Meet Lina, the maker behind Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop. She has built a very successful brand full of cute characters that she designs, makes, and sells as plushies, stickers, and pins in her Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop. On top of that, she’s a psychologist and a mom too! Talk about a successful and busy woman!

We initially connected with Lina on Instagram after seeing that she had given up on outsourcing the decoration process for t-shirts and tote bags. Instead, she decided to take full control of the decorating process. She got a heat press and custom heat transfers and started learning.

With a goal of providing the best quality wearable merchandise for her customers, she was excited when we offered to support her on her journey. Yes, Press Hall sells blank apparel and accessories, but that’s only a smidgen of why we exist.

Press Hall exists mostly to support makers like Lina.

Keep reading to learn more about Lina and follow her product expansion journey.

Meet Lina. The Maker Behind Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop.

My name is Lina and I am the creator behind Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop, a woman and Asian owned cute shop, where I create original character designs and turn them into plushies, pins, stickers, bags, and lifestyle products.

How Did You Start Selling Your Creations?

In 2016 I started Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop to sell my handmade clay creations, which was just something I did on the side for fun. At that time in my life, crafting was also a stress-reliever for me. I had just given birth to my daughter not too long before starting my shop and I was working full-time in a new job as Staff Medical Psychologist.

I began posting about my cute clay creations on Instagram and to my astonishment, my little clay character designs became super popular! The only answer at that point was to start selling them on Etsy.

Why Did You Name Your Shop “Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop”?

The name of my brand was influenced by my upbringing and my culture. I am an identical twin and our last name is Liu, so Lulu was the easiest to start with. Also, I grew up bridging family time around meals, cooking, baking, eating sweet treats, and watching my grandmother cook.

Tell Us About Your Kawaii Characters.

My characters are an extension of me. They are made up of cute animals (sometimes an

actual food design) that I’ve always admired. I incorporate my culture and my upbringing into my design elements. For example, I am a huge foodie and I love pastels, sprinkles, and sweet treats. So when I design my characters, I add many of those elements into their design. Oh, and most of my characters are named after family members.

What Types Of Products Have You Already Added To Your Shop?

• Pins

• Stickers
• Plushies
• Bags
• Stationery items
• Clay charms
• Mugs
• Cups

What Made You Want To Expand Into Decorating Apparel & Accessories?

I think after 7 years in business, I’m looking for other ways to express my brand and creativity. Decorating apparel is the one thing that I haven’t pursued yet. I’ve always wanted to put my characters on wearables to promote my brand. I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from my followers asking me about t-shirts but I never felt confident due to a lack of knowledge and resources for decorating apparel for resale.

Also being a mental health professional, it has been a dream of mine to create wearables that could inspire and motivate. Fashion and apparel can influence our mental state. I love the idea of bridging Lulu Sweet Kawaii Shop with my professional background to create apparel that can help end the stigma of mental illness and to celebrate mental health awareness.

How Do You Think This Expansion Will Help Your Business?

I hope expanding into apparel and accessories will help broaden my creativity and offer more

variety of products to my audience. Also this expansion could bring in new/more customers to my brand, who maybe weren’t interested in the plush, pin, sticker, clay charm lines. Once I get comfortable with the new wearable product line, I am hoping to expand further into children and kids clothing. This is something that I’m very excited about. I think my characters would be loved by children.

Where Do You See Your Business In 5 Years?

I hope to see Lulu’s Sweet Kawaii Shop products get picked up and sold by small retail stores. I also would like to see more presence and growth in my online shop.

What Advice Would You Give To Other Makers Like You Who Are Considering Expanding Into Decorating Apparel And Accessories?

Be patient and expect that it will take time to get started. There is so much to know about decorating apparel and accessories. Research the many different ways to make apparel (screen-printing, embroidery, HTV, custom heat transfers, sublimation, etc.) and find the right production method for you. If possible get samples made so you can see what you are exactly getting. Also research about the various different equipment needed and different transfers you can use to print your design.

Don’t get discouraged just go with the process.

As always, our team of in-house makers are here to help you find the right blank for your next project, product launch, or product expansion. Call us at (855) 919-2467 or email us at help@presshall.com