W8RLD: A New Space For Emerging Southeast Asian Designers
This is the place to discover some of the region's most experimental names.
It may be easier than ever for young designers to get the spotlight (especially on social media), but beyond the initial flash and hype, how does one grow a business? As a whole, fashion excels in showcasing the beautiful and the new, in being the first to crown an emerging designer as the next big thing, but the actual gritty behind-the-scenes work that's needed to sustain a business in the long run is seldom focused on.
More support systems (at every level) are needed and one such player is the W8RLD (say "world") which makes its debut today. Started by creative consultant Jariel Ann and entrepreneur Aqilah Adnan (who prefers to be known as Momo), the platform bills itself as an independent online marketplace offering a curated selection of clothing, accessories, and art by Southeast Asian artists and designers.
W8RLD co-founders Aqilah Adnan (who prefers to be known as Momo) and Jariel Ann (right)
Ann and Momo, who come from fashion direction and marketing backgrounds respectively, have assembled an exciting line-up of a dozen emerging labels that are big with the Gen Z crowd. Names include the Singapore-born, London-based knitwear specialist Bryan Yeo; upcycled ravers' favourite Ghostboy; the quirky Seremban-based "wearable sculptures" practitioner Money Wang and more.
Common among these labels is an experimental spirit that combines time-honoured motifs with a sensibility that's purely today – as evidenced in say Ghostboy's rave-ready re-invention of the traditional qipao, for example, or Singapore designer Denise Chong's signature sensual beaded accessories.
The duo, both 24, describes W8RLD to be a self-funded "passion project" where more people globally can be made aware of and connected to the growing contemporary design scene in Southeast Asia. Below, they take us through how they intend to do so.
Hi W8RLD team – what's the story behind this project?
"W8RLD is an independent marketplace offering a curated selection of clothing, accessories, and art by South East Asian artists and designers. It started as a bit of a passion project for the both of us. We had a group of close friends we met in design school who were craft makers and made unique one-off pieces of jewellery and clothing.
We’d have each other's measurements and purchase pieces from one another in support instead of getting them from (mainstream) companies that offer identical options. In a way it felt like spite (against the system), wearing a piece made by a friend that was entirely unique. It made it even more dear as it was putting money back into our community and the other people who call
it home.
Setting up W8RLD was a spur of the moment decision but we wanted to connect the world to the contemporary design scene in Southeast Asia and provide a virtual marketplace that connects people directly with designers, artists, and craftsmen, while providing fair compensation to contribute to their growth."
Pictured: A design from Malaysian label Ghostboy
Tell us more about the curation process behind the selection of designers – how do you determine who you represent on W8RLD?
"At its core, we hope the platform champions the designs of an emerging (and exciting!) space that’s always been present in the region, but also to advocate for it on a global scale. The diversity of Southeast Asian designs are often overlooked, and at any mentions of it, images of batik and resort wear may come to mind – and indeed these pieces are synonymous with the region. However, a new style blending the past and present has been emerging and constantly evolving in most recent years.
The disruptive use of traditional techniques on new materials, such as intricate beadwork done using metals instead of glass beads or batik dyeing on heavy knits as opposed to cotton...
A new frontier of creatives are working to preserve the longevity of our traditional crafts, (but they're doing so by) reimagining the future of these practices. We believe it is precisely our generation of multidisciplinary polymaths that hold the key and are the backbone of our community. The designers represented at W8RLD mostly work independently or with a small team to create one-off pieces that puts emphasis on experimentation, consciousness and artistry."
What roles do you each take up at W8RLD? And is there a story behind the name?
"We work in sync with each other and take up various roles since it’s just the two of us for now. Jariel works on the front-end side of things like the user interface, design, marketing and vendor liaisons, while Momo works on the back-end of the business such as managing sales activities, optimising our e-commerce workflow and inventory (and being the mother of excel sheets!)
W8RLD is a tongue-in-cheek name we thought about rather casually. We wanted the platform to draw some sort of awareness to Southeast Asia on a global scale and thought ‘WORLD’ had a ring to it. We’d swapped out the ‘O’ for an ‘8’ as it looked like an infinity symbol stylistically and 1998's our birth year!"
Pictured: A bag and a pair of briefs from Singapore label Denise Chong
What can we expect to see at W8RLD's launch?
"Not all designs stocked at W8RLD are exclusive but the majority of them are one-off pieces, with each designer stocking a varied number of merchandise with us. You can expect beadwork pieces from Denise Chong Adornments, inventive sculptures from Malaysian artist Huntilanak whose collection features a 3D sculptural vest made of upcycled denim. London-based labels by Singapore designers include Studio Byran, which creates knitwear using handwoven yarns to produce versatile pieces that are meant to be worn year-round, while Mossy crafts necklaces and chains made of freshwater pearls and acrylic beads."
How will designers benefit from being stocked at W8RLD?
"We offer designers the flexibility of creating one-of-one pieces without having to worry about things like minimum (order quantity). We shoulder the cost associated with marketing their craft to the awareness of a global audience. W8RLD brings together a wide network of designers, buyers, and other industry professionals with a shared appreciation for the exciting fashion and design space in Southeast Asia."
Pictured: A design from Malaysian label Ghostboy
What sort of logistical/business problems do young labels typically face that perhaps the general public might not see?
"Starting a company requires a certain level of risk taking and we recognise the privilege that comes with having personal savings to tap into for a start. We are both in agreement that accessibility (to fund a business, among others) still poses an issue to young labels. More emphasis should be put on rethinking the importance of arts funding especially in the post-Covid age. It is often overlooked as secondary but there is an obvious need for more scrutiny of the relationship between arts, culture and the public sector especially from the standpoint of independent business owners and freelancers.
Speaking from experience, we think one significant setback young labels face is the lack of access to financial resources. Deducing a realistic figure to sustain the longevity of a business is no easy feat. After all, financial backing is essential, especially when there are plans to develop, quantify products and diversify inventory in the sales pipeline."
Pictured: A design by Singapore label Studio Byran