🍵 THE FULL TEA 🍵

The Story behind STACK

This is a simple depiction of how STACK can provide users the ability to alter the dimensions of the garment.

Above is a depiction of the step-by-step flow users go through to alter footwear.

This is a full walkthrough of how STACK can be utilized in existing factories to enable fulfillment of custom garments.

Let’s get into the story behind where this idea came from.

Growing up in Seoul in the 90’s was impactful for me in ways that took adulthood to fully understand and appreciate. One major influence Seoul has always had on me was fashion. At the age of six my parents, stationed in Seoul with the US Army, started taking me to a place called ‘The Ville’ in Dongducheon to gobble down kimbap, drink hot cocoa in the freezing temperatures, giggle while I get my cheeks pulled by aujima’s and adashi’s teaching me basic Hangul, and to custom make matching family suits for church with the incredibly talented tailors there.

The apple certainly did not fall to far from the tree, because in 2013, I was stationed in Donducheon by the US Army. After my Battery Commander caught wind that I loved fashion he introduced me to a friend who worked at Seoul Fashion Week.

Two years later, God opened doors for me to become he First Black Fashion Designer at Seoul Fashion Week.

After my experience on Netflix's "Next in Fashion," in 2020, particularly the Prints & Patterns Challenge where designer Prabel Gurung complemented my partner and my designs quoting, “This dress is phenomenal” and “Culture at your face.” I became almost consumed with the idea of a micro supply chain that leveraged the state of the art technology we got to use while on the show. During the Prints and Patterns Challenge episode, we were given access to a package of technology that included textile printers, laser cutters, and a Samsung tablet with a graphic design software for us to create digital prints and patterns with for our competing outfits.

Those looks went on to be seen by millions of viewers around the world and even made it into Times Square in NYC. I’m grateful to God.

Behind the scenes after filming, I thought long and hard about how to bring the advanced technology we were provided with to my supply chain. I thought back to my roots in Korea.

That introduction changed my life and inspired, along with “Next in Fashion’s” technology, The STACKER. The STACKER is a Textile Preparation Device that Automates digital printing and laser cutting for textiles. I started development on it in 2019 with a provisional patent and then before funding and prototyping the pandemic struck. God had different plans.

Right as COVID-19 struck NYC, I was called to lead a team as the Joint Task Force Civil Support (JTF-CS) Military Historian for FEMA, to document the unprecedented response to COVID-19 for the nation’s official history. Our team did work as a part of a nationwide effort to ensure future generations have data on conducting pandemic response.

Balancing my military duty and my passion for design, my team and I worked on a collection named Dragon Slayer. This was the first time I used the type of made-to-order fulfillment my parents introduced me to when I was a child as more than just a sample development solution—that manual solution is now what STACK automates through Oracle Netuite integration.

I developed STACK—a vision inspired by a divine moment of insight. I envisioned shoes being deconstructed and reconstructed like Legos, unleashing unlimited possibilities.

The red blot on the STACK logo signifies the blood of Christ, a constant reminder of His sacrifice. I'm honored to blend my creativity with a divine calling, using this platform to share the message of Jesus Christ. As a vessel, I'm thrilled to contribute something that reflects God's favor in my life.

Blessings,

Julian Woodhouse
CEO, STACK