Today we’d like to introduce you to Suran Yoo.
Hi Suran, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Silk or Lace began with my personal journey being diagnosed with alopecia. It first began during my junior year of college when I lost half my head of hair, which was a tough time being in your early 20’s and still trying to figure out your womanhood. I grappled with finding confidence in my outer appearance while trying to find a solution for my hair loss.
In 2019, I stumbled across a group of women on social media wearing wigs and hair toppers and it changed my life. When I wore my first hair topper, I cried because I felt like myself again. I could celebrate my hair, which I hadn’t been able to do for so long! I felt beautiful, but more importantly, I now felt empowered to transform who I wanted to see in the mirror.
Inspired by the other women I found on social media, I started @the_strandie on Instagram as a content creator platform to share my experience with other women who were specifically dealing with hair loss. I thought to myself, if I can help other women struggle less with finding resources and answers to hair loss and wearing hairpieces, I’m happy to share my story.
After reading thousands of DMs on Instagram with so many women asking me how to wear wigs and hair toppers and where to purchase high-quality pieces, I realized there was a missing opportunity in the wig market. Women have a hard time finding realistic, natural, everyday wear pieces, not for the lack of high-quality wigs in the market. Instead, they struggle because they lack an easy and accessible shopping experience.
I think the core of it is that wigs and hairpieces are not often “show off” pieces. Meaning, a woman likely isn’t going to tell another woman she is wearing a wig (because the point is that they shouldn’t be able to tell)! The secretive nature of these products has enabled an industry that lacks transparency in many areas. As a result, women who are in the market for these pieces find it extremely difficult and confusing to shop for wigs and hair toppers.
I founded Silk or Lace in April 2020 as the first marketplace for boutique, highly curated wigs and hairpieces. It’s the first platform that offers custom search filters specifically for hairpieces and honest reviews across brands.
This is game-changing because, for the first time, customers are able to shop, price compare, and read reviews across high-quality brands they trust, which helps democratize a traditionally secretive industry.
In the long run, I’d love for wigs to be worn by all people without stigma. Wigs and hair toppers aren’t just for women with alopecia – it’s for people who want to transform and elevate their look, just like you can with faux eyelashes, hair extensions, or even a pedicure. We as women dress up every part of our body, but somehow hair seems to be the last frontier of a “beauty transformation”. Silk or Lace seeks to innovate within the hair industry and introduce to all people the empowering world of hair!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road due to the company launching at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Supply chain, as for many businesses right now, has been and is still a huge issue for us as well as our brand partners on our site.
Hardships though, sometimes lead to great things as it challenged to find creative solutions to business problems. As supply chain issues were at its peak last November, we were having trouble maintaining stock on our site. This led us to launch Resell Silk or Lace where we enable people to buy and sell their lightly worn hairpieces. While we can’t maintain a “new” inventory to our desired capacity, I knew that many women potentially had some wigs that they maybe wore once or maybe it didn’t work out for them due to color or sizing, and we would be able to create inventory through other women’s wig closets!
Resell now drives half of our store revenue and is a great way for customers to explore the world of hairpieces at a discounted price range. It’s also a way that we can offer exclusive pieces that are not available anywhere else!
Struggles enable me to look at my business differently and although it isn’t a smooth road, I’m always up for a new challenge!
As you know, we’re big fans of Silk or Lace. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I like to think of Silk or Lace as the Expedia for wigs. We feature boutique, woman-owned small businesses that create luxury, ready-to-wear pieces.
Our pieces are not your average Amazon wigs – we carry pieces that have the highest quality Remy hair that are hand-sewn onto caps, which take 90+ hours to make. Afterwards, they are hand-colored and cut along with other work done so that they are ready to wear. Each hairpiece with good care can last 2+ years and can be worn every day.
Traditionally, hairpieces like these would really only be available for celebrities and would cost $10K+. It’s a hard industry to be in because the point is for you to not notice the product – no one is going to be like – Omg! I love your wig, where did you get it?
It’s an industry that has lacked transparency precisely because women don’t talk about it. But the fact of the matter is, celebrities have worn wigs for forever. Hair is a key part of our identity and a big part of our beauty regimen.
Wigs that would cost $10k+ are now accessible with an open marketplace like Silk or Lace. It’s the first of its kind not only because of our business itself but also what we stand for.
We firmly believe that wigs and toppers are for ALL people. Wigs are for everyone that wants to change up their look! Through our blog posts featuring real women who wear wigs and toppers, talking about wearing hair to the dentist, or hairstylists that customize wigs for women, we aim to create a more inclusive conversation about wigs.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband is my #1 supporter who has believed in me when there were times when literally no one else did. The 1 am nights when I stared at my computer screen seeing zero orders come in or when I faced rejection from brands joining our marketplace in the beginning, I started questioning my own decision. Most importantly, when my hair loss was at my worst and I made excuses to not attend happy hours or work functions, my husband reminded me of what values mattered most.
He empowered me to find a solution that helped me focus on being the best version of myself and the best entrepreneur I could be. I am incredibly thankful to have a partner who challenges, respects, and supports my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@silkorlace.com
- Website: www.silkorlace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silkorlace
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silkorlace
