Blogs by Allison

"When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow" - Shauna Niequist 16th birthdays are usually celebrated as a “coming of age” and that really resonated with me. As the team and I discussed what collection would come out and how we’d celebrate our 16th “Alliversary,” I realized it was an opportunity to step into a new outlook. The brand's “coming of age” is also happening as we grow, explore, and really hone in on our purpose and what the core of this business is supposed to be.  This year’s challenges and moments of growth have given me a fresh perspective on moving forward. I shared this visual with the team, and it really resonated with all of us. Instead of focusing on the daunting valley ahead, I’ve chosen to look up and recognize that I’m standing at the base of a new mountain. While the journey may seem intimidating, I’m grateful for how far I’ve come and equally excited for all that’s still to be discovered. I’m hopeful that these lessons have strengthened me to not only survive but thrive in the journeys ahead. "What you do is only ever as good as why you do it". Through all the growing pains, I’ve been reminded of the WHY behind my business. For a time, I lost sight of it, getting caught up in the WHAT and the HOW. But the WHY is my guiding force — my North Star — and it keeps me rooted in my intention: giving women the opportunity to feel good about themselves, to feel beautiful, powerful, relevant, and valuable. As I’ve aged, and especially after having kids, my body changed and continues to do so. I initially set out to design clothes that would ‘hide’ the areas I didn’t like. But as I evolved, I realized the purpose of clothing isn’t to mask or conceal. My purpose isn’t to change society’s viewpoint on women’s bodies. My purpose is to shift my own mindset, freeing myself from the limitations society imposes. That's what I want this brand to stand for: a guidepost for all of us. That we truly are perfectly, wonderfully, amazing AS WE ARE. That’s the reality I’m choosing to weave into the fabric of my brand.    That’s what clothing and confidence can do — help you see yourself clearly, to recognize your unique beauty. This is the WHY behind this business: to help us all, myself included, feel relevant in this world. To feel special enough to dress up, even if it’s just to go to market. To wear what you like because it feels good to you and not for anyone else. To know that we’re special and beautiful, and to live our lives for ourselves and our own joy. So as we celebrate our 16th anniversary, I'm also redefining my purpose - to heal through clothing. It's something I've been too timid to express, until now. By acknowledging my own wounds, I can channel my creativity and voice into healing. I openly embrace the healing that fashion and life's journey offers me, and I hope you will too. Because we all deserve to feel seen, heard, and valued in every aspect of our lives — to look in the mirror and see ourselves as beautiful AND amazing. -Allison 

It’s Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and I was thinking about what it means to me . . . It takes me back to a moment when I was walking through the Japanese American Museum in Los Angeles and I read a quote that said, “We are our ancestors' wildest dreams” - I got chicken skin reading it. It was on a huge board of quotes and for some reason my eyes went straight to this one and it’s stayed with me ever since . . .  This month and that quote makes me think about my grandparents - did they have dreams and aspirations? And if they did, could I somehow help to fulfill the ones they didn’t achieve in my lifetime?  My grandpa was a fine artist and made his living as a graphic artist - back in the day when typography and logos were drawn by hand. My grandpa could write and draw anything. At our Christmas parties, we’d always play a game where he would draw famous logos (without the names) and we’d all have to guess the company. I remember how he could recreate any logo - Pepsi, Coke, Hawaiian Airlines, anything. My sister and I would sit for hours trying to re-create and copy what grandpa did. While my sister went on to become an art teacher and artist herself, I wasn’t as gifted with pen and paper. I didn't find my creative passion until later when I decided to go to school for fashion design. I was fortunate enough to have shared this part of my life with my grandpa before he passed away. There were some crossing over points in our lives that brought us closer in the last chapters of his life. I went to design school in New York City and I think this made him very proud as he also went to NYC to go to design school.  He never got to experience or know the brand that I eventually created - Allison Izu. But he was around when I started and was dabbling with vintage obi belts, kimono fabric, and muumuus. He saw one of my designs where I put a Tsuru (crane in Japanese) on the back of a tank top. It must’ve stirred something within him. Soon after, he handed me a few papers of his art. It had sketches of clothing designs with kanji and drawings of his art.  I still have these papers, it’s a direct connection to the impact he’s had on my life. It was like a personal letter that he wrote just to me, for only me, filled with love. This memory still brings tears to my eyes. I’m literally bawling as I’m typing this. And whenever I feel like I want to give up or I can't find it within me to muster up the strength - I pull these papers out to remind myself that his spirit is always with me.  The groundwork that our ancestors laid down for us is important to remember. Not because we need to give up our lives to live theirs, but because we should honor the struggles and sacrifices they went through to give us the opportunities we have today. I realize that it’s a way of connecting his legacy of graphic art to my passion for fashion design. Those drawings, my memories with him - I keep close to my heart. Keeping his creative spirit alive through me. As we celebrate AAPI month, I honor my grandparents on both sides of my family, for their strength, for their resiliency and for their bravery to live their lives. I can only hope to fulfill their wildest dreams . . . -Allison

This year's theme for International Womens month is INSPIRE INCLUSION - “When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.” And we totally agree . . . (​​https://www.internationalwomensday.com/) When I think about why these “honorary months” are created - it makes me so grateful for the women who’ve paved the way. I think there’s a lot that can be said about women’s rights, the inequality we faced and still face today. The fact that we have a month dedicated to celebrating our accomplishments is a sign that we aren’t celebrated enough in our day to day.  So as we head into March, I hope we celebrate our achievements, raise awareness about ALL discrimination, and create the inclusion humanity needs. I’d like to use this month as a reminder to celebrate our accomplishments every time they happen. Not just once a year.  At Allison Izu, we’re fortunate to be supported by a team of all women. It’s not that a man could never work here, but as we build our team, we focus on candidates who want to champion this brand and already live out our 4 pillars in their own lives.  And as a mom, business owner, and designer, I feel a responsibility to create a different norm for women. I want to design for people who’ve felt outside, felt unseen, and under-celebrated. To create a space where we feel supported and so we can go out in the world and empower someone else. Because I truly believe when we feel good, we do good. So let’s use March as the launching point to celebrate women and celebrate you! I’d love to hear your stories and accomplishments and hope you’ll share them with us. Send us an email or DM us on IG with your stories (and photos) so we can share them with our community. That’s how we want to celebrate and live out our 4 pillars - to empower, to connect, to accept and to live vibrantly. That’s what I want for myself, for you and for my children.  HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MONTH - Let’s get into the habit of celebrating women (and ourselves) everyday! -Allison  Share your stories! Choose a question below and send us your story. PS: We’d love a photo of you in your favorite Allison Izu outfit so we can feature it on our social media.  QUESTIONS: Have you ever been the victim of discrimination for being a woman, or the “other” Share an accomplishment of your life. It can be personal, professional or emotional. Do you have a story of inclusion - where someone extended inclusion to you or you to someone else? What is one piece of advice you would pass onto another woman in your field to support her or encourage her? Share a story of feeling unseen or unheard in your life.

I was talking to some friends the other day and we were discussing age - how we feel vs. what the year says we are. I’m currently 47 but I still feel like I did when I was 36. I say 36 because it was that “middle ground” for me, where I felt mature and youthful. And I still feel that way today. A good balance of fun-loving, kinda crazy, youthful, and vibrant.  My physical body has changed and I’ve grown emotionally and spiritually - all signs that I’m not actually 36 anymore, but my spirit and my mind are still there. The youthfulness I feel hasn’t reduced as my age increased.  It's only our outward appearance that “gives us away.” So why do we prevent ourselves from acting like our younger selves?  Maybe I can't take tequila shots the way I used to (nor do I want to) or binge on Taco Bell late at night and not gain a pound. But when it comes to how I decide to live, I can still be the same vibrant human being that I was when I was 36.  Fashion is a physical representation of who we are and can express how we feel in the moment. And I think it allows us to get closer to how we feel inside. So if I’m feeling extra youthful that day, I can dress to match that feeling. I hear so many customers saying “I shouldn't wear tank tops, I can’t show my bra straps, or wear sneakers with a dress” - all because they’re “too old” for that. But who made up these rules? And why do we listen to them?  Every time I hear these “rules,” I’m reminded why I design clothes. It’s to help change our mindset, give us permission to not listen to these made up rules. And to wear what we want, just because. Fashion has the ability to make you feel more confident. Like when I have customers try on pants and a top that fits them well, I can see their posture and mood change instantly. It’s one of my favorite things to witness when I’m in the Showroom - to see someone look at themselves in the mirror and truly like what they see! And when I design each piece - this is the goal. I want you to feel confident, vibrant, youthful, and maybe even a little rebellious. That’s what I think will keep us joyful and engaged with life. Pushing the boundaries of our personal style and trying new things. It’s not about becoming a different person - it’s about letting go of all the “nos” or “cannots” in your head and allowing yourself to show up as that youthful, vibrant woman you deserve to be.   That’s the WHY behind my designs for 2024. To push my own boundaries of design and challenge myself (and you) to try new things. We’re gonna add a little spice to our life. Like new designs that allow my edgier, avant-garde side to come out more. New colors and fabric textures too. And hopefully that’ll push you to step outside of your comfort zone I’ll be here with you. Encouraging you to try a wide-leg pant this year or something a little more fitted on the top. I’m giving you permission to wear a sleeveless top or try the half tuck I swear by. We’re gonna wear a color you ‘never thought you could’ and push the boundaries out of the safe zone a little. Together, we’ll see how that one choice can shift the way we feel about yourself. We’re gonna have fun and see what we can explore in 2024! 

Every year, right when December starts, I feel a sense of anxiousness wash over me. Did I do enough? Is there anything left that I need to do this year? Am I ready for the new year? But this year was different. . . I’m shocked that I feel a sense of calm.   In 2023, I was practicing Surrender. If you haven’t read “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer - I recommend it. This book taught me what true Surrender felt like and what it means.  I’ve always been a “forceful” person - I can make things happen through sheer will and determination.  I used to think this was my “gift,” something to be proud of. But as I go through life, I realize that I’m creating more problems than solutions for myself. I’ve held onto things with a white knuckle grip that would suffocate whatever I couldn’t let go. And in the end, I’d create more pain for myself than anything else.  I could also force things into my life that weren’t meant for me, just because I selfishly wanted it. It was rare that I could allow things to happen FOR me.  But through many lessons throughout this year, I’ve learned to Surrender. I was talking to a friend about this and we were talking about working hard and giving it 100%. I still think we’re meant to work towards a goal, or excellence in our lives, but the difference is to find peace in knowing that we did all we can, even when our mind is still racing and feels like we haven’t. I now know I need to release it to the Universe. Like when you go into a project or task and you’ve turned in all of the work, done all you’ve can - that’s where we should leave it and pat ourselves on the back. Say “great job, I did what I could to the best of my abilities in that moment.” No more tossing and turning at night wondering what else I could’ve done. Or criticizing what you did or trying to answer the “what ifs.” It’s in these moments where we should let it go and be in a state of surrender and gratitude for what is. So I’m continuing to work on building my Surrender practice. To trust in my creativity, my inspiration, do the work, and then SURRENDER. To give myself the praise that I did all I could do because it’s out of my hands. Realizing that I can no longer force things to happen, I can no longer take control of everything because that isn’t “my job” anymore. As we close this chapter of 2023, I’m left with a sense of peace, joy, and gratefulness. For all that I’ve learned and all that I’ve received. I’m giving myself a pat on the back and taking in all the blissful moments that were gifted to me.  I can't say it enough, but I’m eternally grateful to you for your support of me. Grateful that I can wake up everyday, supported by an amazing community of women. I’m so grateful for my family, my team and for you. Thank you for allowing me to show up flawed and bruised, as you watch me stumble, make mistakes and figure it all out. THANK YOU for staying by my side and being my biggest cheerleader! The words don’t ever seem enough for the fulfillment that you give to my life. But humbly, it's all I can offer . . . THANK YOU!  I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and wonderful new year. I hope you’re excited for what 2024 has to offer. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you next year.  Much love, light and bliss!  XOXO, Allison 

The longer we live, the more beautiful life becomes. I think aging gets a bad rap, especially for women. It’s like society doesn't value our novelty after a certain age. I find it a little sad that as men age, they gain more prestige, they appear to have more knowledge, they become “experienced”, they become mentors and experts in their field. While women’s value seems to be more attached to our physical appearance than our knowledge or experience. We’ve been raised in a society that, still to this day, only gives women “air time” when we’re young and beautiful. We rarely see women over the age of 50 in magazines, in movies (as the leading lady, and not the “mom”) or even in board rooms. It’s as if our value decreases as men's increase.  And because of this disparity, we obsess over beauty products or undergo procedures to make us look 10 years younger. I admit that I sometimes stare at my face in the mirror and wonder where the taut, fuller face of my 30 year old self went. When did I buy into all of it and only focus on my physical appearance? Why am I telling myself this false narrative about my aging? And why can’t I replace this narrative with all that I’ve accomplished? Maybe that’s my lesson and resolution for my birthday. Every time I say something negative about my loose skin or a new set of wrinkles and age spots - I’ll need to say three nice things about myself. And slowly I’ll be able to undo the programming in my head about aging.  Isn’t that what we’re trying to work towards?  Positive change. Righting the “wrongs” of our lineage and this patriarchal society, to improve the lives for ourselves and our children?  That positive change starts with us. It’s not enough to just tell my daughter, I have to teach her through doing and showing her how I’m proud of myself and how much I value myself. So my promise to myself is every time I find myself counting the lines on my neck or wishing my age spots on my face and neck would stop multiplying - I will stop, and then replace them with three positive ones. That is my birthday wish for you too . . . To not just stop saying the negative things to yourself, but replace them with positive ones.  Can you imagine how this will change the trajectory of our lives? Maybe create a new societal norm for our children? I think it will make us love our age more, appreciate our wisdom and experience (even if our society won’t) and it’ll allow us to create a supportive community for other women. I’m so ready for this . . . what about you? - Allison

In this video, Allison thanks you all for your unwavering support throughout the years.

In this video Allison shares how important it is to give yourself permission to stand firm in your own light, radiate confidence, expand into the space you deserve, and boldly claim your worth.

So many of you reached out after I shared my last blog “As we age…” that it got me thinking… How many of us really feel this way? I did a little research and the results I found were astonishing! Did you know that 98% of girls feel there is an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way (National Report on Self Esteem)?  That’s almost every single girl in the United States!  That statistic is way too high in my opinion and it left me thinking ‘how can we change that?’ As a mother of a daughter myself, I’m left baffled to assume that no matter what I do, Olive will feel pressured to look a certain way. She’s already shown signs of this - worrying about her skin and the pimples that are popping up here and there. She watches skincare videos on Youtube where girls have flawless skin. We’ve tried everything but I keep telling her that it's a process and her body is figuring it out. I also see insecurity seeping in when we go shopping. She tells me that she’s self-conscious when she shops with her friends and feels like people are judging her when she walks in a store. When I looked at research, I found that 20% of women felt judged by a salesperson.  And another 43% of women gave up and left a store because they felt defeated. Mind blown!  Although I can’t change every store and the experiences my daughter has, I can create a safe space to shop with no judgment for you. As an owner of a clothing store, I figured I could tackle some of this by making it my priority to figure out how we can improve this.  I think if we can start with something simple, like creating a comfortable and supportive shopping experience, maybe we can then take on the bigger issues of insecurity. I ask myself, how I can make sure that our space feels supportive and the designs I create to compliment that. For one, I work to hire a team of women who are warm, vulnerable and supportive. Yes - they’re usually on the young side, but what I love about them is that they can connect to my own deeper purpose, they get it. And we work on educating ourselves about different body types, silhouettes, and how to utilize different styles to get the best look for your body.  And as a designer, I’m working to create a brand that stands for more than just beautiful clothing. I’ve been trying to focus on designing for you, for women at any age, size or height - so we can feel beautiful at every stage of life. I don't think because we age, we need to give up looking/feeling beautiful, cool or fashionable. It’s our right to feel good in our skin, in our bodies and in our clothing. That’s why I love hearing from you, especially when you try new styles. I love hearing your feedback, making edits, and releasing them to see if you like the end result.  We’re constantly improving styles and editing them - to make them better for you. It’s why the Marketing Team makes it a priority to feature our clothing on “real women,” customers like you, peers and friends. We want there to be a body type you can relate to and connect with.  I don't want to add to these negative statistics. I don't want to become one of the many fashion brands that made us feel bad about ourselves. I’m taking one step at a time to create a space where we feel love and accepted for who we are, right now. As always, I love hearing from you! Leave a comment below or send us an email at shop@allisonizu.com.  love + light,  - Allison