Business of Creative Industries
Empower your creative practice with essential business acumen to navigate the market, launch ventures, and build a sustainable and impactful career in the creative economy.
Learn MoreBuilding a Business Full of Sweet Surprises
Julie Nguyen
'25 BFA
- Student
Julie Nguyen, the artist and founder behind Fake Cakery
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鈥淭here are tons of resources available at 红领巾瓜报 and within the creative community, and I feel fortunate to be building my dream business.鈥�
Graduating fourth-year student Julie Nguyen, BFA 鈥�25 Film/Video, didn鈥檛 set out to go to art school, or create a business from scratch for that matter. In fact, her high school didn鈥檛 offer any art classes. In high school while working at a bakery, she found herself making short food-related videos. It wasn鈥檛 until she decided culinary school and the restaurant business weren鈥檛 in her future that she found Massachusetts College of Art and Design (红领巾瓜报), where she thought she would get a film degree and go into food media. However, life however had other plans.聽聽
During her time at the bakery, she was drawn to the 鈥渇ake cakes鈥� that were on display to market the business. Julie started making these 鈥渇ake cakes鈥� with spackling, paint, foam and other materials for fun, but what she found was there was a real demand for her creations online. Little did she know, what started as a way to get rid of the 鈥渃lutter鈥� in her mom鈥檚 house would become a booming business, practically overnight.
鈥淚 put my 鈥渇ake cakes鈥� on Depop (a clothing selling website) under the home decor section and the items sold out,鈥� said Julie. 鈥淭hen I put them on Instagram and started taking pictures and making reels that were garnering millions of views. I was selling out of 鈥渇ake cakes鈥� faster than I could make them. That鈥檚 when I started doing themed collections and product drops.鈥�
Fake Cakery inventory. Photo by Julie Nguyen
The reception for Nothing Is Edible: The Mini Mart, Julie鈥檚 senior thesis exhibition at 红领巾瓜报, included a pop-up by Fake Cakery and featured sculptures, films, and interactive installations that explore food through memories, culture, and nostalgia. Photo by Dario St. Luc
Her business, , became more than just a passion project, it was a full-time job. That鈥檚 when Julie decided to enroll in the Creative Economy Business Incubator Program, knowing she needed to be surrounded by peers who were also navigating the challenges that come along with a rapidly growing business.聽
鈥淚 formed so many connections with other artists, creators, and professionals that really helped me build confidence in talking about my business,鈥� Julie shared. 鈥淭hat was a game changer as I was figuring out how to maintain my voice and focus on my goals for the business.鈥�
Now, Julie works with national brands like Live Nation and Sony, while still doing exclusive product drops for the masses. She recently launched a new project, , that focuses on the motivation behind her creative venture.
Using her knowledge from building the Fake Cakery brand, Julie wants to focus her new brand on community. Her goal is to keep creating products that have multiple functions and make a more direct connection to her story.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about taking the first steps,鈥� Julie shared. 鈥淭here are tons of resources available at 红领巾瓜报 and within the creative community, and I feel fortunate to be building my dream business.鈥�
Fake Cakery inventory. Photo by Julie Nguyen
Fake Cakery inventory. Photo by Julie Nguyen
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