AMPLIFY by atmos: Meet Tiffany Wong

Continuing our Amplify series, where we utilize our platform to amplify the voices of BIPOC artists within the atmos family, we're highlighting atmos NYC Assistant Manager Tiffany Wong. We're launching a collaborative rug collection with the artist that will be sold exclusively at our New York location. 

FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW YOU, WHO IS TIFFANY? 

Tiffany is a 23-year-old born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. A collector of everything, a borderline hoarder. She loves to talk and pick at people's minds. A serial R&B lover and overall simp for some nice music about love. Oh, and a perfect Libra! 

HOW DID YOUR RUG-MAKING JOURNEY BEGIN? 

It all started in quarantine. The art classes I was participating in ended abruptly and I wanted to find something else I could be hands-on with. I had all this time and wanted to flip my room upside down. I started researching how to make my rugs since the cool ones I had been seeing were $300+. I came across a couple of rug-making videos and was instantly sold. It's been close to 2 years now, and I'm continuously working on my craft.  

WHAT UNEXPECTED ROADBLOCKS DID YOU RUN INTO WHILE GETTING STARTED? 

After discovering this new interest, it became super popular on TikTok; everyone started making rugs, and I kind of lost interest due to that. Another setback would be people replicating the same design I came up with, the fitted hat rug. After a while, I realized that everything would eventually get made into a rug, and I should not harp on something small like that. Another roadblock would be coming up with boundaries for myself; if I take on too many projects at once, creating begins to feel like work, and I want to keep rug making as a fun hobby for me, for now at least.  

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUGS OR THE RUG-MAKING PROCESS IN GENERAL?  

What I enjoy most about making rugs is just the idea that something so cool can be created from my own hands. I have total control over the size and color of the creation I'm making. I am always up for a challenge, and it's also cool to see people's ideas come to life. The possibilities are kind of endless, and you can essentially apply this medium to make other things besides rugs.  

 

IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU'RE HEAVY INTO SNEAKERS; HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN ENTHUSIAST? 

I started getting into sneakers in high school when I could save up money to buy my own. My brothers are what got me into sneakers. At their prime, they were very into Jordan's and SB's. I can give credit to one of my brothers for getting me into Nike SBs; at one point, I even owned about five pairs of Janoski's because of him. Now that they've gotten older, I'm the one buying them shoes and keeping them in the loop. Growing up with my brothers and being around sneakers, I've learned a lot, and working at atmos really adds to what I already know. 

 IF YOU HAD TO PUT TOGETHER AN ALL-STAR TEAM MADE OF THE TOP 5 SNEAKERS YOU OWN, WHAT WOULD THAT TEAM LOOK LIKE? 

My All-Star team:  

  1. Olivia Kim 'No Cover' 4's  
  2. Off White 5s' Muslin' 
  3. Air Tuned Max' Celery' 
  4. AwakeNY x Asics Gel Kayano 5 360 'Silver Mint' 
  5. Nasty Boys SBs 

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING A WOMAN IN A PRIMARILY MALE-DOMINATED SNEAKER INDUSTRY? DOES IT IMPACT YOU, IF SO, HOW? DOES IT CHANGE THE WAY YOU APPROACH THE SNEAKER GAME? 

I am starting to feel comfortable within this primarily male-dominated sneaker industry. For a while, I think my sneaker interest was questioned, people wondered whether it was from pure interest or if I was just trying to "fit in". All I got to say is that the proof is in the pudding, and I don't need other people's validation on that. It is rewarding to see myself and other women in the sneaker game because we're shifting the narrative of sneakers. The goal is to make space at the table for women and not make it a male-dominated space.  

WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT GETTING INTO THE SNEAKER GAME, BEGINNING CREATIVE PROJECTS, AND SUCCESSFULLY OVERCOMING LIFE'S OBSTACLES? 

I want to give my younger self the advice to "just do it." Coincidentally Nike's slogan (haha), but you never really know unless you try. It's better to say you failed based on experience than shying out. Still, I need to remind myself that it's easy to let the unknown cloud your vision. Always follow your ideas and trust them. 

WHAT'S NEXT UP FOR TIFFA?  

What's next? I'm constantly creating, and you can stay up to date with what I'm doing on my website tiffaluc.com or Instagram @tiffaluc. I will continue to indulge myself in hobbies that I cannot keep up with and drown myself in the 90s-00s r&b.