When two friends get together, it’s all about having fun, laughing, and creating memories. Sometimes, these friendships don’t last long; sometimes, they fade away when life gets in the way, such as when people move away to college, get married, or have kids. On the contrary, FOUR OBJECTS kept two friends together, even through the challenges of frenzied personal life and societal expectations, as they pursued their passion and built their brand.

Mae and Ku, best friends who graduated from the Parsons School of Design together, shared a keen interest in fashion and art. Ku studied Fine Art, while Mae pursued fashion, but they shared ideas and inspired each other creatively. Their bond grew deeper, and their friendship strengthened over the years as they spent time together preparing their college application portfolios.
Coincidentally, both girls were born in April, the fourth month of the year. They both loved traveling around the world and had a passion for creating fashion in a sustainable and ethical manner. Being April babies, they felt a connection to the number four, which led them to name their brand FOUR OBJECTS! Consequently, they were not just friends for life but also became business partners who loved simplicity.
The whole idea revolved around a hypothetical question: “What if we made four things a year for four years, and that was what we wore for the rest of our lives? What would those 16 things be?” That was certainly an interesting proposition because, in this case, they would ideally create simple clothes that can be styled and worn in different ways, something that would last longer and be of high quality. And so, the brand centered on this idea to ensure it offered top-grade, trendy products.
But Is It Easy to Launch an Entire Fashion Brand?
No! Ku and Mae went through many hurdles to bring their ideas to life. It seems to be a common practice to shut down new ideas, and that’s precisely what Ku and Mae faced. Although they worked in the fashion industry, traditional business models made their ideas feel worthless or impractical. They were often told, “It doesn’t happen that way.”
It wasn’t just the workplace; even the lack of support from people and cultural norms, where mothers are expected not to work or focus only on family, drained their energy and tried to shatter their dreams. So, they decided to establish FOUR OBJECTS as an experiment to prove the world wrong. They set out to prove that working moms who aren’t rich can launch and run successful businesses.
They were determined to prove that women could be treated with respect and spoken to with honesty and integrity. Their values and ideas mattered to the world.
Thus, the FOUR OBJECTS brand emerged into the fashion market.
What’s So Special About This Brand?
The idea behind the brand is simple: every year, people can buy a few good-quality clothes they genuinely love and keep for many years. While that’s one thing that makes the brand special, another is its six-month return policy; you can return anything, for any reason, within that time.
FOUR OBJECTS, a certified B Corp, creates classic clothes that last a long time and remain in style, even as fashion trends change.
Every piece from FOUR OBJECTS, like their hand-dyed Best Friend Tee (inspired by a T-shirt Ku and Mae once shared) or their popular Work Shirt (made from rare indigo fabric), is designed by both of them together. Ku says they started by looking at their favorite clothes in their own closets. From there, they worked on the designs until they were both satisfied with the final result.
Some Shopping Tips from the Fashion Duo
In an interview, Ku and Mae were asked for advice and tips on how to shop mindfully. This is what the skillful fashion designers had to say.
Ku’s Advice:
“The most important thing is to buy clothes you truly love, and that will last a long time. It may sound simple, but cheap, low-quality clothes that wear out quickly harm both people and the planet. All the resources and energy used to make those clothes are wasted when they end up in landfills.”
Ku suggests focusing on quality over quantity. When you invest in well-made pieces, you will shop less often, and your wardrobe will last much longer. In the end, your total spending is likely to remain relatively unchanged because you are not constantly replacing worn-out clothes.
When shopping, Ku recommends choosing clothes made from natural fibers (like cotton or linen) or recycled and organic materials. These sustainable options are becoming more common, and every eco-friendly choice pushes brands to produce more responsibly.
Mae’s Advice:
Mae adds that repairing clothes is just as crucial as buying sustainably. Fix minor damages instead of throwing clothes away. And when you no longer want an item, try selling, swapping, or donating it to keep textiles out of landfills.
Conclusion
Conclusively, FOUR OBJECTS isn’t just a fashion brand. It is a revolution in how we think about clothes, consumption, and creativity, spearheaded by two great friends with exceptional minds. Thanks to this duo who refused to give up, they proved that working moms can start up a business and that fashion can be beautiful, practical, and sustainable.