“It makes my soul feel good.” Inside Myint Aung’s ethical fashion revolution

Boxers & Briefs Podcast #19: Starting a social impact brand with Reca founder Myint Aung

In an industry often criticised for its environmental impact and labour practices, Myint Aung is charting a different course. As the founder of reca, an Auckland-based ethical fashion brand, she has created a business model that prioritises positive social impact alongside commercial success.

Arriving in New Zealand as a refugee from Myanmar at age 13, Myint has transformed her personal journey into a platform that empowers other women, particularly those from refugee backgrounds. Through reca, she connects customers with ethically made jewellery, clothing, and homewares while creating opportunities for vulnerable communities.

From Myanmar refugee to Auckland fashion pioneer

Entrepreneurship runs in Myint’s blood. “Growing up, my mom had multiple businesses, so did my aunties,” she explains. “So I guess that’s part of my DNA.“

After completing her education in New Zealand, Myint pursued a degree in advertising and marketing. However, following her studies and an internship, she realised that conventional marketing wasn’t her passion. This revelation led to a period of reflection about her true purpose.

“I took some time to reflect on what I have done, what I have learned, and what I want to do in the future, which has always been to do volunteer work when I retire,” Myint shares. “But as I get older, I realised that life is not cheap either.“

This tension – between her desire to make a meaningful difference and the practical realities of earning a living – ultimately inspired the creation of reca. The business became her vehicle for bridging these seemingly competing priorities, allowing her to pursue both profit and purpose simultaneously.

“Not just about the money”

reca isn’t just a fashion brand – it’s a social enterprise with ethics woven into every aspect of its operation. The jewellery line employs women who came to New Zealand as refugees, providing them with training and paying them a living wage. Meanwhile, more than half of reca’s clothing line is manufactured by a social enterprise in Nepal, with the remainder produced by Nepalese factories adhering to Fair Trade standards.

For Myint, reca represents far more than a commercial venture. “It’s not just about the money to me,” she emphasises. “It sounds a little bit cliché saying it, but you know, it makes my soul feel good.“

This sense of purpose provides Myint with the resilience needed to weather the inevitable challenges of entrepreneurship. “There are days where I’m just like, ‘I’m so exhausted,’ but at the same time, I feel very happy and lucky that I have a goal, like a purpose in life, not just working.“

She acknowledges the fulfilment that comes from her roles as mother and wife but values having “a purpose of my own as a woman” through her business.

Putting on her “big girl pants”

Like many entrepreneurs, Myint started small, launching reca as an online-only side hustle while maintaining her full-time job. For approximately two and a half years, she balanced both commitments, reinvesting her own funds into the business rather than seeking external funding.

When she eventually went on maternity leave, Myint had hoped to grow the business. However, the realities of parenting proved more demanding than anticipated, temporarily pausing her entrepreneurial ambitions.

The pivotal moment came about a year and a half ago when Myint made the courageous decision to leave her job and focus on reca full-time. Shortly thereafter, she opened the brand’s first physical retail location at Orakei Bay Village in Auckland.

“It is a scary decision to make,” she admits. “But I feel like sometimes if you want to achieve what you want to achieve, you do need to make that move and take a risk.“

Myint credits her support system – including her mother, husband, and friends – for enabling her to take this leap. “It’s just nice to be surrounded by love and a supportive environment,” she reflects. This network not only provides encouragement but also offers honest feedback, which Myint values even when she doesn’t always follow it.

How charity donations became clever marketing

Despite her background in advertising and marketing, Myint found that her university education provided only a theoretical foundation that needed significant supplementation in the era of social media marketing.

To build awareness for reca, Myint has implemented several strategies. She works with brand ambassadors and influencers to promote her products on social media. Additionally, the brand donates to charitable organisations for fundraising events, with Women’s Refuge being a particular favourite due to its alignment with reca’s mission of empowering women and providing second chances.

This approach creates what Myint describes as a ‘giving circle’ – while the donations serve a charitable purpose, they also expose the brand to people who recognise and want to support reca’s values. This alignment between the company’s social mission and its marketing strategy has fostered a loyal customer base.

“Most of our customers understand the values of the business,” Myint notes. “So a lot of them are just very supportive of us. We do get quite a few repeat customers, which we’re happy with, and we’re growing.“

reca’s evolution

Since its inception, reca has undergone significant transformation. What began as an online-only side business selling jewellery has expanded to include a physical retail location with dedicated staff who share the brand’s values and vision.

The product range has also evolved considerably. “When we first started, reca was a jewellery business,” Myint explains. “We sourced products from other countries, and then we eventually changed that model to making our own jewellery in New Zealand. After that, we decided to also source clothing from other brands, and now we do our own clothing brand.“

This willingness to adapt and refine the business model reflects one of Myint’s core business priorities: staying flexible and ready to make changes when necessary. “If you keep doing the same thing that you’re doing, you will get the same outcome,” she observes.

Fair wages, customer love, and learning to pivot

While many fashion companies make claims about ethical production, not all invest in formal certifications like B Corp due to the costs involved. “We did look into something like that, but they’re not cheap,” Myint notes. “That is the path that we want to go down one day, but we’re small at the moment, small and young, so we’re not in the position to do it. But we know our core values and what we do.“

Even with careful planning and positive intentions, entrepreneurship inevitably involves risk and occasional missteps. For Myint, a significant challenge came last year when she decided to open a second store against the advice of others.

“Everybody was telling me, ‘Nope, not a good idea,’ but I can be a little bit stubborn,” she recalls with candour. “I decided, ‘Nope, I want to do this,’ because that will get me much closer to my end goal. However, that was a wrong move.“

After four months of disappointing sales, Myint made the difficult decision to close the second location. This period tested her not just financially but emotionally and spiritually as well. Yet, she views it as a valuable learning experience rather than a failure.

“We can’t plan everything,” she reflects. “Sometimes you just got to take that risk when you feel the time is right. Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. You just move on and got to keep going.“

This resilience and willingness to learn from setbacks will serve Myint well as she continues to pursue her vision for reca, which includes eventually growing to three or four retail locations—albeit with the benefit of her previous experience.

“I saw someone wearing our clothes on the street!”

While many entrepreneurs might define ‘making it’ in terms of financial milestones, Myint’s perspective is more nuanced. When asked if she feels she has ‘made it,’ she responds, “I don’t feel I have made it because I still have a lot to do.“

Nevertheless, she acknowledges moments of satisfaction along the journey. A recent highlight was spotting a woman on the street wearing one of reca’s clothing items – a small but meaningful affirmation of the brand’s growing presence.

More importantly, Myint finds fulfilment in knowing that reca is creating positive change. “What we’re doing, we’re also supporting people that are in a disadvantaged situation. We’re creating work,” she explains. This knowledge sustains her through challenging times: “Some days it’s hard, and you just go, ‘You know what, today may not be a good day, but I’m still making some sort of positive difference somewhere.’“

This perspective encapsulates the essence of reca – a business that measures success not just by its bottom line but by its impact on people’s lives. By creating beautiful products while providing opportunities for vulnerable women, Myint has developed a brand that allows consumers to participate in positive change through their purchasing decisions.

From her beginnings as a young refugee to her current role as a purpose-driven entrepreneur, Myint Aung exemplifies how business can be a force for good. Through reca, she has created a model that challenges the fashion industry’s status quo while offering a template for how commerce and compassion can coexist.

For those interested in experiencing reca’s products firsthand, the store is located at Orakei Bay Village, 228 Orakei Road in Remuera, Auckland. Alternatively, customers can visit the brand’s website at reca.co.nz.

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