Joe Chia - one of the leading Malaysian fashion designers, in 2012 launched its own brand.
What was your way to become a fashion designer?
I always loved to sketch and I guess It all started where my parents took me to flea markets to shop instead of malls. And after the “treasure hunting”, there came the fun part – the D.I.Y or alteration sessions to “shine up the gems”. The dream as a designer was very far away at my young age as I was brought up in a very small town in Malaysia where the word "fashion" was almost non existent , but what I knew after high school was I wanted to do design. My interest and understanding towards fashion and clothing grew when I could afford to buy my first magazine at 18. I took up a course and graduated in 2010. It was then that I realized I could turn something I loved into earning a living. With the vision of seeing our designs worn by people on the streets, my eponymous label - JOE CHIA RTW was launched in 2012.
Do have any boutiques in other countries, and where?
We do not own a boutique of our own in other countries for the moment. However, we are selling in 16 selected stores in 9 countries including:
-Milan, Italy;
-Madrid, Spain;
-Amsterdam, Netherlands;
-Moscow, Russia;
-Berlin, Germany;
-NYC and LA, USA;
-Taipei, Taiwan;
-Shanghai, China;
-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Is Malaysia a good place for fashion industry?
Malaysia is a developing country, as well as the fashion industry here. I think there will always spaces for self improvement and the industry. I think it is important that every individual in the industry understands and share the same vision and work towards it together as everybody plays an important part in this roll.
Which materials do you prefer for your collections?
We tend to observe and experiment mostly with natural fiber. But we constantly push the boundaries in exploring new fabrication, technique and inventions.
I noticed that the most part of clothes designed by you is for men?
I noticed that the most part of clothes designed by you is for men?
I started off from thinking of what I wanted to wear, and what would I wear. And from the garments I designed, I realized that many people shared the same language as I did. Without gender restriction, and we believe our designs can be worn by men and women alike.
Do you prefer working with men or women?
I find both equally challenging and exciting.
I have a question about colours of you collections. Is it true that you like black colour?
I saw your last lookbook and almost all the clothes were black, does this colour mean something for you now?
We do not limit ourselves on our designs be it in the usage of colours or silhouettes however we do prefer more subtle, earthy tones whilst accenting on the construction, fabrication and details of the garment . We call it the "silent drama".
Do you have the concept of you design?
We like minimalism with a twist of deconstruction. We tend to make everything as functional as possible be it on our pockets, every little detail, or our choice of exotic fabrication. At the same time, we keep ourselves exploring cultural handwork and technique, experimenting the construction, shapes and silhouette of clothing.
How long are you in the fashion industry?
I graduated in 2010, it has been 4 years plus since then.
Do you have any special technique of tailoring?
Non specific. But we continuously explore and experiment new construction techniques for our garments.
Would you like to work with other designers, to make a joint collection?
Definitely! It's always interesting when you meet people from completely different backgrounds and cultures, and create something through the thoughts and experiences that both designers inject in. I have never trained in a major company, so working with UNIQLO, REEBOK and G-SHOCK for our past collaborations were an eye opener to see the structure of the company. To me, joint collaborations are always a great way to cross share cultures, background and environments.
From our first collection till our 6th one this season, we believe each of them and the entire journey along it was remarkable as every collection brought us to different opportunities, and we are very grateful for that. Our latest tradeshow and collection led us to some of our favorite stores like Daad Dantone in Milan, SPRMRKT in Amsterdam and Oukan in Berlin. It was another remarkable moment for us.
Tell us about your first collection, what was the main idea of it?
Chapter 01 – ‘The beginning of an end’, is a collection that interprets ‘the world end vision’, through the existing various issues such as cultural clashes, identity, political, natural disasters and so on. We strongly believe that in every end, there will always be transitions towards a better evolution. With the imagination of individuals who wear ‘Chapter 01’, they represent the future army that fight for a better future for us to live in.
What does inspire you?
Every collection is a different tale which is inspired by different elements. From the human anatomy, architecture to world issues etc, it depends on the message we want to convey in that particular collection. Besides art, I think self determination, motivation and aggressiveness is important to keep yourself inspired and to see things from a different perspective.
What kind of music do you prefect? What kind of music did you use during your fashion shows?
Music is very subjective to mood and environment. But rock music is definitely one of my kind, especially post rock. We never limit ourselves on our choice of music because they reflect different culture and mood.
Do you prefer to wear your own clothes or made by other designs?
Both
Do you love traveling? Where have you been?
Most countries I have visited are in East Asia and Europe such as Thailand, certain parts of China, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Italy, France, the UK, Belguim, the Netherlands, and Germany. We hope to pay a visit to Belarus soon!
The culture of which country do you like? Does this culture influence on your design?
Culture is something we hold very close to us, there is always a hint of cultural elements in our every collection.
