SHOP & TELL: MISCHIEF MADE
This Summer, I was on the prowl for a flamingo print t-shirt and came across many cute modern-style ones but they just didn’t suit my fancy. The styles weren't retro enough for me and I almost gave up until I remembered a very cute version I had seen on Pink Collar Life's blog.
I’m obsessed with Flamingos as you probably know already and after a quick search I was sitting at my computer and locking eyes with the flamingo tee of my retro-dreams. Mischief Made actually collaborated with the bloggers behind Pink Collar Life to bring this fab flamingo design to life and within seconds the t-shirt was in my cart, to my door and on me for a tropical day date with the boyfriend.
Fast forward a few months later, I was performing my daily Instagram scroll and was stopped in my tracks by the cutest vintage-inspired illustration. Mischief Made had done it again and this time it was the most delightful Christmas themed design. The design reminded me of vintage Christmas cards and I knew I had to have it once the t-shirts were ready for production. A week later I ordered mine and when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find a matching tea towel and card in my package. I’m sharing images of that tee in this post but before we jump into those, let’s hear from Yuri the owner of this delightfully mischievous retro apparel line.
REMEMBER, "NEVER KISS & TELL BUT #DOSHOPANDTELL!”
It is important to make good use of the characteristics of your country. Do not give up and do not expect results immediately. ~YURI
Could you share the story of how you got started with MISCHIEF MADE and tell us a bit about how you came up with the name for your shop?
Before starting Mischief Made I had many experiences working as a sales person, designer and pattern maker in Japan. I started drawing about 6 years ago and after moving to LA, I started to make vintage inspired t-shirts.
I wanted to give my brand a name that started with the letter M. There were many mischievous images in 1950's designs and I liked drawing similar images so I decided to name the brand Mischief Made.
I simply adore your retro-style t-shirts. Can you share a bit more about the process that goes into each design?
All designs are inspired by art, comic books, clothes, advertisements, toys and anything fun from the 1940's to the 1960's.
Why did you choose Etsy as your e-commerce platform?
When I launched my shop in 2014 I thought Etsy was best suited and the most fashionable site for my vintage-inspired custom made styles. I also have my own website (www.mischiefmadeclothing.com) now and you can find all my pieces there as well!
On your About section, you mentioned starting your brand in Tokyo and now operating out of Los Angeles. Are you originally from Tokyo? How has living there impacted your designs?
When I was little I lived in the countryside of Japan but upon graduating high school I lived in Tokyo. After graduating from fashion academy, I worked at a rockabilly shop for 4 years and attended many rockabilly events. I fell in love with the music, clothing and culture. This encouraged me to start making vintage style dresses, but the Japanese rockabilly scene was so small that I could not live on just making dresses, so I worked as a pattern marker as well. Having several job experiences helped me to develop the skills I needed to launch Mischief Made.
What advice would you give to someone starting their own business and moving from one country to another like you did?
It is important to make good use of the characteristics of your country. Do not give up and do not expect results immediately.
Also, the most important thing is to always think of your customers and aim to please them at all times. The same can be said for people working together in business and on collaborations.
Do you have a favorite social media platform you like to use for your business? If so, what platform do you use the most and why?
Instagram is my favorite. It's a great community and makes it easy to find others who share similar interests or like the same things.
Tell us something about yourself that’s not on your Etsy's About page.
This year, my first baby was born, and it became a big turning point in my life. Up until then I worked hard for my dream, but now I have started to think hard for my baby as well.
A very big thank you to Yuri for sharing her story with us. To keep up with her latest designs and overall incredible work, follow her on Instagram and be sure to stop by her Etsy shop or new website to snag a beautiful vintage-inspired t-shirt.
Continue below to see a behind the scenes sketch from Yuri of the latest t-shirt design I purchased along with a few snaps of how I styled my vintage tees from Mischief Made!
Later this week, I'll be sharing a full blog post where I show you two ways to style this vintage-inspired Christmas t-shirt so stay tuned!