AN INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA MIAO
Tell us about yourself!
I’m Jessica Miao, the cofounder of Apricotton, a tween bra brand that designs bras that last multiple stages of puberty so girls can wear the same bra as they develop from an AA to D cup.
Where did it begin for Apriocotton?
I graduated in April 2020 from Western University with an Ivey Honors Business Administration. Apricotton actually started from a school project to create a business plan and right after graduating, my cofounder Chloe and I decided to start Apricotton for real.
What inspires you?
I started Apricotton to help girls like my 14 year old sister go through puberty, because not everyone has a role model in their life they can talk to when EVERYTHING is changing. I’m inspired by all the girls who feel brave enough to share their puberty struggles with each other on Apricotton’s sisterly advice blog and video posts on social media. It can be so hard to speak up but doing so normalizes your personal issues and can make someone else feel more confident about themselves.
Your life motto?
I didn’t come up with this, but I read this somewhere and it really stuck: If you can’t go a week without dreaming about something you want, it’s worth going after it.
Where do you live and how does this impact your art?
I live in Toronto where, in school and just walking down the street, it’s clear that people aren’t afraid to express themselves, even if someone might judge them. When I first started posting sisterly advice videos on TikTok and Instagram, I felt self-conscious showing my body hair, how I put on pads for my period, and my bloating. However, my friends and girls on the internet reacted so positively that it encouraged me to continue talking about taboo topics, like feminine hygiene.
What are you most proud of?
It warms my heart to get customer reviews like, “As a mother of a pre teen I was finding it hard to find my daughter a comfortable, quality bra until I found Apricotton. This bra was a game changer for not only my preteen but for my young adult daughter as well.” It makes me so happy to hear that we’re helping girls feel more confident in their changing bodies.
Any interesting stories to share?
This one time I was wearing Apricotton’s Perfect Sports Bra at the mall and someone asked me where I got it and I said, “thanks, I designed it!”
Do you have any creative projects, shows, exhibitions coming up?
We’re in the process of designing new bras and hope to do pop ups around Toronto this summer!
Hobbies?
I love a cute modern romance novel.
What is the ultimate big goal?
I want to open an Apricotton store one day and personally work there to make as many girls feel comfortable bra shopping as possible.
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