Meet Shanna Fujii of Honey & Misfits in Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanna Fujii.

Shanna, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Honey & Misfits is a philanthropic streetwear brand. It started off with one hand-painted jacket. I took a line from one of my favorite songs at the time and painted it on the back. I received a ton of compliments and people started asking me if I would consider making more. When I first launched, I had ten hand-painted jackets and from there it evolved.

The name “Honey & Misfits” is very much representative of my personality and my interests. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a professional writer (AKA a nerd for words), but I have always loved juxtapositions or the idea of taking two seemingly contrasting things and putting them together. “Honey” evokes a feeling of warmth and sweetness, and to some, has a more “feminine” aura. “Honey” also represents the philanthropic side of my business where we give back a portion of our proceeds to various charities. The word “Misfits” symbolizes rebellion, being rough around the edges, and can be viewed as more masculine. Melt the words together and you have this fantastic blend of feminine and masculine, rebellion and charity, a little sweet and a little street.

Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest challenge for starting Honey & Misfits was exactly that… starting. Figuring out all the licensing, finding printers, picking out the best apparel, designing, and managing the business operations behind the scenes was a process. But when I launched my first collection and hit ‘publish’ on my website, I remember sitting there for a moment, smiling to myself, feeling incredibly proud of everything I had accomplished.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Honey & Misfits is a one-woman show at the moment. I’m the founder, designer, marketer, and every other position involved in the business. I think I’m most proud of having something that is a physical extension of myself. I’ve been told before that streetwear doesn’t really “fit me,” and maybe I should consider doing something that’s more “sweet” because it suits me better. I just smile and laugh and say that’s exactly the point of Honey & Misfits. I like being more than what people expect me to be. I’m not a fan of being a “one-note” type of person. I wanted the products to be fluid enough for anyone to wear and believe I have accomplished that.

The thing that sets Honey & Misfits apart from other streetwear clothing companies is the philanthropic aspect. Streetwear often has this “too cool for school” or “IDGAF” mentality. But at Honey & Misfits, we actually do care about people and it’s not “us against the world.” We think it’s cool to care about others and that’s how the company (and myself personally) will always choose to operate.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Honey & Misfits lives mainly online, but we were a vendor at the first PHX Night Market back in April of 2018. It was our first public appearance and we’re still so grateful for that opportunity.

At the end of 2017, I had a photoshoot planned for my first line of clothing. My photographer ended up cancelling the week of the shoot, so I took to Instagram and frantically searched for a replacement. I ended up finding André Bautista who agreed to do the shoot and brought along another photographer, Jay Estrada. I got so lucky because they were amazing! At the end of the shoot, they told me about a new night market that would hit Phoenix next year and that I should apply to be a retail vendor.

I met with one of the co-founders of PHX Night Market, Tony Ce, and asked him a million questions about it. It sounded incredible and I knew I would regret not being a part of something so monumental. I applied, was approved, and worked my butt off to add more products and design my booth in time for the Market. I was so nervous the day of the event (to the point that I almost threw up, ha!). Unveiling Honey & Misfits to the public felt like I was cutting out a piece of my soul and putting it on display for others to gawk at. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope people would receive it kindly—and they did.

I was (and still am) truly thankful for the event, my friends and family who helped out, and all the new people I met along the way. That event was a first in Phoenix and it has ignited a flurry of other opportunities like it. For new businesses, I think being a part of a market is a great experience. You learn so much in the process and get to connect and bond with some seriously stellar people in the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: honeyandmisfits.com
• Email: hello@honeyandmisfits.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyandmisfits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeyandmisfits/

Image Credit:
Jay Estrada, André Bautista, Karlie Lestina

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