Thriving in Chaos: How Kathy McGuinness is Outfitting Kids with Artistic Style
It’s time to meet our fifth featured entrepreneur in the Thriving in Chaos: A Feature on Women in Small Business series!
Today, I’ll introduce you to Kathy McGuinness, the business mastermind behind SKINS LA, a clothing and accessories brand that turns bold and colorful art into beautiful and unique clothing and accessories.
Her personality and outlook on life are just as unique and refreshing as the clothing she produces with her artist husband. I just know you’re going to love her story.
Kathy McGuinness of SKINS LA
Taking a Leap Across the Pond
For Kathy McGuinness, life is an adventure.
It’s an adventure now that she’s a married mother of one with a children’s clothing line, and it was an adventure 10+ years ago when she was working in Ireland as a dancer and choreographer. Something tells me it will continue to be an adventure, no matter where her story takes her next.
After working in the entertainment industry in Ireland, including working on the country’s first dance awards and magazine, Kathy had the itch to try her luck in the United States. Like most dancers, she figured she would end up in New York, probably working on or near Broadway.
Before settling in the Big Apple, however, she wanted to experience the West Coast, so she stopped in LA for two weeks. Those two weeks turned into three months and suddenly, New York City was a distant memory.
After three months in LA, her visa expired, and she returned to Ireland.
Throwing Caution to the Wind
Once back in Ireland, Kathy settled back into her “real life.” Things were going well, and she was happy, but there was still that nagging feeling that something was unfinished in LA.
She had just gotten the opportunity for her dream job, but she knew if she didn’t go now, she never would. So, she turned down the job and again applied for the O1 artist visa. This was a long shot, as the visa itself was very difficult to get, and she had already received it once.
Surprisingly, she was granted the O1 visa a second time. Within two weeks, she was back in LA. She didn’t have a plan. She just hopped on a plan and went. She would figure everything else out once she got there. If she didn’t, she would just come home.
Making a Home in LA
Some of the artwork that inspires SKINS LA
After living and working in LA for almost two years, she met her husband, and everything changed.
One night, she noticed some incredible artwork lying on the floor. Her new then-boyfriend was a banker so she was shocked to learn that it was his work. He painted as a hobby, a way to relax his brain after crunching numbers all day.
For Kathy, it was more than that. She knew the world needed to see this bold, beautiful, and colorful work that was inspired by his Mexican-American heritage, so she took a piece of his art and turned it into a tee.
That first shirt had a domino effect and soon, he had a spot at the popular and trendy Melrose Trading Post. From there, she encouraged him to share his art with the world.
The Birth of SKINS LA
That first tee planted a seed, and before long, SKINS LA was an entire line of streetwear. Kathy and her now-husband loved taking his colorful art and turning it into incredible clothing and accessories for adults that were different from anything else on the market.
Working in fashion and retail wasn’t a new journey for Kathy. Between her gigs as a dancer and a choreographer, she had spent years in and around the fashion industry, from small boutiques to luxury labels. Combining her husband’s vibrant work with her love of sustainable fashion just seemed like a natural pairing.
Navigating 2020
One of SKINS LA toddler sweatshirts
Like pretty much everyone else, 2020 threw Kathy a curveball. Not only did she have to pivot because of the massive shift in our global world but surprise! She found out she was pregnant.
The birth of her son changed everything. Even though she was excited to shop for her baby, she quickly realized how hard it is to shop for boys. Girls had options. Boys had trucks, dinosaurs, and baseball.
She had a lightbulb moment while standing in line at the Gap, about to pay $60 for a baby sweater. What if she took SKINS LA and pivoted it from adult clothing to childrenswear?
Creating a Different Kind of Clothing Brand
Pivoting to childrenswear allows Kathy to marry all of her loves in one place. She gets to work in fashion alongside her talented and artistic husband and show her son what’s possible when you follow a dream.
The family behind SKINS LA
But SKINS LA isn’t just another fast-fashion popup. Quality and sustainability are very important to them. Kathy’s seen the wasteful side of fashion and doesn’t want her clothing to contribute to that growing problem.
Every piece of clothing is made-to-order and printed in-house. Kathy loves that about SKINS LA. She can control almost everything, which means they have almost zero waste.
The clothing line means so many things to so many people. For Kathy and her husband, it's a labor of love for their entire family. For their customers, it’s a way for their children to express themselves with clothing that is different from everything else out there yet still sustainable and responsible.
Being an Immigrant Entrepreneur in America
One of the most prominent driving forces in Kathy’s story is her resilience. She credits this to being an immigrant, where you have no choice but to work hard. If a plan didn’t work out, try another and another, until eventually one does.
Everyone knows the story of the American dream: if you work hard enough for something, you can achieve it. But that story means different things to different people.
According to Kathy, it’s different for immigrants than it is for natural-born citizens. When you’re born here, it can be easy to take it for granted, but moving to the States from Ireland provides her with a different perspective. She feels lucky to have gotten the elusive O1 visa twice. She knew she couldn’t take this for granted.
Kathy was given this opportunity to create a life full of wonder, creativity, and happiness – and that’s exactly what she did when she opened the doors to SKINS LA.
A Q&A with Kathy McGuinness
Q: Kathy, what is your favorite part about owning a small business?
Right now, my favorite thing is that I get to spend a lot of time with my son. It’s given me a nice balance. I have family time with my son but I also have an outlet for myself.
Q: How did you know it was time to step into a role you created for yourself rather than a traditional source of employment?
Everything is a fucking adventure and moving into children’s wear was no different. The idea came to me when I was pregnant with my son. You go into a store and you see racks and racks of clothing for little girls but for little boys, you’re pretty limited. If you love dinosaurs and trucks, you’re set! But if you want something different, good luck!
So, I did what I always do and took it into my own hands. I knew at that point in my life that I was capable of going out, chasing my own dreams, and making my own opportunities. If it didn’t work out, I could always go back to what I was doing before.
Q: What sets your business apart from other clothing design businesses?
Everything comes from my husband’s original art. Nothing comes from a massive print shop. It all starts off as a painting.
I also love that this is 100% a family business. My husband paints the art. I pick which ones will work for clothing and which ones won’t. Everything is done in-house. Nothing is outsourced or mass-produced. We can really control our waste and the legacy that the brand will leave behind.
Q: If another woman came to you about starting a business in your industry, what would you tell them?
100% go for it!! But do your research first. I would love to mentor someone because I know I made a lot of mistakes when I first started. It’s easier to learn from others’ mistakes than to make them on your own. With a mentor, you can ask them questions and learn ways to do things without losing a ton of money. There are ways to start a business without spending too much money upfront. We all have dreams, but it’s important to start small. I always ask myself… is your ego your amigo?
Q: If you could go back in time to 2004, what would you tell yourself about your life now?
I would tell myself … don’t care what they think. That way of thinking is very Irish. We are taught to actively hide ourselves but fuck all of that. Scream your talents from the rooftops. It’s only you at the end of the day.
Q: Why did you want to be featured on this blog?
I enjoy talking to other entrepreneurs. I enjoy hearing other people’s stories, so I wanted to tell mine. My husband is the artist here, so I tend to tell his story most of the time. It’s nice to have a place to tell mine.
My life has changed so much, especially in the past few years. I would love someone to read this in their early 30s who wants to make a big change and find comfort in my story. I would love to inspire someone to take that leap of faith. It breaks my heart to think of someone who has a dream but thinks they aren’t good enough to make it happen.
Whenever I think of people who are stuck like that, I want to tell them to think “fuck it!” DM me if you need the confidence to move forward. I’m happy to share some inspiration on how to learn from the big world around you and take a chance on your dreams.
My Take on Kathy’s Story
I met Kathy on Threads, and I have to tell you … she’s just as electric in real life as she is on her social media platforms. There’s just something about her that draws you to her. She’s laid-back and collected yet strong and powerful. You can just tell that she has a super cool life story.
We talked for well over the allotted interview time because she is just so funny and full of life. It’s hard not to talk to her!
At one point, we got to talking about how society can dictate the direction so many of us take, and to that, she responded, “Whatever your happiness is, that’s what you have to do. Don’t let society tell you what your happiness is. Just bloody do it!”
She says this confidence comes with age. Time goes by anyway, so you might as well take chances. As she says, “You’re never too old to try it. Don’t listen to anyone. Just do whatever the hell you want to do. Don’t want to be perfect. No matter what it is, just start doing it. If you want to knit some hats, just start knitting your fucking hats.”
So, the next time you’re wondering if you should take a risk, take a deep breath and just start knitting your fucking hats…
Skins LA sells clothing for kids and adults, as well as accessories and original art pieces. Check them out here! You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
