Jamie Okuma is Luiseño, Shoshone-Bannock, Wailaki, and Okinawan and is also an enrolled member of the La Jolla band of Indians in Southern California, where she lives and works. She specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces that she exclusively handcrafts, while also designing ready-to-wear fashions.
POPSUGAR: Tell us the story behind how your brand came to be.
Jamie Okuma: I am not a fan of the term "brand." I am an artist. I think there is a big difference between being a brand and an artist. I want my customer base and anyone who appreciates my work to understand that I am a one-person show right now and my designs are very personal to me. My work is a reflection of me and where I am at in my fashion career - so I am not quite a brand, but instead an artist.
I got my start designing at 5 years old. I went to my first powwow on my grandmother's reservation, and it was life changing. I remember what I was wearing and observing all of the beauty in everyone's outfits. Ever since that pivotal day, I have been inspired by Native American fashion.
PS: How does your culture inform your design process?
JO: My culture inspires everything. Each line I design is a reflection of my life and is closely tied to my Indigenous culture.
PS: How do you want people to feel when they wear your clothes?
JO: When people wear my clothes, I want them to feel beautiful and confident.
PS: What have been the most valuable lessons you've learned in launching your own brand?
JO: The most valuable lesson learned is that you cannot be afraid of any time of failure. You must embrace the entire process. Being an entrepreneur and independent designer has a multitude of challenges. There will be times that you'll doubt yourself and the process, but you must push through and trust that these complications and hurdles will get you to where you need to be.
PS: Where would you like to be a year from now? Five years from now?
JO: In a year from now and five years from now, I'd like to be doing exactly this - showing my designs in fashion shows across the country and in front of new audiences who aren't previously familiar with my work. In terms of growing my business, I have seen so much success from my e-commerce store that I will continue to run that as my primary way to reach customers and I don't have plans to open a flagship store yet.
