Today we’d like to introduce you to Eve Vang
Eve, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My interest in helping my community grow through my entrepreneurship and creative writing comes from the stories my parents told us growing up – the diaspora of the Hmong people. Their stories instilled in me a curiosity of the place they had called home before arriving in the US as refugees. So after I finished college, I journeyed back to SE Asia, specifically Thailand to experience my roots – the culture, the way of life, and the circumstances of my people. This ignited the start of my blog-boutique, Femelle Spirit. I wanted to bring to the mainstream a twist on boho and vintage items curated in my pop-up boutique. My collection encompasses an array of sustainable items, including repurposed Hmong vintage textiles and contemporary quality thrifted clothing and accessories. It represents a boho-chic Hmong American taste that is desirable and relatable to my consumers.
However, it is not just a boutique…there is also an informative piece – my blog. As owner of Femelle Spirit, I want to make sure my patrons understand what it is they are buying. My blog provides the storytelling skills my parents have passed down to me as I am also a writer. I touch on where my vintage items are sourced, the Hmong women divorcees that craft these pieces, as well as writing about topics that are relevant to the female spirit like fashion tips, mental health, and self-love. Femelle Spirit is not just a pop-up store, but a story and a mission. When people buy from Femelle Spirit, I hope to plant an understanding that they are supporting and valuing a global feminist perspective and in themselves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has taken time to develop my mission and brand for Femelle Spirit. I knew I wanted to bring a new look to the mainstream, in addition to telling my stories that support feminist views. However, it was difficult to find the right source to put in my collection that represented my mission. I kept looking at typical boutique brands from an App where I could not touch or feel the items until they arrived. Sometimes, these products were not actually quality and were not sellable. Finally, I took a trip to Vietnam with my parents and ran into a lovely Hmong shop-owner who already produced pieces that closely aligned with my branding. I also wanted to ensure that I could entwine my creative writing into Femelle Spirit so I developed my blog.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As an artist and an entrepreneur, I am best known for my creativity encompassing my Hmong culture. In both the things I do – curating my boutique collection and writing about it, I always involve my roots. You can see it in the style of my boho-chic collection and it definitely inspires my writing. Recently, I am writing a short story about the legend of how hemp skirts came to be in the Hmong community and star-crossed lovers. The story will help my patrons understand why hemp is so prevalent in the repurposed vintage items that I sell in addition to making it fun and inspiring to read about!
I am most proud of sharing my culture with all people through my writing and my boutique pop-ups. I think that is exactly what sets me a part from other vintage stores and creative writing. It is a niche that is pretty specific, which I am trying to share broadly. The Hmong have a beautiful culture and history that can be relatable or empathized.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I definitely am inspired to keep motivated every day by reading books, listening to podcasts, and through other social media avenues. I just finished reading a book called Dust Child by Nguyen Phan Que Mai who writes a historical fiction piece about outcasted biracial children born out of wedlock during the Vietnam War. I am working on my own novel about the Hmong Diaspora during the Vietnam War, so Nguyen’s book was super helpful as I read into her plot and style. As for life inspirations – I like to listen to Jay Shetty who is pretty intuitive and therapeutic on self-reflection. I love seeing short Tik Tok clips of life advice and inspiration from Priyanka Chopra Jonas as well. She is a woman warrior.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.femellespirit.com
- Instagram: femellespirit
- Facebook: Femelle Spirit
