In honor of Women’s History Month and supporting small businesses, I reached out to the inspiring girl boss, Vickee Yang. After I found out about her company from a YouTuber, I decided to give Vinai a try. While scrolling, I could not figure out which size to order. After emailing customer service, I received a response from Vickee herself, who told me that the medium dress would fit me well. If it didn’t, she would be happy to break her no refund policy just for me. After receiving the dress, I was more than delighted to interview Vickee, whose passion for fashion led her to launch Vinai during a pandemic and be a role model for Asian-American women in the fashion industry.
Her Campus (HC): Tell me about yourself; where are you from?
Vickee Yang (VY): To make a long story very short, I was born in Thailand in a refugee camp called Ban Vinai. I moved to the States when I was five with my family. I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lived in Chicago for eight years before I moved to New York in 2019.
HC: Tell me about Vinai! When and how did this come to fruition?
VY: The name Vinai comes from ‘Ban Vinai,’ which is the refugee camp where I was born. I launched a woman’s boutique in June of 2020 during a pandemic. Owning an online boutique has always been a dream of mine and after years of putting it off, I finally decided to launch. I’ve always been a fashion girl but constantly felt like the traditional stores didn’t offer pieces that fit my style. There was just something missing and I wanted to fulfill it.
HC: Having a small business brings many hardships, especially during a pandemic. What keeps you going?
VY: I have to keep reminding myself that there will always be hard times, no matter how successful you become. However, you can’t give up, especially when you’re talking about your dreams. Ever since I was little, I always felt like I was meant to do more than just work a nine to five and I’m not going to stop until I get there. One big motivation for me is also my family. My parents have worked their whole lives and have sacrificed a lot for me and my siblings. I just want to give them the best life possible. There’s a quote by Les Brown that says, “In order to be successful you have to be willing to do the things today others won’t do, in order to have the things tomorrow others won’t have.”
HC: When you created Vinai, what type of women did you envision wearing your clothes? Who is the Vinai woman?
VY: So much of our society is centered around exposing a woman’s body—there’s so much pressure to be sexy from men, from other women and from social media. I just wanted to show women that being a lady is still and will forever be the trend. I’ve always believed that you don’t have to do too much to stand out and the Vinai woman is the epitome of that. She’s effortless, graceful and dresses for herself.
HC: In addition to Vinai, you also do some work as a fashion stylist. How did you get into that?
VY: I started styling just for friends by always helping them put together outfits. My mentor pushed me to pursue it and turn it into an actual career and business. I was lucky to have a few opportunities in Chicago, but I always knew that I had to leave the city if I ever wanted to grow. I’ve been so blessed with some amazing opportunities since moving to New York and have had the chance to work with and style people that I never thought I’d even be in the same room with. Now, I am trying to solely focus on men’s fashion and dominate that area, especially in sports. I love women’s fashion, but men’s fashion is an incredible world that I don’t think is tapped into enough.
HC: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in fashion styling or even start their own fashion brand like Vinai?
VY: Make sure that you love fashion. What they say is true: it’s a tough industry and styling is not an easy job. It can be extremely rewarding and beautiful, but it’s not always glamorous. However, when you truly love something, whether it’s sitting front row at a fashion show or carrying a million garment bags around New York City, you’ll be happy. Also remember that whatever you want to do in this industry, you can. No one has the right to tell you where you do or don’t belong. Stay focused on your end goal but try to enjoy every experience in the present as well.
To get an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look of her journey and how she works her magic, don’t forget to follow Vickee. For more amazing clothing, check out Vinai and their Instagram page @ShopVinai.
All photos are courtesy of Vickee Yang.
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