At KIM+ONO, above all else, family is the most important thing in our lives. We believe in finding work/life balance and that includes spending time with family and shutting off from all the busyness of the day. Much of our team has a young family at home, and we believe that traditions and comfort are part of the fabric of connection at home, and that connection grows outward into our communities. In fact, family is so important to us and such an integral way in which we see the world that it’s actually been the foundation on which we’ve built our business.
Co-founders and sisters, Renee and Tiffany Tam, have been learning from their parents’ business acumen from a young age. Watching their parents run their stores in Chinatown, traveling with them to Asia to visit with artisans and vendors, and interacting with the loyal customers their parents’ San Francisco shops brough in created a lasting inspiration on the sisters. And when they were ready to set out on their own, with a modern vision of bringing the essence of the traditional Japanese kimono to the modern woman, they built KIM+ONO. So today on the journal, we’re sharing some background on Renee and Tiffany and the kimono robes they’ve created.
Renee Tam serves as CEO of KIM+ONO, as well as running online operations & overseas production management. When thinking back to her childhood and what image sticks with her the most, Renee says this, “Our parents working 12 hours a day to support the family. When my parents first opened their business in 1980, my mom was pregnant with Tiffany and she worked everyday until labor.” She saw the qualities that brought a successful business to fruition in her mother’s action and her father’s advice. He told her that when owning your own business, you need “dedication, persistence, hard work.”
To create the women’s kimono robes that have become a signature product for KIM+ONO, Renee took all she learned from her parents and poured it into the company. From working with artisans in China’s Silk Village on kimono fabric that you’ll fall in love with, to working with Tiffany on the newest designs that reflect upcoming trends and guiding principles, Renee has a strong sense of connection to her roots. She says, “I’m lucky to work with my best friend (Tiffany). We grew up sharing the highs and lows that come with running a family business. I’m so excited we decided to join together to run KIM+ONO as I couldn’t have found a more perfect partner.”
Tiffany Tam serves as CCO of KIM+ONO, as well as handling retail operations, overseeing social marketing and taking on the creative lead when building this brand for the modern woman. From every detail of their flower kimono robes to the way we communicate our message, Tiffany is the engine of creativity at the company. That said, when thinking about the company they’ve built, Tiffany says, “[I think about] the partnership that I have with Renee - how grateful I am for this opportunity to run a business with my sister and best friend.”
The KIM+ONO brand may have started with the Tam family, but it’s built outward to see you, our customer, as part of our family too. Tiffany explains, “As this company is growing, these questions come to mind: What can we do to have a bigger impact in our community, on today’s society, to make this world a better place?” You are our inspiration and making a difference in your life is what we strive to do. Tiffany adds, “If we can make you feel good about yourself with what we do, than that hits me right in the heart. That is our mission.” Our goal is to be more impactful in empowering you.
One of the main reasons the Tam sisters built KIM+ONO was out of their own desire for balance. Juggling young families and being entrepreneurs in San Francisco, Renee and Tiffany understand that a little luxury can be hard to find. They also know how the modern woman, who takes on everything from work to family to caring for her community, deserves it more than ever. From a beautiful white kimono robe to bring you back into your softness and ease, to silk kimono robes to give your skin some luxurious love, we’ve designed every flower kimono robe with you in mind.
Renee and Tiffany have created a family of flower kimono robes to bring a little more luxury to your day. Although our history and our family have set the foundation for the company, you remain our inspiration. When you share how you wear your flower kimono robe as you begin your busy day, or slip on a white kimono robe at night, or don your women’s kimono robe when out on the town with your partner, we are filled up every time we see you full of confidence, exuding the beautiful person you are.
With family as our foundation, and you, the modern woman, always at the forefront of our minds, we hope each kimono robe we create makes an impact on your life. Whether it reminds you of your strength and power or gives you a moment to slow down and take a deep breath, this, to us, is the biggest success.
