This M’sian quit biotech to run her socks biz, now has a 2nd brand with her own designs

To me, socks have always been a great venue for self-expression. It’s somewhat subtle, yet chock-full of potential, and always gets a chuckle or two out of people when they inadvertently notice a funny design.

A local brand that’s tapping into the demand for cute, interesting socks is Typical Us.

From science to socks

Typical Us was founded by Shi Ying, who hails from Seremban. Interestingly, Shi Ying is not a fashion designer or anything of the sort. Instead, she actually is a biotechnology graduate who had gotten a full scholarship from UTAR.   

After graduating, Shi Ying worked in a lab in the PJ area for around three years, primarily testing and diagnosing diseases in poultry and companion animals.

“While I was working in the lab, my colleagues would bring me socks as souvenirs whenever they travelled, and interns would give me cute socks as farewell gifts at the end of their internships,” she recounted.

Shi Ying’s adoration for socks grew even deeper during a trip to Taiwan, when she discovered a stall selling socks. They carried designs that captivated her so much that she spent an hour just browsing socks.

Returning to Malaysia, Shi Ying wondered, “Why not sell these adorable socks on Shopee?”

Fuelled with the intention was to spread the warmth and joy through these cute socks, Shi Ying invested half of her savings to start stocking up on socks and learnt how to upload products online.

“I selected products based on my own preferences, thinking that if they didn’t sell, I could always give them to family and friends, let them feel the love and warmth as well,” she mused.

Fortunately, her online store gained traction, selling up to 30 orders daily.

After a year of this routine, Shi Ying left her job to focus full-time on the sock business. Three years after launching the online store, she established her own brand, Typical Us, in 2022.

From ready-made stock to personal designs

Prior to Typical Us, Shi Ying was just reselling ready-made stock. But the idea to design her own socks came during a conversation with friends about Malaysian food.

“Since I love collecting and selling socks, I thought, why not create socks that celebrate Malaysia?” she said. “I’m proud to be Malaysian and want to share that pride with the world.”

While Shi Ying had a lot of passion, she did not have any design experience. However, she was emboldened by her boyfriend who believes that she has a good sense of what makes a product attractive.

“I believe my strength lies in my aesthetic sense, knowing what looks good,” she said. “Through my daily interactions with sock designs, I learnt how to arrange elements effectively on socks.”

Thus, Shi Ying collaborated with local designers to bring her ideas to life. She would sketch ideas on paper and provide reference photos, and then the designers would create the final graphic designs.

The design process typically takes around four to six weeks, Shi Ying said.

However, Typical Us got off to a slow start, selling only around 300 pairs in the first two years. At one point, they even gave 200 pairs of socks for free so as to not let them go to waste.

But then, a turning point came. Earlier this year in January, Sunny Side Up Market, a flea market in KL, invited Typical Us to join their pop-up market.

At this point, Shi Ying was almost ready to give up on the brand, but decided there was nothing to lose by joining the market.

Surprisingly, she got so much positive feedback and encouragement from customers there that it motivated her to continue.

From there, the team launched a new series of designs, including ones featuring Malaysian food, batik, kuih muih, Malaysian desserts, and Malaysian animals.

“I’m so grateful that the universe has bought these angels to us during our first pop up, else this brand would have ended in the last few months,” she expressed.

From Malaysia to the world

Today, Shi Ying still runs her ecommerce business alongside Typical Us. “However, Typical Us now takes up about 80% of my time as I focus on developing new product lines and ensuring they align with our brand’s intentions.”

Aside from Typical Us, though, there are many other brands who also carry and sell unique socks. How does Shi Ying set her brand apart?

“I admire their work as well,” she said. “I don’t see it as competition but as a shared passion. We support and learn from each other. I even showcase other brands on our website to share good finds with our customers.”

Having found success with the Sunny Side Up Market, Shi Ying aims to actively keep participating in pop-up markets. From that physical presence, she hopes to eventually have physical stores for Typical Us, becoming a brand that represents Malaysia.

Her dreams don’t stop there, either. Shi Ying also aspires for the team to have their own manufacturing plant to produce socks themselves.

“I plan to continue pursuing entrepreneurship as I love bringing my ideas to life and connecting with people through our products,” she expressed.

From one entrepreneur to others

Especially for someone like Shi Ying who had enjoyed their field, leaving a stable career like biotechnology for entrepreneurship might not seem like the natural course of action.

In terms of making this leap, Shi Ying said it’s key to first understand one’s true motivation for starting a business.

“Reflect on whether it’s driven by a genuine passion for the product or service or simply a desire to escape your current job,” she advised. “Entrepreneurship often involves more challenges and pressure than a regular job. If you’re serious about pursuing it, start as a side hustle and only consider leaving your job once it can sustain you financially.”

And once you do make that leap, she said to never forget your intention and always align your actions with it. Appreciate what you have and be grateful.

And finally, allow things to happen and believe they will work out for the best.

Featured Image Credit: Typical Us