| Social Goods has another successfully funded design: customizable Celine Necklace made of upcycled materials. |
October 31, 2012
Successfully Funded Design: Celine Necklace
October 30, 2012
October 29, 2012
5 Minutes with Asia's Next Top Model Helena Chan
HELENA CHAN
"I was rejected by every agency in Hong Kong for a whole year, but I never gave up..."
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Eurasian beauty Helena Chan is representing Hong Kong in the first cycle of Asia's Next Top Model.
We interviewed Helena to find out how she got into modeling and what some of her favorite past times are.
Keep reading to see which ZAOZAO items she likes!
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Helena Chan, I'm half Swedish and Half Chinese. I'm currently living in Hong Kong, and I'm working as a professional model. I have always been an outdoorsy girl.
Some of my hobbies include hiking, diving, sailing and swimming. Hong Kong has
such an amazing country side, I take every chance I get to hike up to some of
my favorite beaches in Sai Kung
district.
I'm
also an animal lover. I love all animals, and I dedicate a lot of my time to
volunteer work at the SPCA. To me it's very fulfilling helping animals as I
have seen some horrific cases when pet owners have mistreated their dogs/cats,
and I have had to step in and rescue them. I have always believed that one life
is not worth any more or any less than another, and I believe that every life
should be treated with respect.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Positive, happy and outgoing, as I always
try to look on the bright side of life.
How did you get into modeling?
I know it sounds cliché, but I
have
wanted
to be a model since I was a little girl. I have always loved
the camera whether I’m in front of it or behind it.
Starting off
as a model, you have to face a lot of rejection. I was rejected by every agency
in
Hong Kong
for a whole year, but I never gave up and eventually I
got
signed. After I was signed my model career really
kicked off. What I love most about my job is that I
get
to meet amazing people and I that I use my body to create art. I really
do have a passion for fashion, and I feel very lucky to be able to do
what I
love.
What was the most memorable gig you
landed?
The most memorable gig I
booked
would have to be an editorial spread for Baccarat Magazine. The theme was
'Dominatrix Women', and I was modeling Dior, Gucci, Fendi
and Escada.
It was a lot of fun as I had to embody a fierce, strong
slightly evil women, which I had never done before.
Helena Chan represents Hong Kong in the first cycle of Asia's Next Top Model.
October 27, 2012
Accessory of the Day: Artessorio's Floriana Messenger Bag
| Artessorio's Floriana Messenger Bag has a beautiful perforated laser-cut design. |
Whether you're going to work, running errands or escaping for a weekend, Artessorio's Floriana Messenger Bag is perfect for holding all your essentials in one stylish place!
October 26, 2012
Our Designers: All Things Green & Beautiful
ALL THINGS GREEN & BEAUTIFUL
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All
Things Green And Beautiful (ATGAB) was founded by eco-designer Elaine Pang in
2009. Using upcycled materials, ATGAB creates fashion accessories and lifestyle
products such as one-of-a-kind bags, leather bow ties and head pieces.
ATGAB’s
products are made
up of at least 50% to 80% upcycled materials donated by the public. Using
upcycled materials gives ATGAB the creative freedom to experiment with
design, and helps raise awareness that recycled products can be creative,
fashionable and affordable.
ATGAB’s
latest collection, “Private Room”, was inspired by the men’s classic shoe
style, Brogues, which features multi-piece construction and perforated,
serrated edges.
Read on to find out more!
Why the name "All Things Green and Beautiful"?
Read on to find out more!
Why the name "All Things Green and Beautiful"?
I wanted a name that is simple and speaks what we
do and in short which is “ATGAB”.
What types of materials do you use and why do you work with them?
What types of materials do you use and why do you work with them?
Mostly scrap leathers & PU that was cut out
from old unwanted bags, the materials are firm to work with to form vary
shapes. We mixed them with new resources therefore at least 50% are from
recycled materials.
Tell us about the design process of your bow ties.
Normally will start from research to sketches then to samples and experimental of different material combinations and also feedback from friends. Lots of samples are made but I enjoy the process.
What sort of creative challenges have you faced?
Products that are able to be produced from sketches, make them out of existing materials by hands and most of the time needs to fine tune till the final look.
You hold handbag events to collect pre-loved handbags and other leather goods. Can you tell us a bit more?
It is held yearly, a one-day event for the public to donate their pre-loved bags and also launch of new collection.
Do you have any advice for other independent designers?
Designers are always stubborn in our ideas, sometimes is good to hear feedbacks from outsiders.
October 22, 2012
October 21, 2012
Our Designers: Fan
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Fan's Tying Rope Top was ZAOZAO's 1st successfully funded design!
Fan's Anti-Freeze Shearling Jacket is available for funding on ZAOZAO.
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After
graduating with a major in jewelry design from an art high school, Jinruei
left Taiwan to attend one of the most prestigious fashion schools in New York,
FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology).
Upon
graduating in 2007, Jinruei
launched his 1st
label, 2fer, with a fellow classmate. 2fer was chosen as one of the priority
focus brands by GIDC of New York (Garment Industry Development Centre). 2fer
was featured in fashion shows held by GIDC for 3 seasons in a row, and was
featured in WWD, ZINK, Teen Vogue etc.
In
2009, Jinruei
returned to Taiwan to found his 2nd
label, Fan. His clothes have since been featured in Vogue, Elle, SO-EN and
other publications. Earlier this year, ELLE Taiwan named Jinruei’s
label one of fashion’s new talent.
We caught up with Jinruei after his Tying Top Rope was successfully funded on ZAOZAO just 2 days after going live on our site. Keep reading to find out what it was like studying in New York and the advantages and disadvantage of being an emerging designer in Asia.
What was
it like studying at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York?
FIT was great, I learned so much
knowledge on how to construct a garment there. I never knew there were so many
skills involved in making a piece of garment until FIT. There are so many
professional classes to take, there's even a class just dedicate to making
corsets. FIT is a very technical school comparing to others in NYC, but I
always feel that creativity is to be born with, but skills is to be learned, so
FIT was just perfect for me. What can I say about NYC, it's just so special. I
lived there for 8 years, and I'd say those 8 years play a huge part of making
me who I am as a designer, and even as a person. NYC is just full of
energies and inspirations, but it's also chaotic and obnoxious; however, good
or bad, I love NYC nonetheless.
How would you describe your line in 3
words?
Downtown meets uptown.
What's a
typical workday like for you?
I am either in my studio all day
draping and making patterns, or outside all day sourcing for fabrics and
materials. People think being a fashion designer is just sketching out the
design, but that's just not the truth.
Where do
you draw inspiration from for your collections?
Mostly from my personal life, every
season I pick a theme that reflects a certain event of my current life or
emotions behind the event to be my inspiration, and sometimes it's very
abstract, people wouldn't know if I don't tell them the stories behind the
collection; I like it that way though, because I won't feel so bare. My
fall/winter '12-'13 collection "survival" was how I felt as an young
independent designer now in the market, because while we have already limited
resources, we need to put out a good collection, at the same time we need to
operate as a fully functional company, and also stand the test of the market
itself, all of these was just too overwhelming at the moment, I felt like I was
trapped on an island of the middle of nowhere with rugged surrounding trying to
survive. With all these depressing thoughts yet my collection was full of
silky blouses and gown with sequins, hahaha~
What are
some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a fashion designer in
Asia?
I would say the advantage is that the
Asian market is rising, and with more and more young Asian designers coming up,
the future of Asian market is full of possibilities. As for disadvantage, I
feel that compared to the Europe and the U.S. market, the Asian customers are
still shying away buying independent designers suppose to big name well known
designers.
Any plans
to launch a jewelry line given your background in jewelry design?
I did design some jewelry to go along
with my collection each season, but it's always just for the photo shoots or
the fashion shows. But, my plan for my brand is hoping one day it can
grow as an lifestyle brand which will definitely include a jewelry line.
What’s
next?
I am getting my spring/summer '13 collection ready for a runway
show, and I am working with an independent handbag designer which is also my
good friend, Teresa from Dot.Dowry to do a cross over collaboration on a
handbag line that is specifically for my SS'13 collection, if everything goes
well maybe we will see some handbags from me on ZAOZAO in the near future. So,
fingers crossed and stay tuned.
October 20, 2012
ZAOZAO infant days
came across this little meme / inspirational quote after dave mcclure/500 startups shared it on facebook.
in other (actual) news, zaozao was featured in the south china morning post a few weeks back, and we're due to be profiled again in next weeks' Post magazine. keep a lookout for zao in the press - some exciting things coming up! until then, keep on dreaming - keep on funding: www.shopzaozao.com.
October 18, 2012
Our Designers: 72 Smalldive
72 SMALLDIVE
"I'll live a lushlife in some small dive."
"I'll live a lushlife in some small dive."
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Inspired
by the jazz song ‘Lush Life’, Szetiong
Soh’s
leather goods label, 72 Smalldive,
is meant to advocate the “spirit in believing that one can live a rich and
meaningful life regardless of the scale of material wealth”.
Sze
explained he wanted to create a label that focused “on slowing down the
consumption process” so that their customers could “savor and enjoy the product
not just for its aesthetic or material value but also to understand where the
product was made”.
Although
the company is based in Singapore, Sze
revealed that “a large part of the creative and research process is done in
Milan” due to the “extensive network of artisans”.
Read on to find out more!
What was your inspiration in starting your own label?
In the fashion industry, there is little time and space for people to ‘get to know’ a product. Fast fashion has become the order of the day. When the label was started, the intention was to create a label that focuses on slowing down the consumption process so our clients could savour and enjoy the product not only just for its aesthetic or material value but also to understand where the product was made. Likewise our artisans are informed, at all times, where the products are sold. The label would like to do away that ‘disconnect’ between producers and consumers, brought about by fast fashion.
Hi Sze- can you please tell us a little
more about yourself?
A very
nondescript folk who enjoys a little luxury now and then in a low key sort of
manner.
What were you doing prior to 72
Smalldive?
I was a business strategy consultant.
What does the name "72
Smalldive" mean?
The label was inspired by a jazz song
called ‘Lush Life’. Albeit the sad connotations in that song, the crooner’s
determination to live a lush life inspired me to want to launch a label that
advocates that spirit - the spirit in believing that all incidents (whether
good or bad) will happen for the eventual good and the spirit in believing that
one can live a rich and meaningful life regardless of the scale of material
wealth. 72 Smalldive was meant to be a conducive locale/enclave to enable
people to inculcate that spirit and in that process bring to fruition a
meaningful relationship between material goods and humanity.
Why did you choose to be based in Milan
instead of Singapore?
Although that company is a Singapore-based company, a large part of the creative and research process is done in
Milan. This is mainly because Milan has a rather extensive network of artisans
and raw material suppliers. This network fits with our business model of ‘slow
retail’. It was also through this base that we were able to connect and
sell our products in Europe where there is a growing interest in product
provenance amongst consumers.
There are
principally two processes. The business considerations and the creative
considerations. Our Italian showroom provide us very relevant feedback on how
we should build our collection each season. With that feedback, the label would
take the opportunity to add on new product range each season. Over the past 3
season, we were able to expand our product offering from jewellery to bags and
now even to sundry items.
As for the
creative process, we start with an aspired lifestyle. References from our
previous collections are used in defining the collection theme so that we have
a continuing story for our collectives. Then only the fun part begins...i.e.
choosing colours, picking details, research on forms and materials. I am the creative director for all the projects.
There are
some collectives in which the label collaborates with another designer. But
that process is a longer process because we would like our collaborators to
understand and embrace the philosophy of the label.
Where do
you draw inspiration from?
Humanity.
Nature, literature, and music and how these elements connect with humanity.
PS. You will notice that each collection is named after a quote from a book or a
song.
Do you
have any advice for other independent designers?
I am still
learning about the trade every day thus I am afraid I have very little useful
advice for independent designers.
What’s
next?
Many
things are in the pipeline.
· After its successful
introduction of its first men’s accessories 50 for SS13, the label will
continue to build its line of men’s accessories (including shoes and
bracelets) in the next seasons.
· 72 Smalldive will
also be launching a project working with mass producers to produce items in
limited quantity.
· Last but not least
many probably did not know that the label’s first collection was actually
jewellery. We have been selling our bespoke jewellery to a limited clientele.
We plan to launch a selection of ‘pret-a-porter’ line, with the first
collection available by March 2013.
Head to our site to browse their unique wool clutch. Browse 72 Smalldive's Pinterest boards or their Tumblr catalog.
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