Akemi + Kin® is an innovative women’s fashion brand offering stylish, high-quality dresses and clothing. Founded in 2015 by sisters Akemi and Kinuko, our mission is to empower women to feel confident and express their unique sense of style.
Located in Los Angeles, California, Akemi + Kin® was born out of our shared love for fashion, art, and culture. As first-generation Japanese Americans, we also draw inspiration from our heritage and aim to blend eastern and western influences into wearable yet contemporary pieces.
Our Story
Growing up, Akemi and Kinuko always shared a passion for style and creativity. Akemi, the older sister, loved sketching clothing designs and had an eye for pulling together interesting outfit combinations from a young age. Kinuko brought her artistic talents to the table by illustrating Akemi’s visionary fashion concepts.
In high school and college, the sisters started making and selling their own handmade accessories and clothing as a side hobby. The positive feedback from friends and customers made them realize they were onto something special.
After graduating, Akemi and Kinuko decided to turn their lifelong love of fashion into a business. They began developing Akemi + Kin® by creating small collections of dresses and separates. With Akemi focusing on design and Kinuko handling branding and marketing, they organically grew the company through online and pop-up sales.
In 2015, the sisters officially launched the Akemi + Kin® website and opened a small retail storefront in LA. Within two years, the brand’s unique blend of everyday wearability and standout details gained a cult following. Akemi + Kin® pieces appeared in major fashion magazines and were spotted on top influencers.
Today, the Akemi + Kin® brand offers an array of dresses, tops, bottoms, sets, jackets, and accessories. We now have a robust online store as well as retail locations in LA, New York, and Tokyo. Our collections are carried by over 100 boutique partners worldwide.
Akemi continues leading our design team in LA, while Kinuko oversees visual branding and e-commerce from our NYC headquarters. We take pride in being a female-founded and led company.
Our Design Philosophy
The Akemi + Kin® design philosophy balances beauty, versatility, and creativity. Our goal is to make dresses and separates that are wearable yet conversation-starting, effortless yet put-together.
We design for the modern woman who wants her clothes to seamlessly fit into her lifestyle. She seeks out pieces that transition from work to play, casual Fridays to date nights. Multifunctionality is important—our designs adapt to the needs of our customer rather than constrain her.
Akemi + Kin® is influenced by our founders’ Japanese heritage and California roots. Clean silhouettes, artistic prints, delicate details, and neutral palettes evoke Japanese minimalism and West Coast ease. We blend natural fabrics like silk and cotton with high-quality synthetics for both comfort and performance.
While our everyday pieces are subtly eye-catching, our statement styles make bold fashion declarations. Unique textures, sculptural shapes, and vivid patterns allow our customer to stand out while feeling amazing.
Sustainability and ethical production are top priorities for us. We use eco-friendly fabrics and partner with manufacturers that provide fair wages and safe working conditions. Our pieces are crafted to last—buying quality over quantity is good for the environment and your closet.
Our Fabrics & Sourcing
Akemi + Kin® uses only the finest fabrics from around the world. From luxurious silk to organic cotton, we select textiles that drape beautifully, feel wonderful against the skin, and stand the test of time.
Many of our natural fiber fabrics like linen, silk, and cotton are sourced from Japan, building on our founders’ heritage. Japanese textiles are renowned for their meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail. For example, we source supima cotton from acclaimed mills with over a century of experience.
In addition to natural fibers, we also incorporate high-tech synthetic fabrics that offer performance benefits like stretch, moisture wicking, and shape retention. Italian mills provide us with advanced knits and spandex blends that move with the body.
Sustainability is always top of mind for us when choosing fabrics. We use eco-friendly textiles like Tencel and recycled polyester whenever possible. Many of our fabrics are OEKO-TEX certified free of harmful chemicals.
Akemi + Kin® clothing is ethically produced in Los Angeles, allowing for close oversight of manufacturing. We partner with family-owned cut & sew facilities where we can ensure fair labor practices. Our local production also reduces our carbon footprint.
Our Customers
The Akemi + Kin® woman is creative, independent, and confident in her own style. She embraces fashion as a means of self-expression and gravitates towards clothing with unique details and silhouettes.
Our customer appreciates quality craftsmanship and clothing that will stand the test of time. She invests in pieces that she will wear season after season, rather than fast fashion trends.
While we design for women of all ages, our core demographic is 20 and 30-something professionals and creatives. They lead busy, active lifestyles and need versatile clothing that transitions effortlessly from work to play.
Above all, the Akemi + Kin® woman seeks out pieces that make her look and feel amazing. Our flattering silhouettes, luxe fabrics, and thoughtful details give her the confidence to take on the world in style.
Giving Back
Giving back to the community is extremely important to us. Since day one, Akemi + Kin® has partnered with local and international nonprofits to help empower women and girls.
Our brand sponsors talented young fashion designers from underserved communities to attend fashion college through scholarships and mentorship programs.
We frequently collaborate on capsule collections with nonprofits that provide job training for human trafficking survivors and incarcerated women. Proceeds are donated to further their education and rehabilitation programs.
Akemi + Kin® also works with organizations that promote entrepreneurship and financial independence for women in developing countries. We have collaborated on fabric and jewelry lines handmade by artisan women’s collectives worldwide.
On a local level, we donate clothing and funding to shelters serving women and children in crisis situations like domestic violence and homelessness.
The Akemi + Kin® founders and team volunteer regularly at community charities focused on mentoring and empowering the next generation of young girls.
We believe that all women deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams. By partnering with impactful organizations worldwide, we hope to provide that helping hand.
Join Our Team
We’re always looking for talented, passionate people to join the Akemi + Kin® team. If you share our values of creativity, quality, and empowering women, we’d love to hear from you!
Here are some of the roles we typically hire for at our LA and NYC offices as well as remote positions:
- Fashion Designers – Create beautiful, innovative clothing and accessory collections
- Production & Sourcing Specialists – Oversee ethical, sustainable manufacturing
- Marketing Managers – Develop strategies to promote our brand and engage customers
- Visual Merchandisers – Creatively conceptualize store displays and photoshoots
- Customer Experience Specialists – Provide excellent customer service across channels
- E-Commerce Managers – Optimize our online store experience and operations
- Social Media Managers – Engage our brand community across social platforms
- Copywriters/Content Creators – Produce compelling web content, emails, blogs
- Photographers/Videographers – Capture our clothing, brand, and culture aesthetically
We’re passionate about cultivating an inclusive, welcoming environment where all our team members can thrive. If you feel you could contribute to the Akemi + Kin® mission, please visit our careers page to view open positions and apply!
We can’t wait for you to join our fashion family! Let’s spread beauty, creativity, and confidence to women worldwide.
