by JAMES S. KIM
Fashion is no strange world to Arden Cho. The Teen Wolf and YouTube star has modeled throughout her career and offered tips here and there to fans, but now she can also offer her own specific accessory.
Cho is a founding partner in the New York City-based watch brand Leonard & Church, which launched a Kickstarter campaign last week to help fund the startup’s first line of watches. It’s “a new way to buy a luxury watch,” the website reads. A core tenet of the company is that it cuts out the middlemen and retail markups while working directly with manufacturers to provide affordable, stylish options to the consumer.
“I’ve always been interested in fashion and watches in particular, because they are such simple items to wear yet can enhance one’s look and confidence dramatically,” Cho told KoreAm via email. “I get a lot of fans asking me for fashion advice via social media, and the first thing I tell them is that they do not need to spend a lot of money to look and feel good.”
Backers of the campaign can choose from 21 watches, depending on how much they pledge. The collection includes 15 “Classics” and six “Chronograph” watches, all with different styles of cases, faces and straps.
Cho and her partners at Leonard & Church seem to have tapped into a hungry market, and their Kickstarter is off to a hot start. The campaign blew past its $75,000 goal, and at the time of print, is nearing the $100,000 mark. The next goal is to hit $150,000 in pledges, which would allow three more watch options to choose from.
“We are humbled by the tremendous response that the campaign has received so far and are thrilled that our mission has resonated with so many people around the world,” Cho said. “We want Leonard & Church to represent a brand that makes true luxury quality accessible.”
To learn more, visit Leonard & Church’s Kickstarter page.
Photo of Arden Cho by Vince Trupsin for KoreAm.
