There has been a recent effort to bridge the economic ties between the Japanese and Singaporean design industries, aimed to encourage cross-border collaboration at various points along the supply chain. For some, the pursuit for quality has come without intervention. The Makers' Journal speaks to Kage and Kenghow, brothers and founders of new fashion label biro, about making clothes the good old traditional way.

Have you always been interested in clothes and fashion?

K: Yes, since secondary school!

KH: I remember drawing stuff during my army days. And then back in 2007 we were very into street wear, so we started an online store where we imported street wear from America. We bought and sold brands and as we slowly grew out of the street wear thing, it evolved into biro.

So you were never properly trained in fashion?

K: No, but our mum is a seamstress, so if there's anything we just ask her!

KH: There are a lot of techniques, a lot of hidden stuff that we can't learn from books alone.

K: So actually we buy a lot of stuff, a lot of clothes, and from there we take reference. Most of the clothes we buy are not trendy clothes. For myself I have been into denim for a long time, so I have collected like 30 to 40 pairs of denim pieces, and from there you learn and pick up.

KH: Previously I was actually running my own printing company, something I started way back before everything, but I'm not a very businessman kind of person. I just did it because I didn't want to work for others, so I had to find something to do. But I couldn't go into fashion straightaway because I had zero experience.

Has realizing your own fashion label from scratch been a tenuous journey so far?

K: Before biro we tried designing street wear. It was more graphic, but after that we realized it didn't really suit our taste. For biro we tried many different products around the same design, and for the quality and workmanship, we tried a lot of different countries, different makers, different fabrics before we finally went to Japan. We tried everything that was possible. Actually we already knew Japan was the best fit at the start, but to go to Japan directly is a little tough, because everything is so expensive and you need to speak Japanese.

KH: It's lucky that we came across these particular two factories and they are quite good in English...

K: But still it's in Japanese English! (Laughs) You can communicate but once the email comes, you go.. what are they talking about? So to make sure things are clear, we usually go down to Japan. It's the best way, if not sending stuff to and from Japan is just too expensive. We really searched through every single factory, and they were all spread out everywhere - we had to see what they are good at, what they are famous for.

Do you feel all that hard work paid off? How has the response to biro been so far?

KH: In terms of appreciation it has been quite fantastic, but in terms of sales, it's not exactly what we expected, but I guess this is how it goes, being a new brand and having a higher price point that our local market might find harder to accept.

K: Before we made the price point, we looked at our product to see if it's worth this price for a consumer. If we feel that it's possible to sell at this price, we're comfortable with it. But to me, whatever we do is not pricey. We are not like those huge labels - their production is in such huge units, so their cost is so much lesser than ours. For people who usually buy such quality stuff or who like such traditional methods, I don't think they will mind, but the thing is I don't think many people in Singapore know about such things. They go for fast fashion.

Can you explain "quality" in fashion?

K: For me, I think it's different perspectives. Everyone can say their product is of a high quality, even if you mass produce it in Indonesia, but it's the depth of it. For us, we go through every detail, from the sewing, the workmanship, to where the fabric comes from, the dyeing method. We also use old machinery. It's more in-depth. When you tell people they don't really know what you're talking about. So you can say anything is premium, but premium on what level?

Biro uses traditional production methods. How does this separate you from the pack?

K: Fast fashion factories use modernized machines so the speed is very fast. I'm not saying there is no quality but there is definitely something missing. We go to Japan because only they have the vintage machinery. Like for this t-shirt (Artisan Patchwork T-shirt from biro's first collection), only two factories in the world have the machinery to make and produce it. Whatever we are doing, a lot of high end designers are doing it as well, just that they are really up there, so they don't really need to spread the word. For example, NIKE just did a collaboration with the factory we work with.

How did you begin to design your first collection?

KH: Actually we spent quite a lot of time planning and developing this first collection. We were going through a lot, wanting to work with the right places, the right people, and developing what we could be satisfied with, so it took a good two and a half to three years.

K: We are quite demanding, because even for the Japanese factories, if we are not happy with their work we will just question them, "Why is it like this! Is this a Japanese product?" Because we buy a lot of Japanese products ourselves, so if we see that the ones we bought are of a certain quality, then why is the factory producing otherwise... It's not like everything made in Japan is automatically good.

What about the theme of your first collection? Is there a story you are trying to tell or a message you're trying to push through?

K: Intervention.

KH: It's about how we want to bring this whole new idea about precision manufacturing to our market here. We had been sourcing for good materials and good workmanship for the past couple of years before we decided to launch, and we had the designs since two to three years ago, but we were doing our samples, wasting a lot of money, going back and forth with a lot of people... Even until now we're still tweaking. Then finally we decided to release the collection. The main thing about "intervention" is we want to emphasize the exquisiteness of our workmanship, the tailoring, the manufacturing process, where the fabrics come from, the weave, the dye, all these stuff.

Is there a distinct biro look?

KH: We are still doing very straightforward tees and pants, so for now as we focus more on the detailing, the precision, I'd think it's still very difficult to tell something is a "biro".

Are there any brands that inspired you along the way?

K: For me it's Levi's vintage clothing. I started from collecting most of their jeans. They are not like LV or anything, but when you wear it, over time you will feel very attached to the product. If you wear another pair of jeans you will feel like something is missing. Probably it's personal, but I like something with a vintage touch to it, and something that focuses more on old cuts and patterns and something that's comfortable. Sometimes a design is very nice, but when you wear it it's just for you to look good, but it's not very comfortable. The fabric used [for Levi's] is also very good. Until five years ago the products were all made in USA, now it's maybe Europe.

KH: I come from a more visual background. What inspires me is more of architectural stuff. The things we see everyday on the streets. As compared to clothes, I'm more intrigued by architecture, like buildings, spacing on the road, pavements... somehow they give me inspiration and ideas. It's like the whole entirety. When you change a little bit of design here, how does the entire thing look like? So it's like on the streets - if you place a lamp post here, the whole scene changes.

What's next for biro?

KH: We already have a theme for our second collection and we've sent it for production. It's going to be more monochromatic, although it's for Spring/Summer!

K: We still want to have the cool factor, because for Spring/Summer people usually dress down or in louder colors. For us we are not really trendy people - I think different personalities choose different clothes - so we won't choose to wear a loud shirt and walk around. So for us, even for Spring/Summer you still have to look cool or look smart!

KH: Our first season was considered quite grunge-raw, so for the second season we wanted something more clean-cut. We also wanted to expand the collection into a wider range, and we chose black and white because we are new and for a start, black and white stuff is more acceptable to people than louder, more floral stuff. Everyone needs a black top! But of course it won't be all black and white, there will be dark blue, indigo, but there won't be any bright colors.

Finally, which part of running your own fashion label do you enjoy most?

K: The process is the most important. Going down to the factory is important for me to know what the factory is doing, what other brands they are manufacturing for, how hardworking they are. Sourcing for buttons or fabrics is also very fun for us. We get to learn a lot of things we didn't even know about. So we appreciate the whole process. If there's no process, even if we see the final product, we don't know what it is. It's just a design. Once we go through this whole phase of choosing this and that, the whole thing comes out and fits together.

KH: We cannot foresee what's happening next. It just keeps coming and coming, be it obstacles or some form of feedback from people, so that part of the process is quite interesting.

Interview and Photos by Rebecca Toh for The Makers' Journal.

The MeatMen make recipes easy. To be honest, they also make us hungry - it’s not often we see our local fare in such mouthwatering, high-definition goodness. But to call The MeatMen a bunch of video savvy cooks just simply won’t cut it - because they do so much more than that. Think about the number of times they’ve saved last minute parties, late night dinners, and brought some home-cooking excitement to your weekends on this little island. That’s why we’ve teamed up with them to bring you this Christmas exclusive. And before you run out to grab those ingredients, here’s our short chat with the guys behind the lens. Introducing JJ, KYD, and Chris, and the Roasted Lamb with Saffron Rice.

Who’s behind The MeatMen, and how did you guys get started?

Well the few of us always have had an obsession with food of sorts, but it all started with JJ’s obsession to record the whole process of food creation through the lens by using videos. Before we knew it, we came up with the name The MeatMen… because we LOVE meat!

How do you choose which dishes to feature?

For starts, we’re the MEATMEN, so we’re exclusively meat-focused and meat-centric now. We also hope to capture easy-to-make recipes, that can be made by anyone from home. That’s our fundamental criteria.

You guys have quite a distinct style or can we say formula. Was it a concerted effort or vision?

It’s both actually. It’s a vision for us to create high-quality recipe videos, so that laymen can follow and emulate the process. But at the same time, we’re constantly trying to up our game to push our quality to a higher level each day.

What’s the process like?

Well, normally we try to follow where our tummies bring us… but the truth is that we have a list of various awesome recipes that we want to bring to the people on the internet. We’ll choose the dish, simplify, modify, or combine recipes, and after rounds of trials do we actually shoot the process on film.

The trials must be fun, and filling too. What are your tools?

So far we've shot all our videos on an entry level DSLR together with a simple 50mm prime lens, nothing too complicated.

What’s the plan for The MeatMen?

2013 has been a year whereby we’ve worked through our birthing growth and balancing The MeatMen with our day jobs and life. We do hope to do more this coming year though, with better quality recipes and consistent posts, so stay tuned!

And we must ask, what are your favourite foods?

We all have different preferences. JJ loves duck rice, KYD is the king of chicken rice, and Chris loves carrot cake (yes it does not contain meat in it).

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Here’s the video recipe for your enjoyment, in all it’s glorious 2 minutes - try not to drool!

To print the recipe & shopping list: Visit the second part of this article on The MeatMen's website here.

To Cook: Mount your ipad on your kitchen counter, and play video on loop.

Recently awarded Design of the Year at The President*s Design Awards, the Singapore Icons project is a set of porcelain wares created through a collaboration between five Singaporean designers and the Japanese label KIHARA. At the center of this project is design entrepreneur Edwin Low (also co-founder of boutique retail store Supermama), who has made it his personal mission to build a bridge between Singapore and Japan, through which disparate ideas about design and craft can be exchanged freely between the two nations.

Congratulations on your win of the “President*s Design Award” for the Singapore Icons project! It must have been a fabulous ride for you so far.

There are 15 awards and 6 of them are to Designers of the Year, 9 are Designs of the Year. One other winner of "Design of the Year" is Gardens By the Bay, so we're competing with all these people! Whereas I'm just doing porcelain pieces! So this is amazing. I feel that one reason it won is because the images tug at the hearts of people. For a long time Singaporeans have been looking for a certain identity and this project kind of brings things together. I feel that we're obviously more than the Merlion. For us to really find our identity, maybe it's about knowing the people around us, and seeing how other people respond to us. This collaboration with the Japanese side has told me a lot about who I am.

Did you imagine the project would achieve this amount of success?

We started the Singapore Icons project earlier this year. I think because of Supermama, I understand that sometimes very good design doesn't sell, very good craft doesn't sell, even very good craft plus very good design doesn't sell, so it's all a balancing game. You know the HDB set? The designer (Chang Shian Wei) did it in less than one hour. Before that it was another design. He spent so much time on it but I looked at it and I knew it couldn't sell. It was a permutation of the Singapore Flag. When I curate the Singapore Icons project, I need to be very sure of my role. I cannot be a designer - I must be a curator, a businessman. Is the design nice? Yes, but I know it just won't sell. Why? Actually there's no reason, I just know that it won't sell. Just a feeling. When I first saw the HDB, I knew that it'd sell for sure. I think also the HDB set kind of opened up the whole thing.

The Singapore Icons project was made possible only through your collaboration with some very expert Japanese makers. Can you tell us more about that experience?

It's very difficult to get into the Japanese craft industry. I recently just came back from a trip to Japan where I met up with a metal polisher who is in his 70s. It wasn't easy for me to get to talk to him. He ignored me at first and didn't care about me. I had to wait there until he sensed that I showed genuine interest. That was when he finally invited me into the small room behind and made tea for me and talked to me. He has been polishing metal for 50 years. He said, I can polish metal forever, for the rest of my life, what about you? That shook me up. It was a very good conversation. Just amazing.

What else did he teach you?

Metal polishing itself has many different streams, which changed my concept of craft totally. When we think about craft we usually relate craft to handmade, but when the Japanese metal polisher talks about craft, he's talking about your entire soul. Craft requires you to see and feel what you make. In even just metal polishing there are many ways to do it - his friend only did one style for 20 over years, so the moment the industry shifted, he was wiped out. That dawned upon me that craft is not doing something over and over again senselessly, it is more an accumulation of knowledge in the particular field that you're in. If I can replace you by a machine, to me that is not craft anymore. That is just human automation. Craft is like life-long learning, where you keep learning and learning. He was telling me that he's still learning and discovering new ways to polish intricate, hidden parts, and that brings life to him. As society moves, the types of objects that come to him changes, and he moves, so craft is actually alive. This shows me his attitude, which made me realize why it's so difficult to work with the Japanese in the first place. You need to speak the same language - not Japanese, but to speak with the heart. They need to know that when you're doing things, it's not for money, but that you're really interested. They can sense that. So if you don't get past that, then bye bye. You'll never get to work with them.

On the previous trip, I met with a craftsman who used to be a photojournalist, but his wife was the only child and she inherited a metal foundry. So for him he had to consider whether to take up the foundry or continue his passion. He realized that he was responsible for the foundry, and so he put aside his passion and built it up. Next year it will be 100 years old. Before the trip my passion ruled the world, then I realized - it's not just about passion, but also responsibility, people, life.

"If I can replace you by a machine.. that is just human automation. Craft is like life-long learning.."

How did you eventually convince these Japanese craftsmen to consider working with you?

It never dawned upon me that the Japanese craft facilities would want to work with me, because I'd previously tried for 2 or 3 years and I really couldn't get in. I know some of my friends who went in, and they produced one glass for $700. That's not a collaboration.

Then last year I met Kihara twice in Singapore - I still remember it was on a Friday and a Saturday. That was before Supermama was launched at 8Q. I was at Orchard Cineleisure where Kihara had a little show there, I was there with my daughter. Japanese products are very distinct, so when I saw them I went in for a look. The price was half of what I usually sell. I was so jealous. Then I asked one of them (who is now my Japanese partner) - How come so cheap? You must be joking. He said it's because they're the direct makers. They don't go through anyone else. We exchanged name cards and the very next day I was setting up Supermama at 8Q, and it was at that moment when they walked past the store, without any arrangement. We chatted and they told me they never sold one cup in Orchard, so I said, instead of shipping back and incurring more costs, why not put the goods at my store and let me sell them during my launch? So they left them with me and that day we sold a lot. They were shocked because they had been in Singapore for a few days and they hadn't sold anything, not even one cup.

That was when I knew that they were very open already, so I took the opportunity to tell them that I have always wanted to do Singapore products with a strong local kick to it, and they said yes, so that's how the Singapore Icons project started. When we look at all of these coincidences, it's really very divine, it's crazy. It was just so random.

Will your future projects under Democratic Society continue to build on this focus about our Singaporean identity?

Yes, they will be Singapore-focused, but this time round I'm going to build up a design team as well. I'm also a lecturer, so I'm going to see if there's a way to identify some very good students and then get them to produce a range together. Of course I'm still going to have the usual show with 5 designers, but even though I feel that designers are good, I feel like the life of Singaporeans should be told not just by designers. I have this crazy idea that for one of the collections I can get 5 celebrity chefs to do the design, or 5 housewives, 5 grandparents, 5 kids. It will go in that direction.

Now that you have begun to establish relationships with these Japanese makers, do you, as a design educator, intend to bring some of their knowledge back to Singapore?

I have about 4 or 5 Japanese craft facilities who're open for me to use their branding or name. I can start a design craft school and use their name; if I collect fees I can produce my students' prototypes with them, but I don't know if Singapore is ripe for such things yet. You know Singapore is still all about academics, but I'm contemplating starting a programme where I have backup support of all these craft facilities. I'm a design educator by training already, so for those who really want to produce things they can come to me, and I can connect them. Part of the school fees will go to prototyping their products, and imagine when they graduate, they will already have a completed product! So this is something I'm toying with.

I know you were also leading a Design Entrepreneurship programme at City College. Will your recent experiences change the way you run the programme?

For City College we are actually going to do something different. Previously we positioned it as a two-year programme, but I'm going to rest for awhile, and when it starts again in August (next year) it will take on a different form. It's not going to be an institution kind of school, but more like an apprenticeship. The students will be attached to someone, and actual lessons and discussions may happen in a cafe. We're still planning. I believe that if you really want to transform minds or build a culture, schools are the best way. There's no better option. When students come to school, they come to learn, so their minds are very open.

What's next for you?

I thought of creating a publication next year, half Japanese half English, it's going to be free and will focus on children, culture and craft. We are still trying to look for sponsors. It's going to be a little like The U Press, but not so atas [high-class]. If you look at Japanese magazines, they have a very interesting way of doing it. Sometimes you think it's very cheesy, but it's not! I don't know how to describe it. I want to make this publication very easy for people, so not only designers can appreciate it. I want to focus on the imaginative ability of children, when their mind is still unclouded - What are their thoughts? What can you learn and pick up from their drawings and the way they speak? We might even have writings about children and one page that they can tear out. The magazine will also be about how craft, and the element of our senses, works together with our society. I'm also trying to make this a little more touristy, because I want more Japanese to come to Singapore, and more Singaporeans to go to Japan. I'm also hoping to cover one craft facility every issue, so we can start with Kihara, the landscape in Arita, their porcelain-making, their craftsmen.

I will be going to Ambiente, a trade show in Germany next year. What I'm going to sell is not the products (of Democratic Society) but the approach. I want the traders to come in and design with Kihara or design with me. Why? Because I feel that long gone are the days when we create one product and shove it down the throats of other people. That doesn't work anymore. Every country has their own culture and beliefs, if their designers can wake up and design something contextually relevant to the people around them, I think that will open up that sort of market. I don't want them to buy the HDB plates, because HDB doesn't mean a single thing to them. But I want them to see that HDB means a lot to Singaporeans, so is there anything that means a lot to them? Can that be placed on a plate?

I remember you said that you started Supermama because you wanted to take a step back and relook at life. Is what you're doing these days still about that?

Two months back, during my previous trip to Tokyo, I suddenly felt cramps on my chest. After awhile it went off, but when I came back to Singapore I went to see a specialist. When I went to receive my report, the doctor actually made a mistake. He thought he saw something. Then I was thinking, "Siao liao" [“crazy already”]. I was there sitting with my wife. It was the longest five minutes in my life. So what happened was that he had flipped the scan wrongly. I was okay! But in that five minutes I actually came to terms with my life. If I'm going to die, what regrets do I have? I came down to only two - I cannot see my children grow up, I cannot hold my wife's hand forever. That's all. I'm happy with the rest, I can go already. I can't see my kids grow up, I cannot be with my wife forever - there's no solution for that, so I think I'm happy. Imagine if everybody can have that five minutes!

"it's not just about passion, but also responsibility, people, life.."

I think the beauty of things is that you need to balance. I'm so busy but I can just stop everything and go and play with my kids. It's when you know your priorities and you give to where it matters most. Life in itself is design, and that's really nice!

How do we define utility? In this age of counter-consumerism, we might find ourselves asking the question of whether we really need something before we purchase it. What’s great about this movement is that we often find inspiring and well-thought out products to improve our daily living. An accordion notebook to ensure you don’t run out of writing space, waterproof bags for the South-East Asian monsoon season, or swim trunks engineered for fun in the sun.

But speaking about inspiring, does utility necessarily mean function over form? For the creative professional, does it not include objects that inspire output, a feeling, or emotion? While it’s good practice to shop wisely, we’d like to venture that while some things don’t necessarily re-invent the wheel, they sure add that bit to making our lives better.