The Shop Owner: Jenny Chung, Owner of Acrimony and ACRE/SF

What exactly do you do all day?
"Most of my days consist of discovering new brands, traveling for inspiration, styling our models, on-location photography, building relationships with cool people, merchandising new product, and basically executing my dreams on a daily basis!"

How did you get to where you are today?
"I graduated college with an econ degree and started working as a wholesale analyst at BCBG. I studied numbers all day long, putting together reports, analyzing endless possibilities of data. I worked hard at that, trying to understand the underbelly of the retail business. Shortly after, I was recruited into a sales position at Bruno Magli, an Italian footwear brand. Outfitted with a laptop and Blackberry, I traveled 10 days per month, all over the globe, selling shoes to some of the best stores in the world. I was completely immersed in shoes, shoes, and more shoes for five years. I quickly learned the other side of the business, selling to boutiques and department stores, production and sourcing, and also building strong relationships along the way."

What would you consider your big "break"?
"Once I had it in my head that I wanted to make my dreams of owning my own boutique a reality, I started talking about it with everyone that would listen. I chatted up the right person at the right time and was introduced to my 'big break.' We met through a friend at a bar in NYC and brokered an investment deal over cocktails...in 10 minutes flat."

Photographed by Anna-Alexia Basile