Girl Friday: Mizy

I have a really special interview today: this is Mizy!

My friend Julie (who used to work in the fashion industry -- stay tuned for an interview with her in the next few weeks!) recommended I contact her friend, Mizy. Mizy is a fashion designer who lives in NYC. She's worked for brands like Nine West, Seven Jeans, and Forever 21, but recently started her own company! Pretty cool, right? 

Here's a little about Mizy, and her business, Mizy.me, in her own words:

"I am a young fashion designer living in the heart of the city that never sleeps, NYC. I began Mizy.me with the hopes to design products that reflect me and my values: small acts of love make a big difference.

After seven years of working for brands such as Nautica, Nine West, Seven Jeans, Forever 21, and American Rag, I decided last year to leave my prestigious position as head designer to start my own company.
Mizy.me is a Fashion Doll Company. I never imagined I would be designing dolls, but something about creating fashion in a small package and producing them in NY really excited me. I also wanted to create cute, heartwarming, high quality products that would brighten up everyone’s mood.

Rina, Mizy.me’s first fashion doll, was designed and introduced on May 31, 2012. There are now over 11 characters. When I design my dolls, I usually think of what’s on trend and then put a younger twist to it. Our production team hand-makes every doll with lots of love and attention. In order to maintain the integrity of each doll, we produce them in Long Island, NY. After the dolls are made, I carefully look over each doll and pull out only the perfect ones to ship out. Our dolls are currently being sold at www.mizy.me, Morning Glory (Northridge, CA), Mabuhay (San Francisco, CA), Il Gufo (NYC) and www.little-circus.com. I’m hoping that in the next few years Mizy.me will grow to not only sell dolls, but children’s wear, women’s wear and accessories alike."

Mizy very kindly agreed to do an interview for The 29th, and I instantly fell in love with her sense of style, and the Mizy.me dolls. Look at these cuties (a perfect Christmas present for the fashionable little girlie in your life):

I hope you enjoy learning more about Mizy and her style!

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The Twenty Ninth: Describe your style in a few words or a phrase.
M: Cute & flirty during the day, Audrey Hepburn in the 21^st century by night. I think my name describes my style: unique.

TN: How has your style evolved over the years?  
M: Over the past few years, I've started dressing more maturely. I love animal print and fur.

TN: Any fun/embarrassing clothing mishaps or stories you want to share? 

M: When I was in high school, my parents took me to Saks Fifth Ave to buy me some winter clothes. They picked out an adorable orange sweater for me to try on. To my surprise a size 4 sweater didn’t fit me. I took it to a Sales Rep to ask which size I needed and she whispered in my ear, "This sweater is made for dogs." 

TN: Who are your style influences?
M: My style influences are the Olsen twins, Olivia Palermo, Kourtney Kardashian, Alexander McQueen and Audrey Hepburn.

TN: Where's your favorite place to shop?  

M: Zara, Saks, Gmarket and Asos.

TN: How do you pick out an outfit? 
M: I determine my outfit by who I’m planning to meet and where I’m planning to go. I hate repeating the same look in front of the same person, so I usually memorize all my looks. I love to travel, so when I'm in a different country, I tend to wear crazier outfits that I would never get away with in NYC.

TN: Which part of your look have you experimented with recently?
M: I recently decided to cut my bangs, to help make my face look smaller. I realized that with short bangs you have to spend more time styling your hair and apply more eye makeup. Oh boy, did I make a mistake...

TN: What's your favorite thing in your closet to wear and why? 

M: I love love love my over-sized loose knit tunic from ASOS. I wear it all the time, especially when I need to run errands or when guests come over. When I want to dress casual, I wear it with leggings. And when I want to dress up, I wear it with tights and a scarf.

 

TN: Is there an article of clothing or type of shoes you wouldn't be caught dead in?
M: I usually love wearing ugly clothes and shoes, but one thing I would never be caught in is the Original Crocs. I know that they’re light and comfortable, but OH BOY (no offense) are they ugly.

TN: Do you have a favorite skincare or makeup product, or a favorite perfume?
M: Stila’s Liquid Eyeliner is pretty amazing. It’s easy to apply and long lasting when you apply it with eye primer. I also love SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence! It will make your skin glow!

TN: Any shopping tips or fashion advice you'd like to share? 

M: (1) A confident woman can wear a ten dollar garment and make it look a million dollars. (2) If you’re planning to purchase something online, never pay full price unless you really, really want/need it. 75% of the time you can find coupon codes or sales through other sites. Make sure to subscribe to your favorite e-commerce stores to receive a one time 10-15% coupon code. Most department stores have Friends & Family sales twice a year!

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Mizy, I'm so glad I had the chance to get to know you better! Thanks again for interviewing -- I wish you all the best with Mizy.me!