Running @akiandkoichi Is a Family Affair
I talk to Yuri Kim, Brand Director at Beyond Yoga, about starting her parents' fashion account.
When this viral video from @akiandkoichi popped up on my TikTok a few months ago, I instantly recognized the couple.
That’s because I had worked with their daughter Yuri Kim on a consulting project a couple of years ago (she’s now the Brand Director at Beyond Yoga), followed her on Instagram to stay in touch, and always thought her parents seemed soooo cool when flipping through her IG Stories.
Fast forward and now her stylish parents were on my feed getting 7M views with comments from people like Khloe Kardashian and Laufey.
For those not familiar, @akiandkoichi is an account where Aki and Koichi, a stylish couple in their 70s, show off their impeccable fits. They currently have 893K Instagram followers and 292K TikTok followers. Brands like Marc Jacobs, LOEWE, A.P.C., and more have all reached out to work with them.
Yuri runs all things content and partnerships for the account and her brother helps with the financial side of the influencing business. It’s a true family affair.
In today’s interview, I chat with Yuri about being “Kris Jenner to @akiandkoichi”, how her background in social media helps her manage her parents’ account, deciding what song to pair with each video (get ready for more Luther Vandross), and why she thinks their outfit videos resonate with such a broad audience. It’s a very wholesome interview that may or may not have made me tear up!!!
Rachel Karten: First, can you tell me about your current role and any previous social (or not!) roles you've had?
Yuri Kim: Sure! I am currently the Brand Director at Beyond Yoga. I've spent the last 13 years building a career in social media primarily in the fashion space at brands like Madewell, Steven Alan, and Vince.
RK: Talk to me about starting this account with your parents. Where did the idea come from? Was it something they were initially into and excited about?
YK: I spend a lot of time with my parents so they inevitably pop up in my stories. My friends always react whenever I post them, but I guess I just thought of it as normal because, well, they're my family.
Then, there was this one video of my mom I posted on a whim. I've never gotten that many likes and messages in my life. That's when I thought to myself "Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I post this on TikTok." They didn't take any of it seriously at first and thought the whole thing was funny, exciting, and weird.
RK: What was the first video to really take off? What was their reaction?
YK: The first video that took off was the first video I posted of them together. Prior to that, I posted individual fit checks of them. We were at Century City and I thought their outfits were cute so I whipped out my phone, propped it against a plant, and hit record without thinking anything of it. That's the one that blew up on TikTok.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
At first, they thought it was a silly thing, this whole world. They just went along with it for fun. But as the views and followers climbed, they started asking more questions.
It's funny, I don't think they ever truly understood what I did for a living until this all unfolded.
RK: Sometimes I feel like when parent style videos go viral on TikTok it's because the influencer is dressing their parents in their own clothes. But it seems like your parents just genuinely have really good style themselves. Do they have a background in fashion?
YK: Neither of them have a fashion background—my dad was in the medical field and mom was in education—but they've always been into clothes. I remember them picking out outfits together even when I was little. They've always been intentional about what they wear.
My mom's more into mixing things up, while dad prefers classic styles. They balance each other out well. Since I work in fashion, I do end up buying them clothes sometimes, but I think people can see their style is authentic, not something they're trying too hard at.
RK: How does your expertise in running social for brands help when it comes to your parents' account? Do you find yourself "social managing" them?
YK: I basically run my parents' social media. They're there to just do their thing in front of the camera.
I did, however, go on vacation and taught them how to film their own fit checks and that's been a game changer. I take care of their accounts, chat with followers (they get some interesting comments!), and land brand deals for them—all of them actually have been the brands reaching out to us. I also film and edit all their content, which is pretty fun.
My fashion background actually comes in useful here. I used to work with brands, so I understand what they look for in collaborations. That knowledge helps me adjust the content accordingly, from their outfits to the overall feel. Basically, I'm just trying to make them the perfect match for any brand they work with.
This isn't just a family affair for me and my parents though. My older brother also helps out. He puts his finance background to good use by handling all the invoices and paperwork (so helpful)!
RK: Who is choosing the music for the videos? Do your parents weigh in at all? I feel like it's always such a good curation.
YK: I curate the music for the videos but my family's music tastes definitely influences it. My dad's a big Motown and R&B fan, so there's always a lot of that in the mix. He’s always requesting more jazz and Luther Vandross so stay tuned.
My brother and I grew up on hip hop and R&B, so that evidently influences our music selection as well. I use trending audio sometimes, but it's all about finding music that feels authentic to us.
It's awesome to be able to incorporate songs by new artists I'm a fan of, like Laufey and Griff. It's been even more incredible to see them repost or share our videos, which is a cool way to connect with the music we love.
RK: Talk to me about some of the brand deals you've worked on with them. How has it been being on the other end of that process?
YK: We've partnered with some incredible brands—Marc Jacobs, LOEWE, A.P.C., Marimekko, and there's more on the way! It's pretty cool because I've always loved these brands' social accounts. Plus, they were all amazing to work with—like meeting people who speak the same social media language is refreshing.
It's definitely been an interesting process. I used to be on the other side, building contracts for brands. Now I'm reviewing them for my parents' deals, which is basically a whole other job on top of my regular one. The experience definitely helps when I am reviewing the contracts—I've made a handful of adjustments. Most brands honor what is written in the email but you have to be very prescriptive when reviewing each line especially with paid usage. Having that insider knowledge is definitely a plus because otherwise, I'd probably just sign without knowing what we're agreeing to.
RK: Any advice for brands when working with influencers since you have a unique perspective?
YK: In my past brand work, I always aimed to respect the influencer's POV. If you trust their content, trust their process too. They know their audience best, so open communication is key. A quick call with the influencer can build a good relationship and make things more personal. Respect goes both ways.
On our end, we always make sure to avoid sending out content that misses the mark. I understand how frustrating it is to receive content that doesn't align with the brief so I make sure we over-deliver and give brands exactly what they need. *Knock on wood* we haven't had to reshoot any of our content.
RK: What's something surprising you've learned or discovered working on their account?
YK: Sure, they're just mama and papa san to me, but I guess the world sees them differently. They spread so much joy.
When Good Morning America featured them online, the response was incredible. It surprised me how much their genuine love and positivity can brighten someone's day.
I see every DM / comment and people constantly share how they brighten their day and make them smile. It's actually really heartwarming. It's wholesome content, and I think that's why people love them. It's not just their style, it's their energy. My parents don't see themselves as influencers and don't take any of this that seriously but when I share these comments to them, it makes them happy that they make people happy.
RK: Do your parents get recognized while out and about now? How are they feeling about all of the attention?
YK: They're getting recognized more and more, especially when we're out to eat. The first time it happened, someone pulled over in the parking lot to say hi! That was surreal and we were all in shock.
My parents find it funny and a bit strange that people know them. They're homebodies so it's not a daily thing, but whenever we're out, people come up to say they love their Instagram, which is surprising each time.
RK: It must be so special to get to work with your parents in this kind of way. Has it brought you closer?
YK: My parents are basically my best friends, so it's not like this whole thing made us super close. But it is special for sure. It feels like we're on this crazy, unexpected adventure together.
Sometimes I'll call them up and be like, "Guess what brand wants to work with us?!" and we all just die laughing because it's so surreal. Having my older brother part of this "family operation" has also been meaningful. We're a tight knit family so getting to do this together has been really fun.
RK: Any final thoughts?
YK: My parents want to express their deepest gratitude to everyone! They're so touched by all the kind words and support. To show their appreciation, they wanted me to say Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! This is a way of saying "Thank you for your time and nice to meet you" all rolled into one. They feel incredibly lucky to be on this journey with all of you!
A few final notes!
You can support free interviews like this one with a paid Link in Bio subscription! I should note it’s likely an educational expense at your company—here’s a template for you to use when asking your manager. I’m biased but the Discord is worth the subscription alone!
Speaking of, Tuesday’s newsletter for paid subscribers was a fun one—I talked about my favorite posts of the week (including this one), a brand trip that wasn’t cringe, a video format you should try out, and more.
The Link in Bio Job Board is full of new roles. This TikTok Content Creator role at Quinn sounds very intriguing—the starting base salary is $135,000. There are also roles at Sesame Workshop, Amazon Games, Adobe, and more.
And finally, for all my Summer House heads, this sponsored post from Lindsay Hubbard is so wild. Plays into show/internet lore. What’s next? OXO doing spon con with her about how to get “soft” and “tender” meat using their tenderizer kitchen tool?
Okay bye!!!
I love this.