We were lucky to catch up with Kachia Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kachia, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by giving myself a break. I find that if I continually work on a project without a break or some time off, then I get a stressed & get a creative block. I am not sure how to solve a problem or finish a project if I overwork myself. I have learned that taking some time off to relax, hang out with family and friends or taking a walk has helped me find new ways to create better designs.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an apparel designer in Minnesota. I fell in love with designing when I was in elementary. I was in dance class and I did Hmong dance with a mixture or Chinese dance. I would always get excited looking our dance costumes and traditional Hmong attire. The colorful textiles and silhouettes just amazed me. I learned how to hand-sew at a young age and learned how to use a sewing machine in middle school. With that, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer. I design Hmong modern apparel for women, men and kids. What is most exciting is seeing something I imagined in my head come together in real life. It is even more exciting to know that I created it. I didn’t have it made elsewhere, so I got to control the quality, cut and design of my product.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that were most impactful during my journey is being passionate, hard working, and knowing when to ask for help. Putting apparel designing and my Hmong culture together has helped me become more passionate because I am not designing just for a customer, but for a community. Because of my passion for Hmong inspired apparel, it helped me become hard working. I want to achieve getting my brand known and continue to have the Hmong community thrive. My last quality that was very impactful was learning to ask for help. I understand that there are times I can do things on my own, but I am not where I am today without the help of my family, friends, professor, & colleagues.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
During college, my professors were really helpful. They taught us the essential skills and qualities, but they were also there for me when I need help. I could always go to them for anything. To this day, I still keep in contact with them when it comes to asking for resume help, connections or just having a conversation about how life is going. My family and significant other has always been helpful as well. They were always there for me to bounce ideas or even ask for an extra hand to help with my shows. My family has always been there every step of the way. They helped me strive to be a better designer and have continued supporting me, even when I was down or lost. My significant other helps me during my lowest times when I don’t know what my next step should be. He helps guides me and lifts me up to keep me moving forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: Kachialeedesigns.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Kachialeedesigns
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Kachialeedesigns
Image Credits
Xu Yang Photography Kody Thao Photography Maivab Photography
