Photography by our friend Jennelle Fong
Tennis Videos by Mina CHOE & Hannah CHUNG of ourworkingtitle
THANK YOU ON for sponsoring this editorial feature and supporting Casual Tennis: Our monthly tennis series for a low key, too fun way to move. SARKURA WEARS ON RUNNING THE ROGER PRO & THE PERFORMANCE TIGHTS & THE MOVEMENT CROP.
Casual Tennis: Sakura Bready
Sakura Bready: art director, designer, IT girl, and TENNIS STAR QUEEN.
We met via connector and my friend Chelsea Welsh (if anyone remembers, we used to host a breakfast series called Good Mornings together :)). Sakura's been a welcome face at Casual Tennis, her style is unmatched (love y'all but let's be real) and her personality: energetic and magnetic.
A designer with a focus on textiles, to art and creative director, she’s so many people's favorite design go-to. As a Japanese-American woman, having grown up in NY and now living in LA, she is the walking, living, breathing definition of cool. Not solely because of her upbringing, but because of her character, her humor, her authenticity to who she is.
Sakura shares her favorite pieces of LA and NY, her career path and advice looking for anyone getting into her field, and enlightens us about what Casual Tennis does for her.
Can you tell me a quick rundown of your professional path!! You do so much!
My professional path was never linear so it’s hard to make a short summary but here’s an attempt: I went to public schools in NY followed by RISD for undergrad. After taking some surface design courses I enrolled in their textiles program, and fell in love with print design. After college, I moved back to NY and picked up odd jobs and took on anything related to print design and fashion. I did unpaid internships, worked for small, and big fashion brands, coffee shops, barbershops, you name it. I didn’t make much money but I was living my best life. Eventually, my career advanced when I was brought on to work alongside Jeremy Scott for Moschino. That’s when I left NY and moved to LA. Working with Jeremy and Moschino is where I excelled as a designer, worked on 20-something shows, and was introduced to working on sets which is a lot of what I do today. What do you do for work and life?
I split my time between working on commercial/editorial photoshoots and working from home. On set I’m either the art director or creative director and at home I work on a variety of design jobs, currently focusing on print design for apparel. How do you balance creativity and corporate culture?
Luckily I don’t spend a lot of time being around or in corporate culture. I have corporate clients, but I don’t feel it consumes the majority of my time or headspace. It took me a while to figure out a healthy balance between commercial gigs and creative outlets. Freelance is not for everyone, but if you can master finding the right balance between working and not working, being patient with yourself and others, splitting time between jobs and personal endeavors, it’s the best place to be, period.“Try all kinds of jobs and opportunities, working with a variety of people will inevitably make you a more humble, patient, and well-rounded person. No one likes a square.”
What are your favorite things about NY? What are your favorite things about LA?
NY - Culture, seasons, bodegas, Veselka, walking everywhere, hot summer nights, deep conversations with strangers you’ll never meet again. LA - Nature, sun, micheladas, K-Town, pho, my car, people with cool cars, friends with pools, fruit vendors, fancy matcha, space. What do you enjoy doing in your off-time?
Might sound lame but I don’t like being overly productive on my time off. I find it hard to turn off my brain. I think that’s part of being a creative, it’s hard to find the off switch. I’ll find myself driving or doing other brainless activities and an idea or solution to a job will appear in my head, and I have to stop what I’m doing and write it down. It’s a blessing and curse. So the answer is: the bare minimum.
When it comes to design and direction, what is your advice for these aspiring younger yous?
This is a hard question. I was never the kind of person who knew exactly what they wanted to do. I knew I wasn’t fit for anything boring and basic but I was never like, “I’m gonna be a painter” or “I’m gonna start a fashion brand.” As corny as it sounds I think it’s important for younger people to be explorative and see what experiences and subjects really stick to them. You should build your own character and strengths based on your interests, not dependent on others or what you think others want. Spend time on the internet but also don’t spend all your time on the internet. Watch movies, go to museums, try new things. Travel, leave your home, immerse yourself in places that aren’t your comfort zone. Try all kinds of jobs and opportunities, working with a variety of people will inevitably make you a more humble, patient, and well-rounded person. No one likes a square. Best advice for envisioning what a bigger picture piece will look like when designing just a small square/swatch/sample? (I have such a hard time translating what would work on a larger scale! Or on body!)
I’m not great at this myself but in general I’d say just start small. I have ideas that come to fruition within two weeks and others that I complete in a few months. If it’s something that has a firm deadline, set your due date a few days earlier and work backwards.
