The Geek Fashion Tale behind Hero Within

Photo credit: Tony Kim/Hero Within

By Tony Kim

From my earliest memories, I was a total geek. From Star Wars to Star Trek to DC Comics, my world was spent focusing on galaxies far, far away. Now as an adult, not much has changed. The biggest challenge in ‘adulting’ has been reflecting my fandom in appropriate ways. The corporate world has not always been accepting of geek fashion so I set out to solve this dilemma with a line that could be subtle, sophisticated, and bold. I tested the first prototype at different comic-cons in 2015 and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. In 2016, I ended up getting laid off from my marketing job and decided it was the perfect time to launch Hero Within! That year at San Diego Comic-Con, my new collection launched.

While my background is not specifically in fashion, I have been a designer, art director, and an interior designer over the years. I did consider a career in fashion when I was younger so to re-engage that dream has been so exciting. I am still learning so much about the industry and feel challenged every day. I have always been fascinated with fashion and fandom. I love creating styles that empower fans and help them be proud of representing what they love.

The past two and a half years have been a roller coaster ride! Last year, we traveled to 14 comic cons and we have even more scheduled for this year. This past March we announced our Marvel license and our new collection arrived this past fall. Designing something that I love for a community that I love has been a dream come true. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. It’s 25 hours a day, eight days a week, while burning the candle on all three ends—but it’s worth every moment.

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