JA's Favorite AAPI Retail Goods & Services
/GOODS & SERVICES
Thank you for following along with us as we shared with you some of the unique artists, restaurants, and businesses that make up our region’s vibrant AAPI community. For our final part of this series, we’re sharing with you some of our favorite AAPI-owned retail spaces.
kobo in seattle’s old japantown fills the old higo variety store retail space / photo credit: national park service
Art & Home Goods: KOBO Seattle / Binko Chiong-Bisbee & John Bisbee
When we asked for recommendations for AAPI-owned shops, Jack, Sarah, and Alison all responded enthusiastically about KOBO Seattle! Kobo, which translates from Japanese as “artist’s workspace,” serves as both a gallery and a home goods store, featuring fine crafts from Japan and the Northwest for sale while doubling as a gallery, exhibiting the works of small studio artisans from the United States and abroad with a shared affinity for Japanese art and design. The shop in north Capitol Hill opened in 1995, and in recent years the family has opened a second shop, KOBO at Higo, in Seattle’s historic Japantown. KOBO at Higo occupies the former home of Higo Variety Store, which was run for 75 years by the Murakami family, and the larger space allows for more art exhibits, which rotate six times a year.
kyoto art & antiques / photo credit: ICI seattle blog
Furniture & Antiques: Kyoto Art & Antiques
An old brick building in Georgetown is home to one of Seattle’s best kept secrets: Kyoto Art & Antiques. This mysterious warehouse is filled with furniture, collectables, and artwork shipped directly from Japan. A few times a year they open their doors for a week at a time, letting curious buyers from near and far fawn over the beautiful pieces hand-picked by the owners during their time abroad. “We have purchased a number of items from them,” says Alison. “It is a zoo on opening day!” But Kyoto goes far beyond a typical furniture store. There are lanterns, pottery, wall hangings, sculptures, dishes, figurines, clothing and textiles, chests of drawers, tables, tea sets, and so much more! Luckily for all of us, their spring sale will be held May 27th through June 6th, so mark your calendars!
Self Care: Sen Salon / Lam Huynh
This family-founded and women-owned salon was established in 2004 as Hoa Salon by Lam Huynh’s aunt, who sold her niece the business after Huynh managed the salon for six years. Today Sen Salon offers manicure, pedicure, and other beauty services in the first floor retail space of an old house in Seattle’s quaint Madison Valley, where neighbors are regular clients and the staff know them by their first name. Our Marketing Director Liz has been frequenting Sen for several years and especially appreciates the warm welcome she receives from Lam and her team each time she visits.
Photography & More: Judy Lee Photography / Judy Lee
One of the most interesting AAPI-owned businesses we learned about this month was Judy Lee Photography! From her creative studio in the Ballard neighborhood, Judy focuses on supporting women as they embark on personal journeys to discover their best and truest selves. A unique merger of photography, personal coaching, and leadership training, Judy empowers women through transformative portrait sessions, business branding and mentoring, and WomenSpeak, a female-centric program designed to help women find their voices. This “soulpreneur” found her creative calling in her mid-40s and has dedicated her work to helping others.
“I had to go on my own journey to realize my purpose is to empower women by giving them opportunities to go on theirs,” Lee writes on her website. Besides transformative portraiture, Lee hosts a podcast, publishes the I Matter newsletter, and has released two books. Learn more about Judy’s work on her website and follow her Instagram for inspirational quotes and powerful reminders to find - and be - yourself.
judy lee / photo credit: judy lee photography
Outdoor Gear: Ascent Outdoors / Sandeep Nain
This beloved outdoor equipment and bicycle shop has called Ballard home since 2001, but in early 2019 the struggling business closed unexpectedly. That’s when Sandeep Nain, an ex-Microsoft techie with a passion for the great outdoors, stepped in to give it a hand up. While the store had initially opened as a resale shop for second-hand gear, today it sells both new and used equipment for the adventure-seeking Northwesterner looking to ski, mountain bike, snowshoe, backpack, and rock climb their way through the world.
”I believe that customer service is the key component of success. Additionally, by being Indian, I want to inspire persons of color that the outdoors is an inclusive environment,” Nain told SNEWS when he reopened the store in the summer of 2019. Besides his focus on excellent client service and a dedication to inclusivity, Nair is a mountain guide and founder of Miyar Adventures, an instructor with Seattle Mountaineers, and has volunteered with Everett Mountain Rescue for several years. Stop by Ascent Outdoors before you explore the great outdoors this summer!
boma ceo suzanne vetillart with her daughters / photo credit: boma jewelry.com
Jewelry: Boma Jewelry / Chieko, Boon & Suzanne Vetillart
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a recent graduate or loved one, look no further! Boma Jewelry is a sustainably-minded and ethics-driven family business. Founded in Seattle in 1981 by the current CEO’s parents, Chieko and Boon, Boma has always focused on the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profits. In recent years this commitment has deepened with the following business practices:
+ Actively pursuing B-Corp certification
+ Became a social-purpose company or Benefit Corporation in 2020
+ Members of the American Sustainable Business Council
+ Members of the Sustainable Fashion Alliance
+ Switching their factory to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels
+ Building a plan for being a Carbon Neutral company by 2025
+ Partners with CarbonClick to provide carbon offsets for purchases
+ Continuing their grant program for BIPOC Jewelry designers
The company’s factory in Bangkok provides living wages, sustainable careers, paid maternity leave, education and wellness programs, and even an employee-led credit union to jewelry artisans, some of whom have worked for the family-owned company since its inception. You can even hear some of their stories on Boma’s website.
Gifts: Hella Happy / Shannon Koyano
As we crawl out of quarantine and begin to see our friends again, you may find yourself looking for a host or birthday gift for that long-anticipated gathering among humans. If you’re looking for some humor and irreverence in your gift giving, then you should stop by Hella Happy in Madison Valley. A third-generation Seattleite, Shannon Koyano’s shop features vibrant and eccentric gifts guaranteed to brighten your day. Koyana focuses on locally-made, eco-friendly, and socially-conscious goods (often made by women), and wants to celebrate the joy that comes from gift-giving, not just gift-receiving. With quirky curation and a bright, welcoming space, Hella Happy is a joyful and serendipitous little shop guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Not ready to venture out in publich? You can shop Hella Happy online.
Fashion: A. Oei Studio / Angeline Oei
After more than a year of working from home, a lot of us are looking to revamp our wardrobes as we prepare to see colleagues and friends in person for the first time in a post-pandemic world. If you want to explore the sustainability and quality inherent in small batch and handmade clothing, perhaps a visit to A. Oei Studio is in your future. Founder Angeline Oei studied at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and worked for luxury fashion brands where she learned to imbue all of her work with quality and sustainability. Breaking off on her own, Oei found success by staying true to her inspirations: art, nature, and architecture. She was a finalist for the Audi Asian Fashion Designer in 2014 and was nominated for a Pacific Northwest Gray Award in Fashion in 2019. You can learn more about Angeline’s process and design philosophy on her website.
angeline oei sewing in her studio / photo credit: a. oei studio website
We hope you frequent these incredible AAPI-owned businesses, and tell us about the ones we missed in the comments! Please take some time to honor the AAPI community during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month - and beyond.