Hesitation was the first thing that popped in my head when I thought about creating by Jae Tao. Simply because, I'm working full-time and will be going back to school in the fall. I won't have time... However, after a very long and tiring day at clinic, making leather accessories was the any thing that would keep me at ease. I knew that I had to create by Jae Tao for my sanity and peace of mind.
I named my line Jae Tao, because that's my altered ego. A fun, wild, and young at heart girl. I started by Jae Tao with all of the fanciful folktales I heard and read as a little girl. My father is a great story teller. When I was young, he used to tell my siblings and I, Hmong folktales. And, I would day dream about living inside of them and how I would defeat the monster or what I could've done to make a sad story end happily. Story telling is a huge part of the Hmong culture. We made story cloth tapestries as a way of preserving our history. Our traditional garments are decorated with embroidered flowers, animals, and landscape. I want to continue that tradition with a modern and whimsical view.
I opened my shop in June and I finally created a logo for it yesterday. My idea behind my logo is a self portrait (selfie) in the style of my accessories. :)
Check out my shop here: byjaetao.etsy.com
