On Slow Fashion with library@orchard’s Resident, Adel Ng
During the period from February to April 2024, library@orchard hosted designer and maker, Adel Ng (muta.wear), as part of its artist-in-residence programme. In active partnership with the Fashion Revolution, Adel is a passionate advocate of slow fashion and zero-waste initiatives.
As she concludes her residency, we took the opportunity to chat with her about what drives her creative processes and her inputs on the importance of upcycling.
Can you tell us about your journey as a designer and maker over the past two decades? What inspired you to pursue this career, and how has your work evolved over the years?
When I was young, I was always dissatisfied with the costumes of Disney characters and wished I could create my own versions. Both my grandmothers were very good with their hands and into crafts, so that could have contributed as well.
Journey-wise, I am glad to have persisted and survived! Hopefully, I’ve learned, grown, and evolved my senses and capabilities. With regards to how my work mindset has evolved over time, I still always feel a need to understand how efficiency and effectiveness differ especially in the context of designing and making products for people.
Could you walk us through your approach to crafting and designing? Where do you usually get your materials if it is mostly upcycled?
The material guides the application, and there is always a fight between function and form. I experiment through the making process and believe that deconstructing and reconstructing holds infinite potential for creating renewal, value, and extending a product’s lifespan.
So far, collecting discarded materials such as unwanted textiles and old clothes “karang-guni” style from kind folks and friends has helped immensely. I also source sustainable yarns from suppliers and manufacturers abroad, in Portugal, Indonesia, Turkey, and India.
How have you come to associate yourself with Fashion Revolution Singapore and how has it helped you and your work?
The Rana Plaza Disaster in 2013 completely and irreversibly destroyed my preconceptions about being in the fashion industry and being involved in unethical business practices, forcing a re-evaluation and catalysing a change in how and why I work.
I joined the Fashion Revolution Singapore team in 2017 to be a part of a larger community driven by purpose and people over profit, and the solidarity of the movement and the friendships developed over the years have been invaluable.
What are some of the most challenging and rewarding projects you have worked on?
Currently, the most challenging part of running this business is how to scale production and outsource manufacturing, integrating this with upcycling and zero-waste approaches, and running an ethical business practice.
How do you adapt your design approach to meet the needs of different clients and sectors?
Creating workshop experiences versus product development are different processes. Every client and project is unique, so my approach has always been to communicate continuously, asking lots of questions, listening to feedback and always being ready with multiple options for problem solving.
Fast Fashion is exceptionally prominent today. How would you encourage people to purchase clothes in a sustainable way and how would you encourage upcycling to permeate into everyone’s daily lives?
I believe in exercising our right to repair, and to consider cost-per-wear instead of just chasing after a bargain. Swapping and thrifting can be fun, and upcycling what you have thrifted or swapped through alteration or mending can be a great upskilling opportunity and unlocks a sense of achievement for creating something totally yours.
Of course, if you must buy new, the mantra of “Choose Well, Buy Less, Buy Better, Make It Last” must stick. Taking care of your garments so it can last longer is also vital.
What advice would you give to aspiring designers and makers who are just starting their careers? Are there any lessons or insights from your own journey that you would like to share with them?
Collaboration and teamwork are key to progress, and we need to always be reflecting and reevaluating the value of what we make and put out in the world. I also don’t believe in comfort zones as change, chaos and conflict are constant, so it’s important to create an inner safe space or “inner peace”. What it all boils down to is having empathy and looking after your own mental health.
Adel’s post-residency exhibition will be available at library@orchard’s Trend Gallery from 3 May to 30 May. Do come down to check out what she has been working on during her past 3 months with us!
For updates on library@orchard’s curated design programmes, subscribe to library@orchard’s Eventbrite collection or join the LearnX Arts Facebook group!
