The global fashion center of New York is home to numerous designer boutiques, trendy stores and art schools. It houses more fashion designers’ headquarters and retail clothing outlets than any other city in the United States. The brand from Long Island City is known for its net tops, knitted crop tops and gauzy dresses. It was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and is the product of a collaboration between mother and daughter Su Paek and Stephanie Callahan. Read more at queenska.com.
From fast to slow fashion
Before creating Find Me Now, Su Paek and her daughter worked in the fast fashion industry for about 8 years. They designed clothing for various brands. Fast fashion is the type of fashion in which brands create new collections of cheap items every month or even every week. This type of fashion has several drawbacks, and one of them is labor exploitation. Clothes are usually made in factories during overtime hours for extremely low wages. When buying clothes in mass-market stores, people often overlook the fact that behind all those thousands of blouses are women working for pennies in unbearable conditions.
Furthermore, the textile industry is one of the main sources of water pollution. Fast fashion consumers generate a lot of waste by buying and discarding outworn clothes of poor quality. Moreover, when producing clothes for fast fashion stores, companies try to cut costs by using environmentally harmful substances and fertilizers.
Instead of developing their creative abilities, Paek and Callahan turned into “fashion robots.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, all their orders were canceled within a week. They experienced setbacks in financial, professional and personal aspects. Eventually, this made them reconsider their views on the fashion industry.
In 2021, the women introduced Find Me Now in Queens, a brand that focuses on slow fashion. The brand’s name reflects Paek and Callahan’s life motto: sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself again. Only after losing their business the mother and daughter were able to start a new and successful venture.
Slow fashion is an opportunity to resist the excessive exploitation of human and natural resources in the fashion industry. This is a rational and conscious approach to fashion and therefore, shopping. Waste minimization is an important aspect during the production of slow fashion items. For example, clothes are made from old women’s t-shirts, and knitted sweaters are unraveled to create hats.
Slow fashion is about quality, not quantity. Followers of this fashion buy fewer items that last long and can be easily combined with different styles. Slow fashion teaches people how to think rationally and plan things as well as develops their imagination for mixing clothes. Creating a capsule wardrobe is one of the keys of slow fashion existence. It is especially important that your wardrobe consists of simple pieces that work well together. For example, women can wear leggings not only during workouts but also to create everyday outfits.
Typically, such clothing is either handcrafted or custom-tailored. It is not mass-produced. Slow fashion pieces are made from environmentally sound, ethically produced or recycled fabrics.
Sustainability is the core of the brand
Most used plastic bottles end up in landfills and the World Ocean. Huge plastic islands have already formed in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. This waste reaches the most remote places on the planet.
Plastic takes 80-600 years to decompose because it consists of polymerized compounds derived from natural gas, coal and oil. Plastic releases toxic substances that kill plants and animals both on land and in water. It also causes various diseases in humans. Plastic pollution negatively affects not only the environment but also the economy, specifically the tourism and fishing sectors. Building treatment facilities and developing plastic recycling methods require significant financial investments.
The recycled polyester yarn, made from old plastic bottles, has long been used in the textile sector. Find Me Now factories are located in the Chinese cities of Ningbo and Shanghai. The Fall/Winter 2022 collection is the brand’s first collection made from recycled yarn.
Interestingly, before creating Find Me Now, Paek and Callahan worked in China. At that time, their clothes were produced in 20 different factories. This experience provided valuable connections and knowledge about local production. Find Me Now takes care of its employees and provides at least a minimum wage for every person in all the factories. For reference, most clothing production companies pay much less, depriving workers of the ability to fight for their rights.
The brand focuses on sustainable development. In fact, this concept entails a balance between three factors of civilization’s progress: social, economic and ecological. In other words, the idea of sustainable development is to ensure that the Earth we leave for our children remains at least in the same state as it was left to us by our ancestors. It’s important to note that concern for the future does not always mean sacrifices or limitations in the present. Sustainable development involves managing existing resources in a way that fully satisfies the needs of modern society.
Comfort and versatility are the priority
Find Me Now clothing harmoniously combines style and comfort. The Second Skin collection has gained particular popularity. You can combine items from this collection, creating different looks. Due to their versatility, they are suitable for both everyday wear and festive occasions.
In their previous business, Paek and Callahan designed clothes based on customer preferences. At that time, they did not have the opportunity to create what they wanted. So, when it comes to creating a brand identity, they focus on apparel with maximum comfort and versatility. When they realize that a product cannot be worn for more than 6 months a year, they do not produce it. The Find Me Now collections undergo slight modifications every season, but not drastically.
Important mission
The brand collaborates with artists to convey important ideas through prints, patterns, etc. For example, on some items, you can see a bird flying over rice fields, symbolizing the path of an Asian immigrant. This theme is very close to Paek and Callahan. They strive to convey to Asian-American people, especially women, that anything is achievable. In her interview with Office Magazine, Stephanie said that during her childhood, there were few Asian-American icons in the fashion industry, pop culture, music and other fields. It was difficult for her to identify with successful women of color due to the lack of role models.
In general, Find Me Now only employs women. The brand’s office is located in Long Island City, and the factories, as already mentioned, are in China. Its founders are fighting against prejudices regarding goods made in China. By their own example, they prove that quality and durable products can be created anywhere.