Just as everything has two sides, so too do our garments. Inspired by Asian parents—who might suggest that when you’re wiping a table, you should flip it over and use the other side—Jae launched his vintage store, Two Fold.
What captivates Jae most about vintage clothing is the history woven into each piece—the traces left behind by previous owners and the unique stories they carry. Through these garments, we can forge deeper connections with both people and their narratives.
Could you please share about what motivated you to curate your vintage store Two Fold?
Jae: When I was in college, I worked as a sushi chef at a restaurant and had lunch breaks between shifts. During those breaks, I would visit thrift stores to buy used clothes. There were many old clothes mixed in with new items. I didn’t know anything about vintage clothing back then, but I found myself drawn to garments that looked dirty, beaten up, and stained. Unlike most people who looked for clothes in good condition, I loved the ones that showed wear and tear.
I didn’t understand why at the time, but I began collecting those pieces. I found it fascinating to see how a garment changes and gains character as it’s worn, marked by fading and stains from previous wearers.
This sparked my interest in exploring vintage fashion further. I got involved in the vintage community, made friends, and connected with larger sellers. I learned a lot from them, which helped me develop my own taste. This journey deepened my understanding of cultural backgrounds, particularly my appreciation for British punk culture.
This passion for vintage fashion merged with my love for styling, leading me to create a brand called Twofold, which felt like a natural progression.
What inspired you to name your store “Two Fold”?
Jae: Twofold actually stems from this methodology. Coming from an Asian mother, she always told me to use both sides of a rag when wiping a table. If I wiped it once and threw it away, she would be mad at me—Asian parents are like that. She would say to use it, flip it over, and use the other side. That’s basically the idea behind Twofold.
If you think a bit deeper about how it relates to our values, when you wipe a dirty table with a cloth, one side gets soiled while the other side remains clean, right? Most people would wash it after one use, but it can be flipped and used again before washing. I think of clothing the same way. Instead of wearing your clothes once and throwing them away, you can flip them over and pass them on to someone else since they can be used again. This extends the life of the garments, right? So that’s the idea behind Twofold—giving garments another chance at life.
How do you curate the brands and items in your store?
Jae: I create the items in my store by being very aware of my personal style and my audience. When I buy items for my shop, I always ask myself, “If this clothing piece were in my shop, would I be happy to have it, or do I just want to sell it as quickly as possible?” If the answer is that I only want to sell it, then I won’t buy it. I don’t want to purchase items based solely on their value or popularity; I want to buy them for their look.
They have to fit my vision, and I consider the wear and tear of the garment. If it’s new or doesn’t resonate with me, I’m not interested. This reflects what I value most in a garment.
Are there any particular trends or styles from the past such as 50s-70s that you’re seeing make a comeback today?
Jae: I definitely feel that most styles from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s have already been in fashion over the past couple of years. Styles like ’50s workwear and ’70s hippie fashion have been trending recently, so I don’t think they will continue to dominate. However, as you can probably tell, the 2000s Y2K style is a big trend right now.
In my opinion, this trend will remain strong until next year. Even though it has been popular, new niches within the 2000s Y2K trend are emerging.
For example, I used to get a lot of 2000s pieces, and people would say, “That’s too new; it’s not even vintage.” After all, it’s only been about 15 or 20 years, so it doesn’t really qualify as vintage. But lately, I’ve been sourcing pieces from 2010 and 2011 that are really faded and worn, and people actually like them. There’s a growing openness to transitioning from 2000s to 2010s styles, and I think some trends from 2010 are going to start emerging.
Nana: I completely agree with you that Y2K style is also blooming in Japan right now. Many female brands from Korea are really featuring Y2K aesthetics. With trends like tech fashion emerging in Asia, we’re currently experiencing significant growth.
60% aims to be pioneers rather than simply following trends; we want to bring in new styles. We try to naturally sense which brands are gaining popularity in Asia at the moment.
What lifestyle or message do you hope to convey to your customers through their experience at Two Fold?
Jae: I think the biggest message I’ve always tried to convey is that I hope our customers can understand and embrace the wear and tear of garments. The truth is, thousands of pieces of clothing get worn, torn, faded, and then thrown away, ending up in landfills.
People are producing many great garments, but they are also overconsuming and overlooking the vintage side of things. I hope they can embrace this perspective and see small wear and tear not as flaws or damages but as signs of beauty.
These characteristics are something I’m passionate about. Some people make fun of vintage clothing, calling it “old” or “poor,” but I don’t think that’s a good mindset because it only fuels the overconsumption of new clothing. While I appreciate new designers and beautifully crafted pieces, I believe many people completely disregard vintage fashion for those reasons. I hope people become more understanding of stains and small rips.
What do you believe is the ultimate value of owning vintage clothing, and what do you find most charming about it?
Jae: What I find most charming about vintage clothing is that everything has its own story and life. Even something as simple as a vintage blank T-shirt can tell many stories. For example, the T-shirt I’m wearing is just a black blank shirt from the ’80s, and it has a little neck rip. I actually created this rip myself at a party; one of my friends pointed it out, and I thought it looked cool.
Back in the ’70s, at punk shows, people often wore ripped T-shirts as part of the culture—there were holes everywhere because they would punch each other and get into the spirit of the events. A simple T-shirt can hold so much history. Sometimes I get shirts from older people; for instance, a 60-year-old man once told me about this little hole in his shirt from when a buddy punched him at a show in the ’70s. He still cherishes that shirt and gave it to our store, and I love sharing that story with my customers.
It’s more about the connection between people; it’s beyond just the clothes.
Jae: It’s always beyond the clothes. Even with customers, when I interact with them, it’s not just about selling things. I like to learn about what they enjoy and their activities. If they like swimming, I might show them a vintage swimming team piece. If they’re into Ford trucks, I’ll bring a vintage Ford hat. This way, I get to learn about their lives too. It’s really more about the connection, and that’s what’s great about vintage.
What have been the biggest challenges in building your store in LA?
Jae: I think the biggest thing was honestly the process of getting to LA. It’s something I had been planning for the last four years. There’s a lot of competition in this big industry, and I wanted to build my brand as strong as possible in my hometown of Sacramento. By the time I felt confident enough to bring the store to LA, I already had my audience and community with me.
So, I think the hardest challenge was building it in my hometown and then bringing it to LA.
Do you have any advice for our readers who are seeking to find a way to start their own store or career in the fashion industry?
Jae: I believe that how you do one thing is how you do everything.
If you want to grow as a creative and build a career in the fashion industry, it’s important to focus on your personal growth, not just your creative development for your business.
Whether it’s establishing a solid work routine, learning a new craft, surrounding yourself with inspiring people, or taking care of your personal health, I think it all reflects in the work you do. It will translate into your creative output. So, I believe self-growth is the most important.
How you do one thing is how you do everything.
