Crafted By Generations: How Susanna And Sai Chow Built A Brand On Love And Legacy

Forbes

01-05-2025

Susanna and Sai Chow - Co-Founders of Susanna Chow
www.nmanassi.com
Every year, on Mother's Day, I highlight a business founded by a mother and daughter. This year is particularly special, as it coincides with AAPI Month. I had the privilege of sitting with Susanna Chow and her mother, Sai Chow, the dynamic duo behind the women-led, family-owned luxury outerwear, dresses, and bridal brand Susanna Chow.
Susanna and Sai launched their business with only $500, just enough to build a website. They didn't have outside investors, fashion industry connections, or inventory. However, they possessed firm conviction, resilience, and a shared belief that fashion should be intentional and well-crafted. 'We started this brand with a simple mission: to create a sustainable luxury label rooted in timeless design and ethical values. Our mantra: Buy once, wear forever.'
Sai immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong in 1970 at age 21, speaking little English. Determined to succeed in her new country, she enrolled at Baruch College to study accounting while working in New York City's Chinatown garment factories. Beading and sewing run deep in the Chow family: Sai learned the craft from her mother, who supported their family by beading and sewing garments at home after World War II.
Sai later earned a master's degree from Pace University while working full-time as a manager in Citigroup's margin and derivatives department—and raising three children. A breast cancer survivor and a lifelong learner, she remains, to this day, deeply engaged in craft and community, teaching beadwork and origami at senior centers.
Susanna and Sai's story challenges the traditional norms and celebrates reinvention. Before founding their brand, Susanna worked in global beauty marketing for MAC and NARS. At Estée Lauder, she led digital marketing strategy and collaborated with global e-commerce teams. Susanna knew what an ideal user experience should be like, but had never built a website from scratch. "Knowing what you want is one thing, but executing is a different game," she says. One core lesson from her corporate career stuck with her: "Everyone brings their skills to the table. That's how you build a great team." Susanna embraced Estée Lauder's strength-based leadership philosophy and continues to apply it today.
Since their very first days, everything has been made-to-order or produced in small, sustainable batches. "We didn't want to just focus on what we were making, but how we were making it," says Susanna. Their commitment to craftsmanship extends to eco-conscious packaging and minimizing waste in every step of the production process.
The original spark for the brand came when Susanna visited her mother's apartment—now their studio—and saw a table full of beaded tissue boxes and dolls. Her marketing instincts said, 'We can make handbags out of this.' In 2018, the two began creating handmade prototypes. Their first significant retail order came from Tribeca Boutique Ever After. As the business began to grow, Susanna left her corporate career to build her namesake brand alongside her mother.
Ariana Grande - Saturday Night Live (SNL)
https://www.instagram.com/nbcsnl
While the handbags gave them their start, a coat named JoJo, after Susanna's sister Joanna, changed everything. Joanna couldn't find a stylish maternity coat during the pandemic, so Susanna and Sai designed one. It became their bestseller, and the brand's pivot into outerwear took off. The outerwear pieces quickly went viral on Instagram. Celebrities like Ariana Grande and Nicky Hilton were spotted in their coats. Soon, the Chows expanded into full outerwear production and are now stocked in over 30 stores globally, including Revolve and Bloomingdale's. Their feather-trimmed Dorothy coat remains a standout.
The Dorothy Coat
Susanna Chow
This spring, they launched their first bridal capsule collection. Designed and handmade in New York City, the collection honors generations of craftsmanship—her mother stitched Sai's wedding dress. Susanna carries that tradition forward with heirloom-quality gowns meant to last a lifetime. Bridal dresses range from $695 to $895, and coats from $595 to $1,695. Each piece is crafted with care, minimal waste, and zero overproduction.
Susanna Chow
www.nmanassi.com
Sai, now 71, remains the creative force behind the brand. She describes herself as a maximalist who designs intuitively rather than through sketching. She can create a pattern simply by visualizing the design. Susanna leads brand marketing, e-commerce, and styling. While their aesthetics sometimes differ, the creative tension results in some of their best work. "When we compromise, we create our most beautiful pieces," Susanna explains.
Their deep ties to New York's Chinatown remain foundational. It's where Sai once worked in a garment factory while studying at Baruch and where the brand's studio operates today. Supporting the local community is central to their mission.
Their story is more than just building a fashion business—it's about resilience, identity, and the power of family and legacy. "It's okay to feel scared when you try something new," Susanna says. "Let's normalize this fear, overcome it, and embrace it. Just push forward anyway."
Much of that mindset, she adds, came from watching her mother overcome breast cancer and the sudden loss of her parents in a motor vehicle crash. "When faced with unimaginable life circumstances, it puts things into perspective. What do you have to lose? Or another way to think about it is—'Oh, but what if you fly?'"
"She always says she's proud of me," Susanna reflects, 'but the reality is—I'm so proud of her. And the best part is, we're just getting started.'
Sai's advice? "Keep going. Keep learning."