Homegrown Glory

Three local labels have put themselves on the global map of fashion. Here, they tell us what it took for them to do so and what they’re doing today to stay in the game

- Koyyi Chin

Fashion has always been perceived as this impenetrable bubble of glamour where models strut the runway while the hungry gazes of the elite eye their clothing for every minute detail and the latest craze. It’s almost cut-throat with how quick it is to replace trends and brands that have gone out of season. To survive its demanding nature is already an impressive feat, but to come out on top of it while competing with hundreds and thousands of names is another. In this feature, we ask Malaysian labels Cassey Gan, Motoguo and Joe Chia about their 101 guide to building an independent label that’s gone international.

CASSEY GAN

Prior to obtaining her bachelor’s degree in womenswear fashion design and technology at the London College of Fashion in 2012, Gan was en route to becoming a chemical engineer, but she halted in her tracks and listened to her own intuition instead, which ultimately landed her an internship with Female magazine in 2005, where she was exposed to the fashion industry.

In 2013, Gan found herself in the thick of it as she took another calculated risk in creating her own eponymous label just a year after graduating. At the time, the UK had imposed post-study work visa restrictions, which cost her a chance to work with the local fashion houses, despite her graduation portfolio earning her a name as one of the top future talents to watch out for by Vogue Italia in 2012. However, the then 30-year-old designer saw it as an opportunity to better affirm her brand’s identity as opposed to being a lost cause.