10/22/2016
Angkor Wat was built by King Suryavarman II between roughly A.D. 1113 and 1150 (Jarus, 2014). It was originally built as a Hindu temple which was later converted into a Buddhist temple in the 14th century. To many Cambodians, Angkor Wat symbolizes the Kingdom of Cambodia and the resilience of the Khmer culture. Based on that concept, Manny Sok was a pioneer who created Angkor Clothing-Brand as the first Cambodian urban apparel that represents Cambodia during its most powerful and magnificent era.
Like many Cambodian families, Manny’s parents fled Battambang during the Pol Pot regime and temporarily lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. They immigrated to the United States in 1981 when his mother was eight months pregnant with him. He was later born in Orange, California and grew up in the roughest part of Santa Ana on Minnie Street. He is the second child of seven children and endured tremendous financial and cultural struggles during his childhood years. Manny was first introduced to the garment and textile industry at the age of eleven when he learned how to sew from his parents in order to help them sustain the family economically. In the Western society, this would have been considered unethical and unlawful child labor. However, his family did what was necessary to survive the genocide in Cambodia and the economic hardship during their first few years in the United States.
After graduating high school, Manny enrolled in Orange Coast Community College in 2000 and took an Adobe Illustrator class to learn how to draw. Around the same time, he got a job at Tillys in Huntington Beach. He worked there for approximately one year and was inspired by brands such as Volcom, Vans, and Hurley. As a result, he utilized his Illustrator skills to create designs and started his own urban clothing brand in 2005 - - Angkor Clothing. He was still in the designing and planning stages until 2006 because he needed to save up enough money to produce shirts to sell. In 2007, he was able to save between $2300 to $2500 to produce 800 shirts to sell. He barely broke even that year. Rather than conceding after the challenges he encountered, he reminded himself what Angkor stood for - - resilience - - and persisted with his goals. To avoid having to borrow money from his friends or family, he took on jobs at a video store and Costco so he could save up enough money to produce more shirts the following year. With determination, he made a small profit the second year and a bigger profit the third year.
What motivated Manny to continue striving was his desire to create a legacy for Cambodians in the clothing industry. Angkor Clothing symbolizes the strength and resilience of the Khmer culture, and the unity in his family. The Angkor Clothing logo represents the five temples of Angkor Wat, and the seven lines represent him and his six siblings because they are all involved in every aspect of the clothing brand. The values of the brand include being proud to be a Cambodian, maintaining and spreading positive energy, and promoting social responsibility.
From conceptualization to design, Manny wants to preserve the Khmer culture and integrate a modern flare. Also, Manny shows gratitude to his customers for purchasing his products by contributing a portion of the profits from all the sells toward charity every year. Some of his charitable contributions consist of donating clothes and toys to The Cambodian Family, sending school and medical supplies to Cambodia, and contributing money and volunteering his time to the YMCA Cambodia Project.
Angkor Clothing celebrated their 10th year anniversary this year, and they only sell apparels at major events because they want to keep the mystique of the new designs that are released each year. Additionally, they want to help draw attendees to the major events each year such as the Cambodian New Year celebrations in Long Beach and Stockton, California. Manny credits his family, especially all of his siblings, for preserving the legacy of Angkor Clothing and for helping to support his social responsibility endeavors. He plans to go to Cambodia early 2017 to purchase clothes and school supplies for the children of the YMCA Cambodia Project and spend some personal time with them to connect more with them and determine how he can further help them in the future.
For anyone who has bought or plan to buy Angkor Clothing apparel, rest assured that a portion of the proceeds goes to providing much-needed clothing, toys, and school and medical supplies to Cambodian children in California and Cambodia. He has also donated gift bags to various organizations such as the United Cambodian Community. Manny and Angkor Clothing are busy throughout the year creating new designs, looking for environmentally friendly materials for their apparels, and networking with various organizations to give back to the community.
Photo by: Peter Phoeng
Reference:
Jarus, O. (2014, October 8). Angkor Wat: History of Ancient Temple . Retrieved from Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/23841-angkor-wat.html
