For Sundae School, Korean heritage is in every stitch

Eight years ago, Dae Lim was high on Broome Street in Manhattan's Chinatown when a thought came to mind: “What if God is Korean and smokes weed every day?”

That irreverent question eventually turned into Sundae School, a smokewear brand rooted in South Korean heritage and Asian American identity. The conceptual question turned into a product that is as playful and unique as it might sound: clothing designed with the cannabis lifestyle in mind, built for different moods, different places, and even different levels of hunger when the munchies hit. Born from a tight budget and an even tighter community, the brand grew through pop-ups and gained a cult following on social media, and from there turned into something with genuine cultural staying power. Today, the brand is making clothing that takes South Korean street style seriously, while bringing it into conversation with the diasporic experience. 

Now, after years of building a devoted following one drop at a time, the brand has its first permanent home. And fittingly, it's right back where it all began, in the heart of Chinatown in New York. JoySauce caught up with Lim to talk to the founder about the full-circle moment, what it means to build something truly community driven, and what’s next for Sundae School.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Anjana Pawa: It’s amazing that you're in Chinatown, New York, right at the center of the Asian American experience. This is the first physical space for Sundae School after you've had years of pop-ups. What's it like and how are you feeling as the founder of the brand?
Dae Lim: I'm really proud. I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of our team. I'm proud of our community. I'm just proud. But I am also a little nervous because this is our first time. With a pop-up, you can always say, "Sorry, this is temporary." But now we have to build our foundation for real.

AP: You already have a huge fan following online and in person, and you've built a real community around the brand. What’s the plan now that you have this physical space?
DL: That's where so much of my excitement is coming from. I'll be here every weekend because I want to meet everyone. When people are walking and passing by, I want them to come in. We deliberately chose this location and designed the space to feel like a break from the outside world. You come in and have conversations. Honestly, my goal is to create amazing Asian couples. If we can beat Coffee Meets Bagel or create some accidental meet-cute moment like in a K-drama when someone brushes the hair out of someone's face, that'd be amazing.

AP: The space isn’t very big, but it still feels open and inviting. Is that why you chose New York?
DL: New York is where I grew up. I was fresh off the boat from Korea and was dropped into New York. This city made me hard, and it also made me soft. And Chinatown specifically is where I started the brand eight years ago. Now we're here, and I'm amazed because we were able to do it because we operated on such a tight budget. It really was a community effort. My partner—my husband—designed this space, and it's very homegrown and meaningful because we're doing it together. It feels truly full circle. 

AP: What can we look forward to from Sundae School, the brand?
DL: We're really excited about the clothes we're making. Even for a garment as simple as a quarter-zip, we care about every detail. For example, we intentionally stitched the inside to create a specific texture. We had to do three washes to achieve these colors. 

AP: Korean street style is such a force in culture right now. To bring that together with an Asian American perspective is really special, I’m sure.
DL: The biggest thing for me is being disciplined and obsessive about bringing Korean heritage into everything I make. We have several pieces that are hanbok-inspired. But I always ask myself: How do I make something we want to wear? How do I make it practical? Traditional hanboks don't have pockets, so I add pockets. I add elastic bands. I think about how people actually live in these clothes. And then of course, we’re also a smokewear brand so I want to be adaptable with the munchies. I want pieces that work for different moods and different times. When you're ready to get high, you can pop open a button and head to K-Town.