Rediscovering Rattan

Multidisciplinary designer Priscilla Ong Shunmugam talks about putting South-east Asians at the forefront of her brand’s inaugural furniture offering.

- Priscilla Ong Shunmugam

What are the cultural signposts in Asian homes? What defines and separates our living spaces from Western ones? How do South-east Asians savour life? What makes our nesting traditions and rituals so specific and so stalwart that they can resist technology or modern life? These are the questions that steered the Suvarnabumi universe, a lifestyle brand by Priscilla Ong Shunmugam, founder of fashion brand Ong Shunmugam.

Since launching with tableware last year, Priscilla’s Suvarnabumi has recently expanded its offerings to include a rattan furniture collection. “We are not looking to replicate or mimic, and not going for kitsch or low-hanging fruit,” says Priscilla, who designed the collection during the lockdown in London. “It is safe to say that the design lens we use for womenswear is the same lens we apply here.” Of course, we wanted to find out more so here goes:

WHAT COMPELLED YOU TO CREATE THE SUVARNABUMI UNIVERSE?

Two things: curiosity and a sense of timing. Fashion brands with the right DNA sometimes get restless to explore new territories, and I think we fit right in there. I love to create and am not precious when it comes to categories. But the real push came when I realised that enough years had passed for me to develop the foundations of a design language. Also, as a business, we were in a stable position to experiment.

WHAT MAKES YOUR SUVARNABUMI UNIQUE?

We create with South-east Asians at the forefront instead of as an afterthought. It is a counter-offer to the majority of options in the high-design value homeware market.