In April 20017, Atsuyo Yang & Akiko Mukae created their brand Atelier Atsuyo et Akiko. A brand that is dear to Pirouette. Their gorgeous cotton tees and tutus with vibrant glitter and sequins, their “so kawai” necklaces & accessories are iconic. 

In talk with Akiko…

10 years…what does this mean for you ? We are proud of what we are doing for 10 years also being mother and operating our brand together

How many kids do you have? Between us we have 4 girls, from 3 to 18. Their names : Rio, Jude, Sora Akizuki and Charlotte Hiyori

What products do you offer under the name Atelier Atsuyo et Akiko? A selection of children’s and women’s clothing, home décor, bags, accessories and jewelry for everyday use.  We love screen-printed images that bring illustration to ordinary everyday items that tell a story.

From Brooklyn to the world…where is the brand available? We have worked with about 400 wholesale customers all over the world in 40 countries past 10 years.

How did you two meet? We met at English curriculum at NYU

What inspired you to launch the brand ? We didn’t see many handmade brand that operate locally and we strongly felt that we can trend set what we do.

What was the most glorious moment of your adventure so far? Disney collaboration was absolute adventure. Also we had so much fun going to Tokyo for the trade show.

The most incredible store that you cater? Abc carpet & home (Manhattan, NY).

What does a typical day of your week looks like? Atsuyo- drop off kids to school, come to studio and leave to pick up kids. Akiko-working with  little one in the morning from home, drop off at nanny’s, come to studio and leave to pick up little one.

Being young moms + travelling abroad to trade shows can be a hard job; whats the longest you’ve gone away from home? The longest I spent without my children and away from home is 2 weeks.

Do you live far from each other? We live very close. My place is still the head quarter of atsuyo et akiko in Fort Greene and Atsuyo is in Dumbo. Our studio is in Brooklyn Navyyard, located between 2 of us. Very convenient.

What can you see from your studio window? Brooklyn with big sky.

Do you spend a lot of time together, outside of work? Yes, we often hang out outside of work, with husband and friends.

Does the work + family life + travel leave time for cinema? If so what’s the last movie you saw and loved? Your Name (Japanese anime).

Do you ever think of moving out of New York? I never thought about moving out from NY but recently, I have a fantasy of living in upstate New York….

What are your plans for the future of Atelier Atsuyo et Akiko?  We would like to create more jewelry for women.

Brand Profile company-profile-atsuyo-et-akiko/

atelieratsuyoetakiko.com

 

Atsuyo et Akiko