Nyob Zoo!
My name is Nhia Xiong, Creator and owner of MadebyNhia (MBN). I started MBN with the inspiration of my two little boys, Brayden and Emmitt. Before my little family, I was a photographer. I did photography professionally for 6 years and loved creating content, but shortly after having my oldest, I soon realized the life as a photographer was not fitting with my lifestyle. Photography started to feel like a chore. Soon after, I loss the passion for a career that I enjoyed for so many years.
For many months, I did a lot of soul searching. I had many ideas and talked it through with my husband, but nothing clicked. But, there was always one consistent idea throughout my soul searching, my boys! They were the reason why I wanted to
continue to explore my creativity and started branching into owning my own shop. This is when MBN was created.
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Growing up, my uncle owned an Asian/Hmong store off Maryland Ave in Saint Paul, MN. This was before Hmong Village existed and we were only able to get traditional Hmong clothes once a year and that was at the Hmong New Year. I vividly remember going to his store 2-3 times a week and it was my family's hangout spot throughout the week, especially on the weekends. I remembered loving the idea of being an entrepreneur and essentially setting my own hours. So, I went into creating MBN with one thought. And that was that I wanted Hmong inspired ready-wear. I also knew I love being immersed in the Hmong community and it has always been a big part of my identity.
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There are so many talented artist who have created many versions of our traditional Hmong clothing, which has been a new addiction of mine since the pandemic. If you guessed it, yes! I was one of those who would stay up until 3 in the morning, trying to claim Hmong clothes. But, I wanted to create modern day clothing with subtle Hmong inspired designs. And, I wanted to start with designing clothes for my boys. They continue to inspire and encourage me to be a better version of myself. So, I started reflecting on what I loved seeing my boys in when they were babies and into their toddler years. And it clicked! We love lazy weekend where we get to lounge in our pajamas and watch Cocomelon and Pinkfong on Youtube. We love being comfortable in our stretchy and soft fabric that coated our bodies. We loved the thinness of the fabric, which kept us warm, but was breathable at the same time! MBN's mission is to create comfortable and Hmong Inspired lounge wear for its' audience! We will start with babies and toddlers and some women wear. Our long-term plan is to be able to cater to all audiences and produce lounge wear with a creative Hmong twist so all people.
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I hope that you find the love and heart that was poured into these products because I truly mean it when I say, I put so much work, love, and passion into my production.​ I want to thank you so much for spending the time getting to know me. I look forward to meeting you soon!