MVM: Hi Kira!! I’m so happy to be here!! Can you introduce yourself?

Kira Sangsap: My name is Kira Sansap, my pronouns are she/her, my business is Studio Choo11 and I make jewelry from polymer clay and mixed media.

MVM: I understand that you studied fashion design in Bangkok. Can you talk about how you went from textiles and designing clothing to jewelry?

KS: When I moved here, I knew that I wanted to have a small business. I looked into apparel and felt that it was so overwhelming to start everything by myself. So I chose making jewelry because I could be a one-man show from start to finish. At my design school, we were taught to design things from inspiration and make a lot of experiments/mistakes to come up with something new, creative and original so I just applied that design process thinking into my jewelry and see how it goes.

MVM: Did you start with polymer clay?

KS: Yes, I was doing a lot of research and found that I can make jewelry from polymer clay. This material is just fascinating and perfect for what I was looking for. I can create every color and pattern, it can be sculpted into any shape and form, it’s very durable, color won’t fade away overtime and surprisingly lightweight too! So I started with this medium and have been loving it.

MVM: How many different colors have you made with polymer clay?

KS: I have over 500 colors in my recipe book and over 100 more (I believe so) that are still waiting for me to write them down into the book. I love colors, so mixing colors is just a therapeutic way of discovering new colors to me.

MVM: That's amazing, the colors are so beautiful. When you first started your jewelry business, how did you come up with the designs for your earrings?

KS: I started making and kept experimenting around, tried different shapes, patterns and silhouettes. I was self-taught from the beginning so there were hours and hours of practice to build up the skill. Once I had over 100 pairs, I laid them down, stared at them and decided what looked good and what was not so good. I tried not to look at other makers' works for inspiration. I really wanted to be original and create my own aesthetic. There were several developments along the way. The finished pieces these days may not look that complicated but there was a ton of work behind the scenes.

MVM: Where did your desire to create come from? Did you feel drawn to being an artist?
KS: I don’t know. I couldn’t answer that question to myself. When I was little, I was nerdy at school. Every subject was equally good if we talked about scores. But my favorite subject has always been Art, it was the only subject that I could feel I had the freedom to create. Then I knew I wanted to go fashion design school when I was 14 years old. I guess I love being creative and enjoy making things. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy path, so I took it very seriously since then. After entering my design school, I learned that being a designer isn’t going to be enough. I have to have an entrepreneur mindset to be able to sell my creativity and become successful.

Kira, Owner of Studio Choo11
sorting through her polymer clay colors

MVM: Did you start experimenting with making clothes or start in design school?

KS: Yes, I learned to sew and sketch in high school. I actually did try law school before fashion design school because it was my dad’s dream. Then I felt that I would not be a good lawyer, I wasn’t passionate enough about studying law; I knew then that I had to go to only fashion design school to follow my childhood dream. I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

My graduation project was featured on the cover of a magazine from Myanmar, Mix Magazine, Revlon Cosmetic and some Thai brands then I moved to the USA right after I graduated.

I was working with a textile designer for a year and a half here in Maine. Once I started learning polymer clay and made some jewelry, my family and friends encouraged me to sell them. I enjoyed making jewelry so much so I quit my jobs to focus on making it become a business.

In the Winter of 2020, I came across the Thompson Point Maker’s Market. I emailed them about it and they were full at first, but someone ended up canceling at the last minute so I had a chance to take that spot. I didn’t expect anything from that first show. We were outdoors in the freezing cold, but it was still a great turn out!

MVM: Did you have your website before, or did you build one after that show?

KS: After that show, I always wanted to have a website, but because there are fees involved, it was a lot of work to make it happen. I was waiting to see if jewelry-making was something I could do full-time. After the shows went so well, I knew I wanted to do it full time. So I reached out to my graphic design co-worker Lana Wheeler to help me with setting up Choo11.com

MVM: Prior to our interview, we were talking about how you used to like darker colors, but your jewelry is so colorful! What made you go towards more color, and create jewelry with so many different colors?
KS: Back in school, I was comparing myself too much to my classmates that were really good at it so I was stuck in a shell of fear. I didn’t really use many colors in my design and only focused on the construction. When I moved here, I was thinking a lot of what I could do, maybe I could be a textile or surface pattern designer. In my opinion, a good designer should be able to work with any color, which was my weak point in school. So I made it a goal of mine to become better at colors. I started to experiment with colors a lot to see what looked good together and it was not just about what colors but it’s also about balancing and harmony. So the more I do, the more I am more open to fun and playful colors and I see the world differently since then.

Polymer Clay earrings made by Kira of Studio Choo11

MVM: So being in the second year of your business, how has it been going?

KS: It has been wonderful. I didn't expect it to grow this fast at all. My husband and a business advisor told me that Maine is a good place to start a small business. I started in July 2020, and in the summer of 2021 someone who happened to follow me on Instagram reached out to me and asked if I wanted to be in her pop-up shop in downtown Portland, so of course I said yes. From there, it was like a turning point. They sold incredibly well there, it blew my mind. I also made some new connections there as well.

MVM: What is the name of your friend’s shop?

KS: My friend Madison Poitrast-Upton owns Loquat, on Exchange Street in Portland. She and her partner Jordan Carey started it.

MVM: Yes!! I know Loquat! It seems that once you decide what you want to do and you find your thing the universe guides you in the right direction. It opens up all these doors and things seem to fall into place sometimes.

KS: Yes, I think so. It’s fascinating. It changed my life.

MVM: When you think about being a woman-owned business, what does that mean to you? How does that feel?

KS: I am inspired whenever I look up at of my favorite woman-owned businesses. I am a woman and I believe in women. We have to know what we are good at and, more importantly, what we are not good at, and reach out for advice and help. I have met a lot of woman-owned business friends and we have been a great support to each other. This really is a beautiful power. I also have my husband keep telling me to be proud of what I do, and he is so proud that I am a woman-owned business in a country that isn’t where I was born and raised and English isn’t my first language. My key to living is to keep learning and keep doing, take one step at a time and allow myself to make mistakes, I have been happy with this journey so far. I love Studio Choo11, it really defines who I am as a designer and solopreneur. It feels surreal to think that I make every product I sell from these two hands!

MVM: Yes, owning a business can feel surreal sometimes, but it is so great. I’m curious, where does Choo11 come from?
KS: When I started, I knew I wanted ‘11’ in my name because my birthday is 1/1 and the 11 looks like a pair of earrings from the side. I wanted a word to go with the numbers and thought a lot about what to use. Then I ended up using part of my dog's name ‘Mooshoo’ lol. I changed the spelling from Shoo to Choo and made the ‘C’ look like an earring. I designed the logo a year before I started making jewelry. I thought I would change it once I have a better name but after sketched up the logo, I love it so much so Choo11 has been the name ever since.

MVM: That's a great story and we love the meaningful name!

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