A Thank You From the Owner of Mochipan

A Thank You From My Heart

Mochipan started in the most humble way possible: just me, sitting in my room after college trying to figure out what on earth I was going to do with my life. I didn’t have a fancy degree or a clear path ahead of me, so I threw myself into what I did love – fashion – and tried to build a shop that people could actually trust. My whole goal back then was simple: bring people the kind of pieces they see online and fall in love with, but do it in a way where they knew they’d actually get their order, and that the shop caring for them wasn’t going anywhere (AKA my wholesale era - I still didn't think fashion design was for someone like me at the time. How silly I was.)

For the first couple of years, that went pretty well. And then the online attitude toward shops like mine shifted, and Mochipan started slowly declining. Right as that was happening, my health completely collapsed. Unrelated, but it really sucked. I ended up in the hospital with sepsis, and then spent almost two years dealing with recurring infections that took away my ability to function on my own. I needed help with almost everything including basic tasks most people don’t even think about. It was one of the hardest, most isolating periods of my life, and I genuinely believed my dreams of owning my own business were over.

I had always imagined myself creating fashion, designing things that made people feel excited and happy and seen. But I let that dream go because I didn’t think I could ever be “that” person, especially not while plus size, sick, and feeling like a shell of myself. But, somehow, going through something so dark made me realize that none of that mattered. If I wanted to create unique designs like the kind I’ve always looked up to, there was absolutely nothing stopping me from trying.

Once I finally started regaining my health, I began sharing my original ideas online. I was terrified… but you were all so incredibly supportive from the very beginning. That support meant more than I can ever really explain.

There was a really rough chapter along the way that I don’t want to dive into again, because it’s something I’ve worked so hard to move beyond. But I will say this: it tested me in every way possible. It was a lot to survive, especially what I had already been through. I felt as though everything I had finally built up the confidence to do was being taken from me, and I felt beyond defeated and alone. But, I did survive it. I learned so much; about myself, about running a business, about this industry, and about the things people don’t talk about enough. I learned to appreciate myself, my dreams, my morals, my ambitions, and I learned just how strong I really am.

Not all of it was pretty, but the journey has been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done.

And through all of it, you’ve been here. You’ve supported my designs, my ideas, my relaunches, my experiments—all of it. You helped me rebuild something I thought I had lost. You helped me believe in myself again.

Thank you, truly, for sticking with me. Thank you for supporting my “silly little ideas,” as I always call them. Thank you for giving Mochipan the chance to grow into something real and lasting.

I’ll keep doing everything I can to make Mochipan a brand people love, trust, and feel excited about. A brand that’s here to stay.

I’m so, so grateful for all of you.

— Rae, Mochipan Founder