Starting a Fashion Brand with Kitty Yeung
Shawn and Harris welcome Kitty Yeung. Kitty has lead extensive positions as a research scientist, hardware engineer, and user experience designer at Intel and Microsoft. She talks about her fashion and wearables brand Art by Physicist.
Overview
On this episode of the Hello Blink Show, hosts Shawn Hymel and Harris Kenny welcome friend and innovator, Kitty Yeung. Kitty has lead extensive positions as a research scientist, hardware engineer, and user experience designer at Intel and Microsoft. With her degrees in Applied Physics and Natural Sciences from Harvard and Cambridge University, Kitty is passionate about integrating technology, science, design, and art into her fashion brand, Art by Physicist. Listeners will enjoy hearing Kitty’s perspective on building a sustainable, eco-friendly business as she and Shawn/Harris discuss the essentials into launching your next start-up.
On this episode of the Hello Blink Show, hosts Shawn Hymel and Harris Kenny welcome friend and innovator, Kitty Yeung. Kitty has lead extensive positions as a research scientist, hardware engineer, and user experience designer at Intel and Microsoft. With her degrees in Applied Physics and Natural Sciences from Harvard and Cambridge University, Kitty is passionate about integrating technology, science, design, and art into her fashion brand, Art by Physicist. Listeners will enjoy hearing Kitty’s perspective on building a sustainable, eco-friendly business as she and Shawn/Harris discuss the essentials into launching your next start-up.
Kitty currently works as Senior Program Manager at Microsoft Quantum Systems on quantum computing education and enjoys her many roles as a physicist, artist, maker, fashion designer, and musician. She frequently gives talks reflecting her personal passion and career experience in the wearables industry, digital transformation, quantum computing, and internal startups. If you are interested in seeing her work, check it out at: www.artbyphysicistkittyyeung.com
One Powerful Quote
“I think there’s some culture differences between the engineering community and fashion community that those two industries haven’t been helping each other enough and for 100 years we’ve been developing very separately. Fashion hasn’t benefitted from the latest tools that we developed as engineers. It created all these huge problems, global problems, and it doesn’t support the individuals at scale to do more creative work.”
“I think there’s some culture differences between the engineering community and fashion community that those two industries haven’t been helping each other enough and for 100 years we’ve been developing very separately. Fashion hasn’t benefitted from the latest tools that we developed as engineers. It created all these huge problems, global problems, and it doesn’t support the individuals at scale to do more creative work.”
Key Topics
- 1:43: Kitty shares what inspired her to start her own fashion brand and how it transformed into a full-fledged business. She mentions she was always curious about the industry and how she could solve its many complex issues.
- 6:00: Harris asks Kitty her thoughts on the balance between operational and environmental impact over demand and efficiency. Kitty shares that designing and manufacturing processes do not have the tools to streamline their operations; they are only concerned with cheap, mass produced items.
- 12:27: Kitty expresses her concerns in working with foreign partners and manufacturers. She says this was when she started using 3D printing for on-demand production and adds the many benefits associated with it.
- 21:34: Shawn and Kitty discuss the advantages in descaled production for boutique owners and the disconnect between engineering and business operators.
- 25:07: Harris comments on the difficulty of each stage for Kitty’s business. She agrees and suggests that there must be an ecosystem that aligns these procedures; her biggest challenge is in the design process.
- 29:42: Shawn inquires with Kitty about the profitability of her business. She says that, although she is not concerned about that financial aspect, she would like to donate the profits to environmental impacts and STEAM education.
- 35:41: Shawn and Harris wrap up the show with Kitty. She shares her contact information and what Art by Physicist is about.
- 39:19 (Post Show): Kitty asks Shawn and Harris their sales and marketing advice for her business. They include tips on networking, business development, and content creation.
Guest Information
Kitty Yeung is a physicist, artist, maker, fashion designer and musician based in Silicon Valley, California. While working on quantum computing in her day job, Kitty is passionate about integrating technology, science, design and art. Her fashion brand, Art by Physicist (shop.kittyyeung.com) creates unique and timeless science- and nature-themed clothing and accessories. Using her paintings printed on fabrics through eco-friendly processes and 3D printing on-demand production to achieve sustainable and STEAM fashion.
Kitty's early career had been conducting research in condensed matter physics while pursuing artistic endeavors through painting, music and graphic novel creations. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University (thesis: Engineering Plasmonic Circuits in 2-Dimensional Electron Systems) and a M.Sci., B.A. and M.A. in Natural Sciences from University of Cambridge. After grad school, Kitty worked as a research scientist, hardware engineer and user experience designer at Intel, and Manager of the Microsoft Garage program in Silicon Valley. She now works at Microsoft Quantum Systems on quantum computing education.
Kitty frequently gives talks reflecting her personal passion and career experience in the wearables industry, digital transformation, quantum computing and internal startups. See her work on www.artbyphysicistkittyyeung.com.
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website
Kitty Yeung is a physicist, artist, maker, fashion designer and musician based in Silicon Valley, California. While working on quantum computing in her day job, Kitty is passionate about integrating technology, science, design and art. Her fashion brand, Art by Physicist (shop.kittyyeung.com) creates unique and timeless science- and nature-themed clothing and accessories. Using her paintings printed on fabrics through eco-friendly processes and 3D printing on-demand production to achieve sustainable and STEAM fashion.
Kitty's early career had been conducting research in condensed matter physics while pursuing artistic endeavors through painting, music and graphic novel creations. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University (thesis: Engineering Plasmonic Circuits in 2-Dimensional Electron Systems) and a M.Sci., B.A. and M.A. in Natural Sciences from University of Cambridge. After grad school, Kitty worked as a research scientist, hardware engineer and user experience designer at Intel, and Manager of the Microsoft Garage program in Silicon Valley. She now works at Microsoft Quantum Systems on quantum computing education.
Kitty frequently gives talks reflecting her personal passion and career experience in the wearables industry, digital transformation, quantum computing and internal startups. See her work on www.artbyphysicistkittyyeung.com.
Website
Email Newsletter
Get new episodes sent to your inbox.