“Angie Myung is the Creative Director at Poketo and oversees all curation of the site and store. It all started as a side project with her husband, but after a life-changing release party, all of their products completely sold out. Their business has grown into what is now two brick and mortar shops in popular spots in Los Angeles, including collaborations with artists and musicians.”
on her morning routine
Get up. Make coffee. Drink Coffee. Check email. Jump in the shower. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Put some stuff on face. Walk the dogs, and out the door.
on starting her business
Poketo began with one single product, the artist wallets back in 2003. We had an art show and as part of the show, we made something that everyone could afford, but with art on it. It was our friend's artwork made into a form of a wallet. The wallets completely sold out the night of the art show. We had so much fun that we kept making products with more artists, including apparel, housewares, and stationery.
In our early days, we worked with bands like Postal Service, The Shins, Weezer, and Arcade Fire. We got together some artists, and we designed the wallets that were sold at the bands' concerts. It was so much fun, and the musicians were totally stoked on the wallets too.
“Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro is a book that I picked up at the Copenhagen airport. It’s very emotional and heartbreaking. It’s about an older couple who started on a journey to look for their son. They come from a village where memories fade away so quickly that they don’t even remember what happened to their son and where they are. It’s about memory, loss of memory, and what’s real or made up. It’s an interesting read.”
on her style and aesthetic
I hardly ever go shopping. When I need something to wear, I get it from my own shop, Poketo. I think and breathe design and color for living. Poketo's aesthetic is all about colors that are bright and happy. My aesthetic in my personal life is really minimal. Our house is white with pops of color. I wear a lot of white and black, or the combination of two colors. I also don't own much. When you're surrounded by design all day long, the last thing you want to do is surround yourself with more colors and products when you come home.
on her beauty routine and recommendations
My beauty routine is pretty simple. I use what my mom buys for me, which is mostly Korean products. Since I'm Korean, I feel like it matches my skin better. In the morning, I just wash my face once. At night, I wash my face using two different products. First, with oil cleanser that takes off all my make up, and then with regular face wash. At morning and night, I use toner, lotion, and serum with sunblock, and I use Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening Foundation. It's like a sunblock and light foundation, but it's really light and I don't feel like I'm wearing makeup. I recommend IOPE Plant Stem Cell Skin Perfection Softener and Emulsion and IOPE Nutritious Anti-wrinkle Serum. Then I put on Laneige Eyeliner and Laneige Volume Setting Mascara.
on self-care rituals
I'm pretty lazy. I don't get my nails done and my hair is usually in a pony tail. I guess the one thing I do religiously is putting on sunblock even on a rainy day. The sun in Southern California is really strong. You need to wear sunblock even when it's cloudy.
angie's favorite books
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami, Winkreative Design Stories: A Global View on Branding, Design and Publishing by Camilla Belton, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
angie's favorite movies
When Harry Met Sally, Sweet Bean, Chungking Express, Eat Drink Man Woman
angie's favorite places
Civil Coffee is a new coffee shop and they serve really good coffee with some brunch options
Huarache Azteca in Highland Park is the best Mexican restaurant in this area
For shopping, Poketo Flagship in the Arts District, of course
Dress, ace and jig ; Shoes, Birkenstocks
─ Photography By Claire Donoghue