Closing Shop: Saying Goodbye & Looking Forward

Hi friends,

I’m sharing today that Maison Mikumo will be closing in the coming months. While it’s bittersweet, I also feel a sense of renewal and excitement for the future - I'm ready for a ‘clean slate’ and the opportunity to explore new possibilities.

Our website will remain up through the end of the year, and everything will be on clearance sale during that time. There will be some really great deals (50% off almost everything!), so please check it out! (Just a heads-up: we’ll stop accepting on-demand knitwear orders after July 31st, so if there’s something you’ve been eyeing, be sure to order soon!)

Honestly, this decision has been a long time coming. I’ve wrestled with it for quite a while, but I’ve come to terms with my decision, and now feels like the right time. This chapter of my life has taught me so much, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from our customers and community. After reflecting on a mix of personal reasons and broader business challenges, I’ve decided it’s time to step away and make space for something new.

Part of this decision stems from the current U.S. economic climate, which has become increasingly unpredictable and inhospitable to small, independent brands that are inextricably intertwined with global supply chains, despite producing our products here in the US. As a business that depended on trade and orders to and from Canada and the EU, it’s disheartening to see businesses like ours, which once proudly championed the ‘Made in the USA’ label, caught in the crossfire of damaging and shortsighted trade policies.

On a more personal level, I’ve reached a point in life where I’m craving peace, stability, and a return to the joy of creativity. Although I was told early on and often that you don’t need garment-making skills to be a designer (which is certainly true for many cases), I’ve come to feel that it’s an essential next step for me to express myself authentically. As someone with a strong visual imagination, I want to experience the joys and struggles of bringing my designs to life with my own hands. Right now, I feel like somewhat of an “armchair” designer, with my points of contact in the development process being limited to illustrations, spec sheets, tech packs, and revision notes.

Running a brand, the day-to-day workload ends up being something like 90% logistics and maybe 10% actual design, and sometimes even that feels generous. I hope that by gaining hands-on skills, I can reclaim some of that time as a designer, cut down on lag time in back-and-forth communication, and become a more intrinsic part of the development process, rather than being completely reliant on 3rd party sample- and pattern-makers. 

I want to gain a better understanding of fabric - how it drapes, moves, and comes together to create something beautiful. I want to be hands-on, independent, and creatively free. While I don’t yet have a clear picture of where my fashion journey will lead in the long term, I do know what I want to do next: invest in myself and my skills. Since online learning isn’t the best fit for me, I’ll be starting in-person sewing classes this September, and I’m really looking forward to it! 😊

This isn’t the end of my fashion journey, just a turning point. I’m excited to sharpen my technical skills, become the artisan behind my vision, and also spend more time on my hobbies and illustration work.

Thank you so much for being part of this ride. Our Instagram account will stay up as a sort of archive (and who knows, a comeback isn’t off the table). In the meantime, you can find me at @bonbon_illustrator, where I’ll be more active in sharing my journey after a quick break. If you’re interested, I’d love for you to stick around and see where things go next 💗

With deep thanks and appreciation,
Tina