O: When did you know that you wanted to be a designer?

M: I started getting really interested in design when I was 16 years old. I had always liked drawing and doing crafty stuff, but when I was 16 my mom brought home a new G4 computer.  It was loaded with Illustrator and Photoshop, so I started messing around doing graphics and teaching myself those programs. A couple of years later, I started Yellow Toothpick – and started making iron on t-shirts with my graphics on them. At that time I also got into sewing and taught myself how to follow simple patterns. Crowded Teeth kind of grew out of that into what it is today.

O: What makes your collection unique?

M: I don’t even know if I am unique!  I guess what makes my collection unique is me - I’m kind of a weirdo. I just want to make things I like – even if they aren’t “cool.”  I guess I’m just lucky if people like what I’m doing. I think what makes my business unique is I have a total DIY spirit. I do almost everything for it, from design, to handling production, to packing orders to making phone calls, accounting, and web design!  I’m a busy gal.

O: What are you inspired by?

M: I get inspired by so much. My childhood had a strong influence in my designs.  I wasn’t brought up with a super strong or traditional Japanese upbringing, but my mom is Japanese, and growing up, my grandparents visited me every other summer. I always had weird snacks, books, toys and little snippets of culture thrown into my regular life. I like cute little things and love Hello Kitty and Licca dolls. I also had a very all American side of my childhood that included a lot of 80’s TV, and vintage furniture, packaging, electronics, and jewelry, (my grandma rarely threw anything out) and I think that influenced my taste and style in design.  I am also inspired by a ton of artists, some of my favorites right now are Ryan McGinness, Audrey Kawasaki, Beci Orpin, Mark Ryden, Junko Mizuno, Brendan Monroe, Saelee Oh, Souther Salazar, Kozyndan, Stephen Britt,  –  the list goes on forever. I am lucky I live in LA and am exposed to a lot of great art.

O: Design philosophy?

M: I think my design philosophy is just to make things I like. I have a day job that requires me to make just what is in style, and because of that, I have to design a lot of stuff I think is crap.  I’m not saying that my stuff is crazy deep or inaccessible, but I think there’s a certain amount of myself I put into my design. I also always want to be making something that is affordable – because that’s important to me. I like to make money like everyone else, but I think sometimes things are priced a little ridiculously. I don’t ever want to be the guy selling an $800 t-shirt that cost me $2.50 to produce.  I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a pretentious asshole  Maybe I’m a bad business person - I just draw things.

M: At this point? Anyone! I haven’t had a real life Crowded Teeth sighting ever.  I got lucky and dropped off my stuff at the set of the TV show Scrubs, and the costume designer liked my designs. So I get to see my t-shirts on the cast of Scrubs pretty often! I think from a nerdy standpoint I would like to see my designs on anyone from the cast of Mr. Show, or anyone I admire in the art community.  In the regular world – I wish that I would have nice people come up to me and say that my designs make them smile.

O: How did you go about selling your collection in stores?

M: I started off doing consignment with a few stores, and it kind of went from there.  I didn’t have any idea how to get into stores. I would just email random people and see if they liked me. I am the WORST salesperson ever. After a while, I started making catalogs and mailing them to stores I thought would be interested in my products. Occasionally people would contact me. It was hard, and I am not good at selling myself. This past February, I did the Pool Tradeshow in Vegas, and that got a huge number of stores interested in my line. Buyers are there just looking for new lines, and a lot of people seemed to like me. I got a great response and I am going to do the show again in August.

O: If you were to design a new product line to add to your current business, what would it be?

M: I really, really, really wanted to do jewelry this season – just simple metal cut out necklaces of my characters. But I couldn’t afford it this time around, and am just going to have a solid t-shirt line. If things progressed ideally, I would just make everything. I want to have a line as expansive as Sanrio or Paul Frank – from housewares to men’s clothing.

O: Can you talk a little bit about your 40-hour-a-week design job?

M: I work as a designer (my official title is Lead Graphic Designer and Specifications Manager – so fancy!) for a company that makes mostly junior’s apparel and accessories (think Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters). I do initial product designs and follow them through into production and do correspondence with China. It’s a small company that does a lot of business, so we are constantly working. It’s fun because I get to design new and different products every day. I can do jewelry one day and then work on bags and t-shirts the next day. It’s really stressful though because the design department only has three people, and we all have a lot of responsibility.  I used to think that designing for my day job and designing for my self was conflicting, but I’m hoping I am just a never ending fountain of ideas. I think I am capable of designing great things for both companies. They were upset with me for having my own line for awhile, but I would never stop doing Crowded Teeth for any one but me.

O: How has your style evolved over time?

M: I do care about what I wear, but not in the sense that I have to have the latest fashions or most expensive brands. I dress pretty casually all the time - t-shirts, tank tops, and jeans. I’ve always been a layer-er. I like simple things that fit my weird long torso correctly. I am a sucker for a hot pair of shoes. I think I dress like a lazy indie hipster.

O: If your house was burning down, and you could only keep one thing in your closet, what would you keep?

M: My diamond studded, solid gold sports bra. Just kidding. I don’t know. I can’t think of anything in my closet that I absolutely love. Everything in there is pretty replaceable. 

O: What clothes have you worn that you’re now ashamed of?

M: Oh so many! In high school I was really into Ska music and dressed like a “Rude Girl.” It was cute, but it seems almost like a costume to me now – and it was super uncomfortable. I used to wear a lot of men’s slacks that fit me poorly – why didn’t anyone tell me they made my legs look short and funny?  In 4th grade I used to donut my socks and wear these terrible pseudo-denim floral printed shorts that were awful. I wore sweatpants as actual pants until I was like 13.  More recently, I cut off some Levi’s slack/pants at the knee and they make me look like a pirate – they are pretty ridiculous and embarrassing but I wear them anyway.

O: Can you tell us how you came up with the name Crowded Teeth?

M: Everyone always asks if I actually had crowded teeth – but I didn’t. I never had to wear braces, and I have straight teeth. I got lucky. I came up with the name was while I was drawing a skull for some project.  I was describing it to someone and said it had “crowded teeth” – I liked the way it sounded, so I emailed my web host friend and had him buy me the domain. I just decided on a whim to change the clothing line from Yellow Toothpick to Crowded Teeth.

Webster (host from Alice 97.3) banters with his talented hairstylist as he gets a trim.

Photos by Cary Wun!