.

Jennifer Norman:
Right?

Lisa Kwong:
It's helping other people just be who they were created to be. So it's just so immensely satisfying getting feedback from clients.

Jennifer Norman:
It is great, because I did notice, too, your items are so perfect for layering or for, as you said, mixing and matching and so throwing on an accessory that you also make your own, throwing on maybe a shawl or something else that can go with it to really get more versatility out of the pieces so that you don't feel like, oh, this is outfit unto itself and I must put it aside and not wear it again. You can wear something, wash it, and then wear it again. These are made for wash and wear, as I understand.

Lisa Kwong:
Yeah, yeah. They're more like wardrobe staples.

Jennifer Norman:
Yes, yes. Like your essentials that you want to lay your foundation for. Other things to go with. Very, very cool. I love that, everybody. So the website is Sownsmith, Sownsmith.com. And Lisa, do you ship internationally?

Lisa Kwong:
I just ship in North America.

Jennifer Norman:
Okay, great. It's good for us to know, shipping in North America. So Canada, US, and Mexico. Okay, excellent. And so anybody within North America, definitely look up son Smith and consider buying as many pieces as you can to help support this wonderful founder who is really doing the planet some good, as well as the economy within the fashion industry some good. Thank you, Lisa, so much for being on the show. I'm so delighted to have, have you and I wish you the greatest success.

Lisa Kwong:
Thank you so much, Jennifer. It was so good to be here. Appreciate it.

Jennifer Norman:
Thank you for listening to The Human Beauty Movement Podcast. Be sure to follow, rate and review us wherever you stream podcasts. The Human Beauty Movement is a community based platform that cultivates the beauty of humankind. Check out our workshops, find us on social media, and share our inspiration with all the beautiful humans in your life. Learn more at thehumanbeautymovement.com. thank you so much for being a beautiful human.