GoKawiilKey Takeaways Chen, a Parsons School of Design graduate, set out to create ‘wearable art that really shows who you are.’
Wu’s background in brand marketing helped the co-founders build efficient systems and scale.
Now, with $1.5 million revenue and a ‘Shark Tank’ deal secured, the business continues to expand.
Susana Chen and Jess Wu’s New York-based beauty startup Never Have I Ever began with a simple question: What if art could be living on unexpected canvases — not just on printed T-shirts or hats?
Chen had some experience with the latter, growing up in New York City’s Chinatown, where she helped sell “I Love New York” tees and other customized items at her mother’s souvenir shop.
As an adult, Chen graduated from Parsons School of Design, worked at several creative agencies, founded the non-profit Asian Creative Foundation and attended craft fairs, where she purchased artist-made goods and spotted a gap in the market when it came to a certain slice of self-expression.
Chen saw the potential to start a business selling press-on nails, temporary tattoos and tooth gems — “wearable art that really shows who you are,” she says.
Chen brought the idea to her former colleague Wu, whose corporate background in brand marketing came in handy. Wu has helped cross-cultural brands, from consumer goods to tech companies, go global. She knew how to build efficient systems.
The duo officially launched Never Have I Ever in November 2023. Chen says the brand name has “multiple meanings to empower people in their individuality” — encompassing her and Wu starting a business for the first time, artists experimenting with new mediums and customers trying new looks.
Image Credit: Never Have I Ever. Jess Wu, left, and Susana Chen, right.
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