When Misa and I arrived at Native Union, a luxury tech accessory company that sits in a high rise in the middle of Wan Chai, we were greeted by the warmest faces.
Their office was beautifully designed with sleek furniture and a book case with vintage odds and ends like a film Nikon camera, truly emphasizing their artistic touch. Bo, the Marketing & Communications Manager and Noor, the Sr. Manager of Trade and Executive Marketing, led us to a conference room where the gorgeous Native Union accessories were laid out on the table and hung up on the wall. Bo first gave us the run down on the company.
Native Union was founded by a tech-, design-, surf-obsessed duo who met in Hong Kong and took advantage of the launch of the iPhone. Native Union prides itself in creating, designing and building Apple accessories with high-quality, aesthetic design as well as an extra function. One example that stuck out to me as Bo pointed out and explained each product was their charging knot. This cable isn't your ordinary cable, as it also attaches to your keys and weighs the cable down to keep it from dropping.
Small details like these are what make Native Union accessories exceptional. Bo then moved on to describe her marketing team, which sits under creative. Though they work out of Hong Kong to be closer to the factories their products are produced in, their largest market currently is the U.S. Bo herself runs the marketing team including everything from social to graphics to public relations.
I really enjoyed learning about the intersection of tech, fashion and design at Native Union and plan to explore this niche industry in my own career path.
Grace Martinez
is a sophomore studying Public Relations who was born in China but raised in Koreatown, Los Angeles. She is interested in digital marketing, specifically in the industries of technology, music. entertainment and fashion/beauty, but also finds issue regarding politics and social justice interesting. She hopes to combine her skills in design with her interest in technology to create impactful campaigns