Joe Ando poses for the camera.
How can you mix comedy, fashion and vertical videos?
Joe Ando (known as simply “Joe” online) blends his personality and sense of humor with the process of making clothing. He studied womenswear design at FIT while pursuing an acting career, and loves combining all of his interests into an entertaining package for people to watch.
"Over the past year, Skillshare has been expanding our class offering into crafting and sewing in response to increased demand we’ve been seeing on our platform. As we began to seek out talent in the space, Joe was a slam dunk. He brings an accessibility and sense of playfulness to his creations as well as his content, a winning combination for our catalog,” said Alicia Hamilton-Morales, Senior Vice President of Content, Community and Brand. “Joe has a natural teaching ability and that combined with his expertise in the space is perfectly aligned with the type of teachers we love to work with on Skillshare."
"Joe’s story from going to fashion school at FIT to taking the internet by storm with his fun and accessible approach to fashion content grabbed our attention,” said Justin Barker, Executive Producer for Skillshare Originals. “Joe brought that same can-do attitude and upbeat energy to our time on set, and it shined through in his first Skillshare class.”
Goldie Chan: Hi Joe, thanks for joining us. What has your career path been?
Joe Ando: I first moved to New York to pursue a career as an actor. Though I still act, I found myself applying to Fashion school for womenswear to expand my creativity. I’ve worked in fashion and worked as an actor, but when covid hit, I was exposed to social media and found an outlet to combine all of my interests.
Chan: How does comedy play a part in your creative content?
Ando: My least favorite thing about modern day society is it seems like everybody takes everything too seriously. From the fashion community to the everyday person, I’d love to just provide a take on things that keeps things light, fun, and goofy. When I make clothing I love to add some personality to the process that allows people to see it as fun and inclusive.
Chan: Share a helpful lesson from your Skillshare course.
Ando: Fashion simply requires patience and I truly believe anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. It’s not as complicated as it looks!
Chan: Describe your personal brand.
Ando: I don’t really look at myself as a brand. I try to not look at things in such a rigid/formal way. I just do my best to be myself and express my interests through my own authentic voice. While I do take many aspects of my life seriously, I always strive to provide a take on things that sucks the seriousness or intensity out of it.
Chan: What are you working on now?
Ando: Currently, I’m working on making clothing for anyone and everyone ranging from different influencers to musicians whose music I find inspiring. I get a lot of joy out of handing someone a custom piece of clothing and seeing them react to something that no one else owns. I get the most joy out of seeing someone wear something I’ve made more than once, even as a casual daily part of their wardrobe.
Chan: How would you describe your fashion style that you create?
Ando: I do my best to match the energy and aesthetic of whoever I’m making clothing for, but I would describe my true aesthetic as a cross between preppy and kitschy. I love mixing classic colorways like kaki, white, and black with simplified images and items like hearts and bows. I love using multiple different colors to make a classic look pop.
Chan: Any career advice for this year?
Ando: I’m constantly reminding myself of this, but the best ideas are the ones that make it out of your head. It’s so easy to get caught up in thinking about why something wouldn’t work or why an idea would be difficult to execute, but you always naturally find your way to a solution by getting out of your own way and creating. I truly believe confidence is built through effort.
