Today we are meeting Millie Phung, left, and Anisha Kili. (📸: GrowingBoyMedia)
onlybyam.com | @only_byam | 1117 1st Ave., Seattle
Hi, Anisha and Millie! Tell us about your business focus.
Only is a contemporary clothing and accessories line for women and men. Born out of a need for well-made, stylish, yet responsibly made clothing, we started Only to fill a void we saw in the fashion industry. Our focus is on the intersection between design and sustainability. At Only, we combine minimalistic and sleek designs with better-for-the-planet fabrics while ensuring that our supply chain is as environmentally sound as possible and puts people first.
What’s a project you’re working on, and how can your Seattle Restored participation help you with it?
We are currently working on product development for some exciting future releases. Participating in Seattle Restored has been monumental for us in so many ways. Seattle Restored has granted us the opportunity to have our own storefront which has made it possible to showcase our brand in a physical retail space and communicate our values in a way we’ve never been able to before. The space has attracted new customers, networking opportunities, and the ability to throw events that really demonstrate what we represent as a brand. Seattle Restored has also connected us to endless opportunities and resources to connect with our community, grow our brand, and develop our business acumen. We are so grateful for this opportunity to work with Seattle Restored and are thankful for the support.
What’s the most rewarding part of your business pursuits?
Deciding to start a clothing line has been a challenging yet gratifying endeavor. We’ve been so inspired throughout our journey and can’t wait for everything to come. The most rewarding part of our pursuits definitely has to do with seeing our visions coming to life and customers wearing and enjoying our pieces. Being able to guide the evolution of a simple idea to a sketch and finally into a 3D physical piece is one of the most exciting things we get to do. The journey continuing from development to these pieces being worn and loved by customers is so rewarding because we put a lot of consideration and time into every piece we make and our goal is to make our customers happy.
The Only pop-up shop also features curated goods like scents and soaps. (📸: GrowingBoyMedia)
What are you looking forward to this year?
We are really looking forward to the holidays this year! We have some super exciting projects we are working on and can’t wait to share them with everyone. We also have a series of events to celebrate some of our favorite end-of-year Holidays and look forward to gathering community around fun activities.
What brings you most alive about working or living in Seattle?
Something we absolutely love about living in Seattle is the richness of community, support, and collaboration we experience all around us. The culture of Seattle really provides the environment for business owners and artists to express themselves in a meaningful way. We love getting to work with other businesses and are inspired by how others shine their light. The vibrancy of Seattle from the community, nature, and artistry is constantly challenging us to dive deeper into our art form and this is what makes us feel the most alive about working here.
If you could give any one piece of advice to locals, what would it be?
Our advice for Seattle locals would be to not be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone and interact with new people. The Seattle community is so diverse and has so much to offer and we’ve met some amazing and inspiring people through networking.
What’s your favorite Seattle Restored pop-up or art installation and why?
Our favorite Seattle Restored installation is Stephanie Mai Designs. Stephanie creates beautiful art that is incredibly unique and whimsical. Her art is truly transportive.
➡️ Read more about Only and check out the full details about this Seattle Restored pop-up shop on the Seattle Restored blog.
Seattle Restored revives Seattle neighborhoods with creativity and commerce! Seattle Restored calls our local artists and entrepreneurs to reinvigorate our city by activating empty storefronts. These pop-up and art installation activations benefit neighborhoods, small businesses, artists and property owners by creating vibrant and engaging streetscapes that encourage the public to visit downtown Seattle, support local businesses and artists – particularly Black, Indigenous, and other entrepreneurs and artists of color.