Tony Innouvong opens online men’s accessory shop
Alcorn State University alumnus Tony Innouvong has always had an eye for fashion. As a teenager growing up in Seattle, Washington, he envisioned himself being a high profile designer one day. That day that he dreamt of became a reality earlier this week.
“When I was young, I dreamt of owning a clothing company, so in the winter of 2014, I brought the idea to life,” said Innouvong. “I experimented with many ideas and settled with one that hit home, which is a line that fuses my Lao heritage with modern menswear and accessories. This includes incorporating Lao cultural symbols, icons, patterns and motifs, as well as direct elements such as textiles, metals, and gemstones. Bringing this to the market allows me to educate people about my identity, people and culture through fashion.”
Innouvong debuted his men’s accessories line, Tony Innouvong Designs, online Tuesday, Oct. 27. The website provides unique and exclusive handmade accessories for the modern gentleman. The designs are inspired by the desire to bridge classic menswear with modern men’s accessories, creating a timeless well-groomed look for the everyday gentleman.
For Innouvong, breaking into the fashion industry as a designer and businessman has been exhilarating and eye opening.
“It’s exciting! As I am venturing into this endeavor, I’m learning a lot about the industry and myself. I look forward to building and sharing my business.”
The grind that Innouvong has endured to reach this level of success has been nothing short of demanding. Despite the expected hard work, he has pressed on and is now reaping the benefits of his labor.
“I’ve spent long hours pattern making, sewing, stitching, and sourcing materials, while simultaneously managing administrative and logistical functions. For my current collection, I spent nearly two months designing and experimenting. All of it is a work in progress. It has been a challenging, but very rewarding, journey.”
Innouvong wouldn’t have been able to reach his current goal if it hadn’t been for him earning his Master of Business Administration degree from Alcorn in 2014. He credits his instructors in the School of Business for preparing him to handle the business side of his accessories line.
“It taught me how to implement and manage various business functions. In the upcoming year, I plan to outsource production of a couple products to United States manufacturers in order to free up time to focus on administrative and marketing efforts. Managerial decision making was a highly emphasized topic in Alcorn’s School of Business.”
In the future, Innouvong plans to expand his accessories line by participating in trade, arts and crafts shows with hopes of gaining more exposure as an artist, designer and brand. He is focused on achieving his goals for the accessories line.
“My goals for my accessories line is to educate people about my Lao culture and heritage; fuse traditional Lao apparel and art into modern fashion; revitalize classic men’s fashion pieces and styles; and give people access to handmade accessories that make a statement when put on.”
Innouvong’s accessories line includes slim neckties, bowties, pocket squares, bracelets, necklaces and pins. Visit https://www.tonyinnouvong.com to check out what the website has to offer.
