SUBSCRIBE

LOGIN

NALA HAPPY TIMES

DESIGN

CULTURE

TASTE

TRAVEL

FOOD

THURSDAY SHOWS

UNAGI CLUB

NALA'S SHOP

DESIGN

CULTURE

TASTE

TRAVEL

FOOD

THURSDAY SHOWS

UNAGI CLUB

ARCHIVES

CONTRIBUTORS

DISCOVER

Nala's Instagram

Nala's Facebook

Nala's LinkedIn

Lisetts's LinkedIn

Nala's Tiktok

Nala's Youtube

OUR BRAND

About us

Nala's locations

FAQs

Customer service

Careers

Manifesto

HIGHLIGHT

Latest issue on 7 Sept 2025. Update every Saturday.

Thursday Show
Perspective Is Everything. Even With a Flower.

Perspective Is Everything. Even With a Flower.

5 min read

  Perspective Is Everything. Even With a Flower.

The Bunga Raya is Malaysia's national flower and one of the most overused motifs in the country. It has been painted, printed, and repeated so often that many people stop really seeing it. That was
precisely the point of departure for this print.

LISETTE

SHARE

Rather than depicting the flower literally, I took it apart. I dissected its form. What emerged is not an obvious hibiscus, but a contemporary interpretation that feels joyful, a little bit Mediterranean but definitely very happy.

It is unmistakably Malaysian, yet it does not announce itself as such.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.

This pink Bunga Raya print was originally commissioned by Jo Malone London many years ago. It did not fit their branding, but it found its true place with us, translated into tablecloths and homeware. I wanted it to carry a happy, almost Mexican Spanish spirit. Warm, generous, and made to be lived with.

The tablecloth is finished with a light acrylic coating, making it subtly waterproof and ideal for everyday use. It is designed to be used, not preserved.

What fascinates me is how one flower can generate endless interpretations. Some see repetition. I see possibility. Some see something tired. I see happiness. The flower never changed. The perspective did.

That idea extends far beyond design. In life, truth is personal. You choose what you focus on, what story you tell yourself, and how you interpret the world around you.

That is what Nala has always done. We take the familiar and offer a new way of seeing it. And suddenly, a flower becomes not just a flower, but thousands of new stories waiting to be told.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
A Book That Could Only Be Mine

A Book That Could Only Be Mine

5 min read

A Book That Could Only Be Mine

One of the absolute highlights this Christmas was a book gifted to me by my dearest friend Arnaud. He is the film director behind all our Thursday shows and the editor of this newsletter, and we have been working side by side for fifteen years. This gift says everything about how deeply he knows me. The book quite literally has my name on it, and it feels as if it was made for me and no one else.

LISETTE

SHARE

The book is The Art and Beauty of Flower Arranging by Frederic Girard, a French artist and illustrator whose work became widely recognised in the 1960s and 70s. Girard was known for translating the natural world into strong graphic compositions, combining botanical precision with a very modern visual language. His illustrations were often used in art books and educational publications, yet they never felt academic. They were bold, joyful, and deeply aesthetic.

This book is a collection of his flower prints from the 1970s. Every page feels confident and alive. The colours, the shapes, the rhythm of the compositions. It is timeless rather than nostalgic, and endlessly inspiring. Without a doubt, the winning Christmas present.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
Nothing Wasted, Everything Beautiful

Nothing Wasted, Everything Beautiful

5 min read

Nothing Wasted, Everything Beautiful

This month is all about upcycling, and this project has been quietly waiting for its moment for more than ten years.

LISETTE

SHARE

Deep in our archives, we found a stack of old backpacks from at least a decade ago. Instead of looking at what they were, we looked at what they could become. We took them apart, carefully, and discovered that the inside lining, a black printed fabric, was actually incredibly beautiful.

These new pouches are made from that very lining. A material that already existed, already had a story, and simply needed a second life. We paired it with fabrics from our archives, prints that have travelled with us for years, and suddenly everything made sense. These pouches feel familiar and new at the same time.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.

These new pouches are made from that very lining. A material that already existed, already had a story, and simply needed a second life. We paired it with fabrics from our archives, prints that have travelled with us for years, and suddenly everything made sense. These pouches feel familiar and new at the same time.

They are perfect as gifts. Thoughtful, practical, and quietly special. The kind of object you reach for every day without thinking, and then realise you have had it for years.

Each pouch comes with a leather drawstring, inspired by a pouch I once received from a Japanese fan who joined one of my workshops. It was such a simple, generous gift, beautifully made, and I never forgot it. This is our way of passing that feeling on.

We will be launching these pouches in one week’s time. Not tomorrow. Some things deserve a little patience.

Nothing wasted. Everything considered. And proof that beauty often already exists, waiting to be rediscovered.

Between Wilderness and Fire

Between Wilderness and Fire

5 min read

Between Wilderness and Fire

Some pieces take years to become clear. Others feel inevitable the moment they exist.

LISETTE

SHARE

This new scarf collection brings together two worlds that have always lived side by side in my life. Nature and intention. Observation and action. Gentleness and sharpness.

The first part of the collection is called In the Wilderness.

It was drawn in Eersel with my mother. She is a botanist and has the rare gift of knowing every flower by name, including their Latin names. Walking with her is like walking through a living archive. Nothing is random. Every petal, stem, and weed has a story, a structure, a reason for being there. These scarves are dedicated to her and to that way of looking at the world with patience, curiosity, and deep respect for nature.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.

The second part of the collection draws from Firecracker, our ongoing exploration of the elements needed to navigate life, love, and work.

There is the heart, reminding us that compassion and passion are not optional. There is sharpness, clarity of thought and intention, expressed here in two fully unisex scarves in a single blue tone. And there is the bean, a symbol of readiness to grow, to reflect, and to begin again. Growth is never loud. It is quiet, consistent, and brave.

All scarves in this collection are hand printed using the silk screen technique, the same way we have been doing it for the past 15 years. Each scarf measures two metres by 120 centimetres. The layers overlap softly, the colours settle beautifully, and the prints hold their strength over time. They can be washed in the washing machine and they truly last. We still sell scarves we made years ago. They do not tire, they do not fade, they do not wear out. They stay.

We made them deliberately simple. Scarves you can live in, travel with, and return to again and again.

This is a limited launch in Singapore on the 30th. Quietly beautiful pieces, made to stay with you for a very long time.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The Golden Orchard Tote

The Golden Orchard Tote

5 min read

The Golden Orchard Tote

To celebrate another chapter with TANGS, we made a small bag with a lot of heart.

LISETTE

SHARE

The Golden Orchard Tote is crafted from remnants of our pelikat skirts and archive fabrics, all hand drawn and stitched by our team at HQ. It is entirely local, thoughtfully made, and designed to live many lives.

This is the kind of bag you fold up and tuck into your handbag. Ready for lunch runs, small grocery stops, or an unexpected find along the way. Light, practical, and quietly charming, it is an easy step towards going green without giving anything up.

It also makes a lovely gift. Add something beautiful inside, wrap it up, and pass it on. A tote that becomes part of the present, not just the packaging.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.

There are four hand drawn prints, each with its own story.

Silver Songs
Inspired by Malaysian Peranakan Intan jewellery, celebrating craft, heritage, and the beauty of small details.

Iris
Drawn after a trip to Japan, reflecting calm, rhythm, and everyday beauty.

Nest Red
Inspired by jewellery from P.H. Hendry, bold and expressive.

The Oriental Building
Inspired by the Oriental Building, one of the earliest high rise buildings near Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur.

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.

Last year was about shedding. Using what we already had, letting go of excess, and finding new purpose in familiar things.

As we step into the Year of the Horse, the mood turns lighter and freer. It is about movement, ease, and choosing to travel light.

The Golden Orchard Tote is made for exactly that.

Launch details
•⁠ ⁠Launch date: 30 December
•⁠ ⁠Location: Exclusive to TANGS Plaza
•⁠ ⁠Price: SGD 28 (UP SGD38)
•⁠ ⁠Limited stock

The skirt that thinks it is a painting.
The skirt that thinks it is a painting.