Starting A Brand With No Plan Or Experience

Interview with Kyoni founder.

kyoni: https://www.instagram.com/kyonijr/

Esteban: Hi Kyoni, it’s great to have you here. Can you start by telling us a bit about your background?

Kyoni: Thank you, Esteban. I’m Kyoni—it's a nickname I picked up in childhood. I'm ethnically Korean, but I was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. When I was 7, I moved to Moscow, where I lived until just recently. My brand, Kyoni Jr., started as a side project about three years ago. It’s really the result of my fascination with creating concepts.

Esteban: That’s interesting. So, did you have any formal training in fashion or design?

Kyoni: No, I actually have no formal education or social connections in this field. I studied economics and was really only interested in sports until I turned 20. The concepts of industry, art, and the market were completely foreign to me. I think that’s what sets me apart. I was able to dive into this world with the same curiosity and lack of expectations as a child. I didn’t worry about doing things perfectly—I just did them. Over time, I found inspiration in mix media, Marcel Duchamp, and the Dadaist movement. Tom Waits once said, “Ignorance of the tools is inspiring,” and that really resonates with me. It’s become a guiding principle for my work.

Esteban: Every brand faces challenges, especially in the beginning. What were some of the hurdles you encountered?

Kyoni: The challenges were mostly technical—things like, "How do I sew this? How do I make a seal? Where do I find the right fabric?" Marketing, positioning, and promotion didn’t concern me much, and to be honest, they still don’t. My focus has always been on filtering information and controlling the flow of content rather than trying to influence the number of images in the world.

Esteban: That’s a unique approach. How has your perspective on freedom and limitations evolved as your brand has grown?

Kyoni: Initially, I felt a lot more freedom. But as the project grew, I had to trade some of that freedom for the sake of development. Another key aspect is understanding limitations—both visual and ideological. To build a strong narrative and concept, you need focus, which is increasingly rare in today’s world. It’s like putting on blinders, but it’s necessary to hear your own voice amidst the noise.

Esteban: You mentioned preserving DNA as crucial. Can you elaborate on that?

Kyoni: For me, it’s about preserving the core essence of the brand at all costs. Every decision is made with that in mind.

Esteban: Financial issues seem to be a common struggle for new brands. How do you handle those?

Kyoni: Yes, the main problems were financial—dealing with cash gaps. In those moments, I try to think like a surgeon. It’s not about making numerous moves; it’s about making one or two correct decisions. Your product is essentially a solution to a problem, and that’s how I approach it.

Esteban: What advice would you give to emerging designers?

Kyoni: First, let’s remove the word “success” from the equation. Instead, ask a lot of questions—mainly to yourself. Selling, making something beautiful, and doing it quickly are all easy. What’s difficult is creating a concept rooted in your own narrative, not what’s trending on social media. In the long run, finding your voice is far more rewarding than being a visual machine that churns out content.

Esteban: That’s a powerful perspective. Any final thoughts for our readers?

Kyoni: I’m not a fan of giving advice, and I don’t usually follow it myself. I prefer to offer recommendations. One of the best I received was to not get discouraged by failures. It’s not about motivation; it’s about the journey. I remember preparing for a product drop four years ago. I was nervous, and after launching, nothing happened—no sales in the first ten minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. But when I stepped outside, I realized that it was just an experience. The effort you put in, from the first sketch to the final product, doesn’t always correlate directly to the result. What matters is how you blend all those efforts together, like tracks in a DJ set. There are no bad tracks; it’s all about finding the right sequence.