An Interview with Marcus Kan of Ukamaku

An interview with Marcus Kan, fashion director of Canadian online store, Ukamaku.

A: Can you talk a bit about your role as Fashion Director at Ukamaku?

M: As a fashion director of Ukamaku, my main role is to look for Canadian designers who will be interested in selling their products on our site. I also try to connect the designers together so hopefully they can work together in the future. One of the best examples I have right now is the Rachel Sin x Gardé Del Avante runway show which you will see it during |FAT| this year.

A: I've attended one of your events at The Drake Hotel and all of the designers whose pieces were on display were present. What a great idea! How is this benefiting the designers?

M: When we do events such as the Ukamaku pop up shop you attended last month, we always encourage designers who participate to show up at the event. The reason behind this is because we want the designers to interact with the customers so they can grow their fan base through those events. Also, customers like to get advice from designers so this will be a good way for the customers to learn more about the designers.

A: Nine of your the designers who have pieces at Ukamaku will be presenting at Alternative Fashion Week..did you help them along the way?

M: Back in December, we sent out an email to the designers who were selling their items on Ukamaku and let them know about this opportunity. We helped them to send the application forms and after they were picked by |FAT|, we then partially sponsored them for their runway shows. I am very proud of the nine designers who will be showing their collections at |FAT| this year.

A: How do you decide what designers to incorporate into Ukamaku?

M: Usually when I see a designer’s collection, I will first look at the potential of the collection. What I am looking for is the special element, such as the design or the material the designer uses, that distinguishes the brand from the others. After that, I will present the collection to my colleagues and we will decide if the designer will fit our roster of designers. At this moment, I am very happy to have more than 30 designers on our site and each gives a different flavor to the Canadian fashion industry.

A: You have several different ventures on the go right now..how do you manage?

M: It is funny how you ask me this question as sometimes I do question myself too. I believe is all about time management and I always have to remember what are my priorities. I do believe you have to work hard to achieve your ultimate goal and also passion is a very important element that motivates you to work. There is never an overnight success case but if you keep working hard, one day you will earn more than you can imagine. Remember, always be kind to people as this will help you to break a lot of road blocks in the future.

Some of the designers that will be presenting at |FAT|