Tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand.
My name is Christine Ho and I am one of the co-owners of Nonfiction Community. I'm from Massachusetts and I have 13 years’ experience in Fashion Design with my interest being dancing, sewing, and creating products. Nonfiction Community is a Goods and Services brand that has a sole purpose to bring awareness to our consumers of not only the goods and services we provide but also how products are developed.
Our mission is to teach the youth within underprivileged communities the value of building apparel from beginning to end by demonstrating how to construct garments through our marketing content, workshops and product aesthetic. In our community there is a lack of programs for youth to gain an understanding of product creation and development. We desire for the community to gain expertise on the concept of the product development process and be able to assist them with creating goods on their own. Our company was established in Gary, IN, but is now based out of Boston, MA. Our company makes apparel, accessories, and home good items.
What inspired you to start your brand or craft?
My passion for creating garments, sewing, and working within the apparel industry (13+ years) has led me to start Nonfiction Community to give back to the community by hosting sewing workshops locally to provide a full understanding of how pieces are built from beginning to end.
How did you come up with the name of your company?
We came up with the name Nonfiction Community because it connected with our purpose as a brand which is to give an in-depth understanding to our consumers of how our products are made and the way product creation can benefit the community if provided with the tools to do so such as equipment (sewing machines) and materials (fabrics) .
What does an average day look like?
An average day would be brainstorming inspiration to create our pieces, sketch out the ideas using Adobe Illustrator, and fabric and trims sourcing. Once our product is finalized, a sample is made to be fit tested and reviewed to have it ready to be produced. After, we start to plan out the direction of content for the product.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part about my job would be the sample creation process and fabric/trim sourcing because of the rewarding feeling I receive from seeing my ideas and inspirations come to life.
When you’re creating do you have a person in mind?
When I am creating a product, I think about my daughter and the ways her age group/ peers will be influenced by garments that I create today.
When was your business founded and how has it evolved over time?
Our business was founded in 2019 and it has evolved from us taking email orders to now having our own Nonfiction Community website this year (2020).
What's one thing on your bucket list?
The one thing that we would like to be on our bucket list this year would be to have a Nonfiction Community brick and mortar location within the next 2-years.
Are there any challenges that you’ve had to overcome?
Due to the pandemic and closing of the states, it has been difficult to host pop ups as well as workshops for the community. Also, with consumers' priorities changing from the pandemic, there has been a decrease in the demand to purchase apparel goods that does not cater specifically to their adjusted lifestyle.
What is one piece of advice you have for a female entrepreneur just starting out?
The advice that I have for a female entrepreneur that is just starting out is to stay inspired and remain consistent with your brand aesthetic all while being able to adjust with the times.
Let us know where we can follow you. Feel free to share any news on upcoming projects.
IG: Nonfiction Community
Twitter: NonfictionCMTY
FB: Nonfiction Community
Shop Nonfiction Community at Wyllo
