About

About Aki & Co

Aki & Co is a Los Angeles-based embroidery studio creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind pieces by hand.

At the heart of Aki & Co is a love of things that feel personal; an old jacket made new again, a beloved pet captured in thread, a name stitched onto something that will be worn for years, or a custom piece made to mark a moment worth remembering.

Working primarily with a vintage chainstitch machine, Aki & Co combines traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary point of view. Every piece is thoughtfully designed and stitched in Los Angeles, whether it’s a custom commission, a personalized garment, or live embroidery created on the spot at an event.

We believe there is something special about making things slowly and intentionally. Whenever possible, we work with local vendors and suppliers, source thoughtfully, and look for ways to give existing garments and materials a longer life. The goal isn’t to make more for the sake of making more, but to create things that feel worth keeping.

Aki & Co is rooted in craft, nostalgia, and the idea that the things we wear can carry a little bit of our story with them.

Meet Jan

Hi, I’m Jan; the maker and designer behind Aki & Co.

I was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, where I learned early on to appreciate what you have, make use of what’s around you, and live with a little more intention. I’ve always been drawn to making things with my hands, and my background in fashion and graphic design eventually led me to embroidery.

Aki & Co started as a hobby, when I began hand-embroidering pet portraits for friends and family. Somewhere along the way, those little projects turned into custom commissions, and custom commissions turned into a full-time creative business. Today, Aki & Co is a custom embroidery studio, event activation, and brick-and-mortar shop in Los Angeles.

My tool of choice is a vintage chainstitch machine that is operated by hand, using a crank located under the table. It’s the same kind of machine once used at Disneyland to stitch names onto Mickey ears; which is probably part of where I fell in love with it in the first place. There’s something wonderfully imperfect about working this way: every line, curve, and stitch is guided by hand.

I’m inspired by nostalgia, nature, and the little details that make something feel like yours. Whether I’m stitching a pet portrait, personalizing a well-loved jacket, or creating embroidery live at an event, I love the process of turning an idea into something tangible; and making something that can become part of someone’s story.

Aki & Co is inspired by my middle name, Akiko, which means “Autumn Child” in Japanese. It felt fitting for a business rooted in the beauty of things that age, change, and become more meaningful with time.