How Trisha Okubo Went From Tech Engineer to Luxe Jewelry Designer With Maison Miru
Trisha Okubo was a Stanford-educated engineer in the tech industry before realizing that wasn't her passion, rediscovering her love for jewelry-making, and eventually leading to the creation of Maison Miru.
Today, she serves as both founder and creative director of the luxe jewelry brand known for its 14k earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and more, with designs that are as functional as they are stylish. Inspired by the aesthetics of fashion, sculpture and architecture, Maison Miru's pieces are designed to be modular and infinitely mix-and-matchable, treating each element as wearable sculpture. The brand's name is based on the Japanese word miru for "to see," reminding us to open our eyes and envision the world around us in a new light, and we had the pleasure of chatting with Trisha to further elucidate her story and the history of Maison Miru in the interview below.
(Photo credit: Maison Miru)
Name: Trisha Okubo
IG handles: @trishaokubo and @maisonmiru
Hometown: San Jose, California
1. The moment she became obsessed with style and accessorization was in June 1996.
"I was days away from giving a short speech at my middle school graduation. I was a shy kid, and I was petrified of public speaking. I knew how the right clothing and accessories could make you feel brave enough to do scary things. And I had nothing to wear.
None of the clothes I loved at the local mall fit—I'm child sized (4'11" at best). I was in tears when my maternal grandmother, my Po Po, stepped in to save the day. She sewed me a tailored shift dress, made to my specifications. I learned that you don't have to accept the world as it is. You have the power to create."
-Trisha Okubo
2. Recently, she's had a bit of a shift in her style.
"I'm a founder and a mom, and I'm rebuilding my wardrobe after years of choosing practicality over self-expression. My existing wardrobe is purely practical—think lots of functional pieces that mix and match, plus, all of the pockets. The pieces I'm adding still have an undercurrent of practicality, but they cut the exact right form; I'm obsessive about color, pattern and detail. There's also a playfulness I'm looking for—an unexpected detail, a little something special meant only for the wearer to see. Think a mix of Japanese craftsmanship and Parisian joie de vivre."
-Trisha Okubo
3. Though Trisha had always known in her heart that she wanted to work in a creative field, for a long time, she didn't think it was possible.
"My parents raised me with strong immigrant values of practicality and sacrifice, and I was told that the creative life was for other people, not for me.
I studied engineering at university, but I couldn't give up the dream; so I also studied fashion design at nights and weekends. I spent my university years living a double life, studying engineering by day and dreaming my clothing into life at night.
I'd love to draw a straight line between my fashion design coursework and my career, but in reality, I ended up taking a corporate Silicon Valley tech job after graduation and getting swallowed up by the matrix. It took most of my 20s, a quarter-life crisis and being left adrift in London after getting fired from the worst job I've ever had to push me off the cliff.
I rediscovered my love of making things in a jewelry course at the University of Arts London, and now, over a decade later, I'm building the brand I always wanted to exist but didn't: one that gives me permission to play."
-Trisha Okubo
(via Maison Miru)
Also read about: How Launi King Nurtured Her Creative Spirit With Her Inclusive Brand, Creative Play
4. According to Trisha, "Maison Miru is a fine jewelry brand that believes that everyone deserves to play."
"Miru is the Japanese word 'to see'—it's a reminder to open our eyes, to wake up and unplug from the matrix. I grew up with the toxic idea that equates worth with productivity, and I policed myself into a life that was all work and no play. I was an adult before I started questioning those ideas, and now, with Maison Miru, I'm here to create a world where we all have permission to play."
-Trisha Okubo
(via Maison Miru)
5. When she's in a rush, her go-to outfit is a black oversized top and skinny pants.
"I know it's basic, but I'm a child-size mom (I'm 4'11"), and my body seems reluctant to go back to its original shape. Big over small works for my figure, and black is great because I'm a champion spiller."
-Trisha Okubo
6. The best advice she's ever heard was a quote from Steve Jobs:
"The minute that you understand that you can poke life and actually something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it … Once you learn it, you'll want to change life and make it better, cause it's kind of messed up, in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
-Steve Jobs
"I never had the opportunity to meet him, but his ethos was such a defining part of my Silicon Valley childhood. The idea that you could make a mark on the world, however big or small, sticks with me to this day."
-Trisha Okubo
Also read about: Jen DeAngelis Shares the Story Behind Her Viral Loungewear Brand, 1987label
7. She describes herself as a practical kind of gal, so he go-to accessory is a stylish yet functional belt bag.
"I wasn't a Boy Scout, but I do have high anxiety, so I always want to be prepared. I'm working on designing my own, complete with a pastry pocket. You never know when you need an emergency pastry!"
-Trisha Okubo
8. At the moment, her favorite jewelry trend is big hoops.
"They're the easiest way to transform your look. Just one piece, and you're done. We're making more hoops—and because they're titanium, they're super light, so it doesn't feel like you're even wearing earrings."
-Trisha Okubo
(via Maison Miru)
9. The one thing Trisha wants people to know about her is that she found her true calling later in life.
"Maison Miru is my second life after a first career in tech that just didn't make my heart sing. It's never too late to make a change, or to just do something as simple as try something new. My favorite end of year question to friends: What mistakes are you going to make next year?"
-Trisha Okubo
For more on entrepreneurs who inspire us, click HERE to read our interview with Lissy Skincare founder, Lissy Kotter.