Ringang sisters merge trends and comfort in KeseBelauan Klothing line
Micronesian Monday Feature
Newly launched KeseBelauan Klothing is the latest brand to promote Belauan pride, with trendy but distinct designs, thanks to sisters Kiara Ringang and Geneva Ringang.
The two hail from the Republic of Palau, specifically the state of Airai.
“Back in Palau, we lived in a small part of Airai called Kesebelau. It’s an area where we were one of the first people to live in, and have been living in for 20+ years. We thought it would be perfect because if you look up ‘kesebelauan’ on (Instagram) or TikTok, you can either find our page or our older brother’s and no one else’s,” the sisters said.
The pair have pretty much gotten the SEO jump on “KeseBelauan,” save for their older brother, who nabbed @kesebelauan on IG and Twitter. While they work on getting him to relinquish his social media handle, the sisters concede that their brother might have a role in their business name.
“Hopefully nobody tells him or he’ll take all the credit,” they joked.
Now based in Hinesville, Georgia, Kiara, 24, and Geneva, 31, offer t-shirts and hoodies and customizable products on kesebelauanklothing.com.
FIND THEM ON IG AND TIKTOK @kesebelauan_klothing
When Geneva, aka Viva, came across TikToks of people creating custom shirts and cups using the Cricut, she decided to invest in one.
“When she got it, I thought it was pretty cool and she jokingly said, ‘We should start a business,’” Kiara said.
The sisters couldn’t just shrug off Geneva’s suggestion. The seed was planted and the idea of a business continued to bloom and it bloomed swiftly. Geneva was already doing a business plan project for her Master’s program. She knew what it took to start one.
“I looked at her and laughed,” Kiara recalled. “And then I really thought about it for a minute and said, ‘Ok!’
“That same night, we sat down and came up with our name ‘KeseBelauan Klothing,’ and brainstormed designs that eventually became what we have now on our website known as the Proud to Be Belauan and our Belauan Flower designs.”
After a couple of months of designing and planning, the sisters launched their website in May. They were excited.
But then they encountered a nerve-racking problem with their first order. Something had gone wrong with a payment.
“We just wanted to close down the shop and make sure everything was fine,” Kiara said.
They say fortune favors the bold and fortune wasn’t going to let the Ringang sisters close shop just yet. Just as quickly as they had come across a problem, the sisters found the solution and they completed their first sale.
“Ultimately it was an easy fix, and then we went back to feeling excited. The first piece that we sold was a white hoodie with our ‘Proud to Be Belauan’ design on it, and it was a mixed feeling of happiness, excitement, worry, and constantly asking ourselves, ‘Is it good enough?’ or ‘Are they gonna like it?’” Kiara said.
While the sisters still harbor some of those worries even after their customers have flocked to purchase their designs, Kiara and Geneva soldier on. In addition to hoodies and shirts, the sisters offer custom products like home decor and tumblers.
Their Proud to Be Belauan shirts come in a variety of trendy tie-dye styles, with “Belauan” in old-English style font emblazoned across the chest. The font choice contrasts with the different tie-dye colors in a design that just works. They manage to strike a perfect balance in their dye jobs.
KeseBelauan Klothing also features a Belauan Flower design with an old-english type font repeating “Belauan” on the front, layered under a cluster of hibiscus. The hibiscus is an homage to their mother and their motherland.🌺
“We also love to incorporate hibiscus flowers into our designs, such as the one on our ‘Belauan Flower’ designs because it is our mom’s favorite flower, and it reminds us of our home back in Palau, which is surrounded by hibiscus flowers,” they said.
With the first heart-stopping order out of the way, KeseBelauan Klothing has plowed ahead, even creating custom bulk orders. The Ringang sisters have styles for the masculine and feminine consumer with a variety of colors. One of their favorite designs is the Proud to Be Belauan t-shirt in cheliub . It’s just one of the many ways they’re weaving their islander roots into their creations.
“One of our favorite shirts in our line is our ‘Cheluib’ tie-dye shirt, a color inspired by Palauan turtle shell jewelry,” they said.
Kiara added, “Personally, I would consider our styles to be cute, yet comfy, as well as girly yet edgy. Me and my sister both love nude and pastel colors and we enjoy incorporating those into our style. The style of our clothing line is like a mirror reflection of our personal style.”
These are designs that you can wear on a normal day at the house, or even going out on a Friday night, Kiara said.
The pair point to their recognizable designs as what makes their products stand out.
“Each and every one of our products are made by either me or my sister, and we make sure to give everyone the best quality that we can provide. Also because we do the tie-dye and designs ourselves, you will be guaranteed a product that is uniquely different from all of the products that we have ever sold,” they said.
Geneva and Kiara hope to provide Palauans around the world with quality clothing to wear and represent that they are proud Belauans.
“While looking their absolute best of course,” the sisters added.
They have their sights set on opening a boutique, maybe even one back home and offering printing services as well as products. In the meantime, the Ringang sisters continue to invest in KeseBelauan Klothing looking to provide more for their customers, even buying new technology to expand their inventory and designs. To see what new designs they’re working on, you’ve got to keep an eye on their website and social media accounts.
Be sure to check out KeseBelauan Klothing online at www.kesebelauanklothing.com. And follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
“We love making Tiktoks. It’s very entertaining and I believe that is our largest social media platform right now,” Kiara said.
Geneva and Kiara are also on Instagram @vivaringang and @ipongel_
Follow them there, too!
Mesulang, Thank You, Kiara and Geneva, for sharing your story.
Please SUPPORT them online and keep KeseBelauan Klothing in mind the next time you’re looking for a fresh fit or a custom cup. I know I will.
Thank you for reading. Write to you again soon.
Cheers,
Jasmine
If you liked this, why not subscribe to The Husk? You’ll get these stories and more sent to your email. It’s an easier way to learn about cool Micronesian creatives and that’s kind of nice, right?