The Exploration Of Androgyny

Drawing from the whimsical world of Peter Pan for his S/S ’20 collection, Malaysian designer Edie Chung shares how his label Friesenguys is for curious folks with a sense of adventure.

- Valerie Wong

“Chamomiles symbolize ‘strength in adversity’, which is an underlying message in all my collections,” says designer Edie Chung.

The name “Friesenguys” may sound vaguely European, but it’s really a last-minute portmanteau thought up by designer Edie Chung the night before he sent his first set of lookbook images to the printers in 2018. Pronounced “free-zen guys”, it was inspired by Malaysian designer’s favorite food, fries, and the target for his first collection: guys.

Since its inception in 2019, the KL-based brand is proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Not only has it earned a feature on emerging designer platform Not Just A Label, scored appointments with major department stores such as Vermeerist Beams and Wall Harajuku in Japan, it’s also procured stockists in both Malaysia (Isetan) and Singapore (Superfreak Boutique) – all this with just one sewing machinist on his team and every piece of garment produced in-house. It’s no mean feat considering the amount of detail and handiwork involved.

The androgynous label’s aesthetic comes from a philosophy of designing in reverse: creating menswear from womenswear – taking traditionally feminine materials and combining them with masculine cuts that are comfy and easy to wear.