By Anneliese Duong
Mindlessly scrolling through Instagram might lead you to an account filled with vibrant, timeless posts from Digital Dolls. From graphic sweaters to jewelry, Digital Dolls provides an array of design-filled clothing and accessories.
Inspired by Pinterest and other jewelry businesses, senior Kiana Rutyna decided to open a small business that would later branch out to have co-owners across Orange County.
“I wanted to start making graphics for myself so that I didn’t have to pay the high price companies sell clothing for,” Rutyna said. “I started making jewelry for myself as well. It was a hobby I started over quarantine. I began making it for fun until it gained traction from friends…It feels cool that people like what I’m making.”
As she began to explore more of her interests and ways to sell, senior Lilian Nguyen from Kennedy High School joined Rutyna.
“At first, Kiana started this brand [by] making jewelry and some art to put on clothing pieces. After a while, she ended up vending at some shows,” Lilian Nguyen said. “She needed help with marketing and prepping the stand, so I just ended up helping. We started to vend almost every weekend and, eventually, I became a part of this small business.”
Within Digital Dolls, Lilian Nguyen mainly works with publicity, utilizing her love for photography and film as well as her personability.
“I fell in love with the pieces Kiana made, and I started out with just modeling for her randomly, and then taking photos of our other models,” Lilian Nguyen said. “What continues to inspire me is seeing people happy with our products and service, especially seeing people wear our art.”
Similar to Lilan Nguyen’s experience, senior Vi Nguyen from Buena Park High School joined Digital Dolls to hone her crocheting skill alongside Rutyna.
“Kiana already had her business and asked me to join because I just got back into crochet,” Vi Nguyen said.
While the small business sells online through Instagram, their main source comes from vending shows, which they occasionally promote on their social media. From shows, they foster relationships with their customers.
“I think what makes our business so special is the amount of friendships we made through it. Us being from Fountain Valley, Anaheim/Cypress and Buena Park, we sell to so many different areas and people,” Lilian Nguyen said. “[With] vending and shows and selling on multiple platforms, we build a lot of connections and become friends with people from different schools.”
Some of Digital Dolls’ most popular items include cat beanies, rings and the “cats in, cops out” tank top. Throughout the Instagram page, many items cater to many people’s style while continuing to be mindful of the brand’s consumers.
“To appeal to the masses, I try [to] make more gender-neutral clothing so anyone can buy,” Rutyna said. “I [also] try to go for a more grunge look.”
As the small business shines bright for the future, Rutyna, Lilian Nguyen and Vi Nguyen have set high standards for themselves to improve Digital Dolls.
“[In the future, I would like] to start selling at flea markets and sell more upcycled clothing for sustainability purposes,” Rutyna said.
As for the others, Lilian Nguyen aims to create new designs to put on clothing pieces, and jester/clown hats recently sparked an interest in Vi Nguyen for the future.
“For me, I hope to create some of my own artwork to put on our pieces,” Lilian Nguyen said. “Kiana and I have very different artistic styles, so we hope you look forward to some new art and products.“
Reflecting upon her business, Rutyna discovered what it meant to have a safe place to explore her creative freedom alongside her co-owners and customers.
“Never be afraid to ask for help from friends,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without Lily and Vi.”
Digital Dolls is a creative and diverse brand that explores a number of mediums to cater the most to their customers.
You can shop Digital Dolls through their Instagram account @digitaldo11s.
