I'm a Plant Girl, Interview with Plant Girl NYC

1. Introduce yourself, how did Plant Girl NYC become? I’m Megan, I'm from new york city, went to catholic school, into art and music, went to tokyo, went to a international school, loved art and art class, child modeling, being on set, that has always influenced me, went onto do dance, went to a performing arts high school as a dance major, dance and theater professional in Japan, this dream career in japan but it didn't end up being what I wanted, start fresh and discover myself, depressed and heartbroken, always into health and being health conscious, starting being vegan, concept of plant girl, drawing on t shirts, using slogans like eat your dream, Plant Girl Club was original name, be plant girl, looking at a flower, these bring me joy and happiness, I am plant girl but it can also be everyone, pre pandemic, always loved fashion shows and magazines, once I was spending a lot of time at home, I wanted to take Plant Girl NYC to the next level, self taught dying through youtube, plant dyes wash out, right now it's just me

2. What inspired you to build a business like Plant Girl NYC? Who has influenced your brand the most? A Lot of small emerging brands have influenced me, I got connected to them through the pandemic, depop scene and igirl and zig zag goods, very crafted DIY processes encouraged me, I don't have to be a huge corporation, small arts or multimedia artists are so inspiration to me

3. What are the marketing challenges you have faced when starting a business? Honestly, I just been doing whatever, I don't have a strategy, never invested money, in the beginning it was hard to get a reach, its a lot and people get caught up in the numbers game to get noticed, they will given more chances because of their following, that kinda stuff takes new, it's very new and fresh

4. How do you feel about the fashion industry and sustainability? Are we doing enough? We are never doing enough, it's a big war it's a big fight, it's never going to go away, all these fast fashion brands are trending on sustainability, there is so much more to unpack, we need to have the conversation going, the sustainability trend is here to say, figure out a way that you can make a difference, I hate to preach about being environmental conscious but keep educating yourself, and being informed, everything adds up

5. What is the most satisfying part of the tie dye process? Opening it up! Tying the shirt takes the longest, dying the shirts takes a while, it is a three day process, I’m always learning, tie dying has a lot of history, I did a workshop with indigo dye

6. What do you hope for Plant Girl NYC in this upcoming year? A lot more photo shoots, first official shoot, I organized and produced this whole shoot, it is doing a lot for the brand, a lot more people are being engaged, totally embodies what I want for the brand, showcasing, empowering everyone, everybody can wear plant girl, more exciting to have collaboration, when you share the behind the scenes you grow closer to the brand, I want create inspiration for other people, I love to be in more stores and reach more people, in regards to five year, I would like to see myself with a base in japan and new york, we are all influenced by both worlds, hysteric glamour and angel blue, flashback to my childhood, the retail price is high, the craze has up the value

7. How have you grown mentally through developing this brand? I have become a lot more confident, I always knew I was an artists, but never have the confidence to say it out loud, never had a body of art to showcase, now i can expressed my passion for fashion and movement, it connects my performing arts past to the present, what I am doing now is clothing, I have an art mindset, I love using clothing as a canvas

8. Who do you believe is the most influential in the industry? Celebrities most definitely, they dictate the trends, so many people are behind those products, so many stereotypes, the model is in control is a misleading assumption, its a lot of creativity and reflects passion and meaning in their art

9. What is your favorite thing to wear at the moment? Long skirt, I used to hate wearing long skirts, the influence of Japanese magazine, fruits magazine, so cool and unique, I feel like the silhouette are more elongated

10. Photography by Matthew Channer, Styling by Angelina Zaphyria, Modeled by Kimanni Starr, Celine Mili, Ava Nobandegani, Niya Garcia, and Anna Siciliano