Dignity in Simplicity — Why I Started Curating Essentials

For most of my life, I have been fascinated by one question: How do people live better?

That question guided me from studying psychology in New York to beginning my career in the entertainment industry, where I learned how people connect (bridging), express themselves, and search for meaning.

From there, my path took me into global manufacturing, where I learned the value of craftsmanship, materials, and the discipline of creating things that last. Later, my journey led me into energy development—an industry focused on reliability, stability, and solving real-world problems at a national scale. That work eventually brought me to Ireland, where I worked to help improve power quality and system infrastructure.

Across these very different fields, one thread remained the same: I wanted to understand people—and help solve their challenges.

As I entered my forties, I realized something important. Often, the challenges that make life stressful or unbalanced are not dramatic ones. They are small, everyday frictions:

• a place that feels cluttered
• a gift that doesn’t quite feel meaningful
• an item that doesn’t age well
• a home that feels slightly disorganized
• the desire to maintain dignity and simplicity in a noisy world

These small details shape the rhythm of our days and the quality of our relationships. So I decided to create a space where those choices become easier.

At August & Oak, we curate essentials that blend classic design with minimalism—items that bring quiet confidence, order, and timelessness into your life. These are products I genuinely believe in, products I can give to my family without hesitation, and products that align with how I want to live: with dignity in simplicity.

Our selection is intentionally small. We are not here to push trends or encourage unnecessary consumption. We are here to offer thoughtful options for people who care about quality, character, and the long-term feel of the objects they live with.

This curation is personal. It reflects the way I see life, work, family, and the objects that quietly support them. As I continue building my skincare brand and consulting practice alongside this store, the core philosophy remains the same:

Thoughtful choices. Meaningful quality. Solutions that respect your time, your space, and your dignity.

Thank you for being here at the beginning.

Isaac Kim

Founder & Curator, August & Oak