Creating Milanblocks: An Interview with Designer Hua Cline

Designer Hua Cline is the creator of the innovative fashion brand Milanblocks. She is a minority female entrepreneur who has worked her way through multiple prestigious fashion schools to achieve the position of success which she now finds herself in. The global fashion industry is enormous and it has been valued at $605.4 billion in 2022. Cline is taking a slice of this pie through her bold use of color and her extremely creative approach to design. Her designs are striking and eye-catching while still maintaining the essence of high fashion. 

Cline first exhibited her passion for design at the age of seven when she began creating garments for her dolls. Unfortunately, this passion was not nurtured by her parents and she would go to university for business. However, Cline did not let this stop her and she began creating evening bags in 2012 when she moved to the US. This allowed her to realize her passion for design and she would sell these bags online on websites such as eBay. She would, and continues to, use unconventional materials for her bags such as wood and acrylic. These unique materials give Milanblocks a distinctive edge and a dynamic and effervescent style.

Interview With Hua Cline

Where does your passion for fashion and design come from? 

Cline: From Love, childhood, and relationships.

How would you describe your aesthetic? 

Cline: The feminine artful combination of fun, romanticism, and childlike playfulness with a unique eye for bright and pastel colors, shape, and texture such as bling bling crystal and shiny surface to show off the high fashion. 

Who is your biggest inspiration? 

Cline: I think that should be something not someone, 50/60s vintage fashion is my biggest inspiration. I love nostalgia and commemorative things. 

What has been your favorite moment as a designer? 

Cline: When the final design comes out exactly as I want!

What advice would you give to other minority women looking to become entrepreneurs? 

Cline: Insisting on and consistently trying when you fail.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? 

Cline: I don’t have so much time to finish everything I’ve wanted to.

How does Milanblocks stand out from the competition? 

Cline: Affordable and unique high fashion design and all our designs connect just right to customers’ lives.

Is there anything about the fashion industry that you would like to change? 

Cline: Yes, I would like to say there should be a more open world for all young designers. What do I mean? In other words, I wish there was more opportunity for these talented artists and  designers to connect with the mainstream fashion industry. Nowadays, the door is still so hidden, there’s so much talent but they never get there. Most of the time it is about the fact that they don’t have the right connection inside the fashion industry. Many people like us, minorities and women, have a really hard time getting that connected.

Where would you like to see Milanblocks in the future?  

Cline: I wish one day Milanblocks can enter the mainstream fashion world and be as famous as some other independent brands. I would like to land in every department store. Additionally, I would like to create more jobs for all minority communities as well as working with more sustainable materials to protect our planet.

Final Thoughts 

Hua Cline has created Milanblocks off the back of her own hard work and determination. She has put herself through fashion schools to provide herself with the technical knowledge which she needs to bring her unique designs to fruition. This has led her to wish for a fashion industry which is more open to new talent from all walks of life. Cline also values sustainability and would like to move toward using a greater number of sustainable materials in her designs. She sees this as the future of Milanblocks and also as the future of the fashion industry. She takes much of her inspiration from her childhood, love and relationships as well as the fashions of the 50s and the 60s. Cline uses these diverse inspirations to create a truly singular fashion brand in Milanblocks.