New Founders is our new under-30 membership for emerging creators. Phoenix Do II
What is your full name, what is your hometown, and where do you live now?
My name’s Phoenix Do II. Shoutout to my dad. We’re both named after one of his CIA operations. I was born and raised in Hagerstown, Maryland, and currently live in Venice, California. You’ll find me in New York City every couple of months though.
What do you do?
My college friends and I recently left our corporate jobs and started an app called Fitted. We help Gen-Z discover, buy, and share outfits with our social market space, focused on sustainable and contemporary brands. (Find us on the App Store!)
What is your earliest memory of your own creativity?
I have this watercolor painting from 2nd grade. I remember being nervous because I mixed too many colors together and the painting didn’t come out as expected. Naturally, I added white strokes everywhere to save face. It ended up being a muted symphony of chaos and calm. My art teacher liked it, submitted it to the county art show, and I won an award.
What’s been inspiring you lately?
My co-founder Emma. She leads our creative efforts and took all the pictures you see here. During college, everyone came to Emma for graduation photos and personal prints. I’m inspired by her ability to capture raw moments and showcase personal experiences.
What person or piece of creative work has had an impact on your own?
Casey Neistat is my biggest creative inspiration. I really believe in the power of storytelling and his YouTube videos inspired an entire generation of storytellers. If you’re reading this, I would love to have coffee or surf one day.
What do you do when you’re in a creative rut?
Likely meditate, workout, or walk down to the beach. Sometimes you just need to step away and think about anything else, or nothing.
What do you love about what you do?
I love building a space for self-expression and confidence. According to Virgil Abloh, fashion is not about clothes, but the space in which they exist. Similarly, Fitted is not just an app. We’re a platform built on connection, creativity, culture, and commerce. Technology is just a tool to strengthen those
How do you approach passion projects differently than you might approach your commissioned and professional work?
Most of my passion projects are to learn the craft and rarely have an audience. I dabble in photography and videography, play the piano and DJ, then go surfing and skiing on the weekends. With Fitted, the focus shifts from myself to other people. Thinking about how to best showcase everyone’s unique personal and social identity through clothing requires empathy.
What do you look for in a creative community?
I believe the greater diversity and empathy a community has the greater its creative potential. Everyone has a unique story and expresses their experiences and understanding of the world differently. These stories are reflected in individual creative pursuits. A creative community aggregates these stories and amplifies them, inspiring others to listen, learn, and tell their own.
NeueHouse in 5 words or less:
Founded on connection and culture.
