Jenny Wang, Founder of Petite Studio; Female Founder Series

In honor of Lunar New Year, we are excited to interview Jenny Wang. Jenny is the Founder of Petite Studio, high-fashion clothing company for petites. We love how she is changing the landscape for petite shoppers everywhere, while pioneering the slow fashion movement. 

Ally Shoes: Tell us more about yourself and how you founded Petite Studio?

Jenny: I was born and raised in small town in Zhejiang, China and moved to United States to pursue a Master’s Degree at NYU when I turned 23.  I always envisioned myself working in fashion in New York but always just kinda assumed it was a pipe dream that would never come true. Being a petite shopper in New York, I experienced all the short girl problems the petites everywhere experience – walking into my favorite stores and trying on clothes that looked great on the mannequin and then looked massive on me (the sleeves are too long and the pants / dresses are dragging on the floor).  As I did more research and talked to other petite shoppers, I realized that there are a lot of petite women like me out there who have trouble finding clothing that is chic and fun and that actually fits their petite frame. This is really the problem I sought out to solve with Petite Studio - to offer that special care and attention that petite shoppers haven’t ever gotten from traditional retailers. 

Ally Shoes: Why should a customer purchase from Petite Studio when many brands are offering petite options.

Jenny: At Petite Studio our mission is to make investment pieces that last through the years, that are designed just for petites. Our collections are high-fashion, so we really try to make fun, chic pieces that are not just your boring every day options.  My core team at Petite Studio was all really tired of the fast fashion cycle where you buy a garment and wear it for a season only to have it falling apart 6 months later.  We decided we would make investment pieces that cost a little bit more but that would really last in your wardrobe for years to come.  Our whole product is based around that idea, and we even include special care instructions with each of our packages. Fun, chic, high-fashion pieces designed for petites that last you through the years.

In terms of our production process, we pursue Slow Fashion principles at each stage – from looking for sustainable fabrics, to watching very closely the working conditions in each of our production facilities, to taking our time building our garments.  Our whole process is designed to build a better garment and minimize the human cost. 

Ally Shoes: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as an entrepreneur?

Jenny: Don’t be afraid to try new things and also that real world experience is where the real learning starts.  There’re always new problems and new challenges that don’t have easy solutions you can find in textbooks.  The key is really to be open minded and be able to try new channels or new products, test the market and pivot quickly.  Entrepreneurs should not dwell in their own wonderland thinking that they always have the right answer. We always need to be willing to listen to our customers and admit our mistakes, so we can learn and pivot quickly. 

Ally Shoes: Who has been your biggest ally in life or business.

Jenny: My husband is my best life partner and business partner.  We have very different personalities;  he is a deep thinker and he is more patient and introverted while I’m a natural doer - always on the go and rushing to my next projects.  We are a very good match as we compromise for each other very well and give each other perspectives on the world that neither of us would have considered alone.

Ally Shoes: Since it's the celebration of Lunar New Year, what does it mean to you to celebrate Chinese new year? Any special foods you eat or customs that you follower with the holiday?

Jenny: Without watching lunar new year festival on TV, my lunar new year celebration is not complete!  I love watching the festival - it’s the tradition that bonds me with my root.  I also love eating hot pot on lunar new year eve.  And of course for me the food is what makes an experience! To me, hot pot is the simplest yet yummiest dish to eat when you want something nice but too lazy to cook.