From Iris to Ixora

by Arnaud | Jan 19, 2026 | Design

5 min read

From Iris to Ixora

Our upcoming Raya collection marks an important step for Nala.

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This is handmade batik at its best. A beautiful, time honoured technique that takes time, skill, and care. It is more expensive, yes, but it is worth it. These are pieces that will last you a lifetime, not something that fades after a few washes.

The prints are inspired by stories close to us. The Japanese iris, the Malaysian ixora, passion fruit, the familiar plastic chair, and my family crest, all reimagined through batik in a way that feels modern, personal, and rooted.

Every piece is made from 100 percent cotton. Comfortable, breathable, and truly wearable. The collection is simple and intentional. Baju kurung, sarongs, men’s shirts, and kebayas. Essentials you can wear for Raya and far beyond.

This collection reflects what we believe in. Designing locally. Printing locally. Manufacturing locally. Supporting cottage industries and real craftsmanship instead of mass produced, throwaway fashion.

This is the direction we believe in. Buy less, choose better, and wear it again and again.

This is how we move forward.
This is how we make our universe beautiful.

Launching soon. Stay tuned.

Lisette Goes Social

by Arnaud | Jan 18, 2026 | Food

5 min read

Lisette Goes Social

I recently popped by Lisette’s at 163 Mall in Mont Kiara, and it was quietly emotional in the best possible way. Walking in and seeing my pillowcases everywhere, the beautiful tiles on the floor, and familiar details woven into a place that has taken on a life of its own felt incredibly special.

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Lisette’s is named after me, and even though it is no longer my restaurant, the name has somehow become part of everyday life. That in itself is fascinating. A name turning into a household name. I am still very close to the family behind it, and it remains a space that is deeply close to my heart.

The logo was made a long time ago, drawn entirely by hand by me, and I still love it. It is a quiet reminder that when you pour real love and energy into a design, it has a way of lasting. The same goes for the tiles. Designed years ago, they are still beautiful today, timeless rather than dated. They were also the starting point of our very first print, Willow Wishes, which makes seeing them now even more meaningful.

We will be working together again in the future. But for now, if you love Nala, Lisette’s in 163 is very much the place to go. And for those who know, I am vegetarian with a dash of fish once in a while. The big vegan breakfast is still as good as ever.

A Very Practical Experiment

by Arnaud | Jan 17, 2026 | Design

5 min read

A Very Practical Experiment

This week’s Object of Desire began as an experiment rather than a plan.

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I created a series of paintings for Boutique Fairs Singapore, and the response took me by surprise. Many people wanted to buy them, but I found myself unable to let go. That felt slightly impractical, so this became the compromise. Instead of selling the paintings, we printed them onto skirts.

This is only possible because of how much textile printing has evolved over the years. We started with silkscreen, moved to rotary printing, and eventually arrived at digital printing, which began entering fashion in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Digital printing allows artwork to be transferred as it is, without flattening or simplifying it.

This is the first time I have done this, and it felt like a natural step rather than a grand statement. The dandelion painting that leads this story was simply too nice to leave behind.

The result is a small run of skirts and dressed that sit somewhere between art and clothing. Easy to wear, slightly unexpected, and very hard to categorise.

These pieces are available at Tanglin Mall in Singapore, TANGS Singapore, our Bangsar Village shop, Penang, The Campus, our Kasturi store, and online.

A Coupon So Pretty You’ll Struggle to Spend It

by Arnaud | Jan 13, 2026 | Taste

5 min read

A Coupon So Pretty You’ll Struggle to Spend It

At Nala, we believe beauty should live everywhere. Even in something as simple as a cash voucher.

So we designed one that’s as stunning as ever.

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Not a throwaway coupon, not a flimsy slip of paper, but a beautifully illustrated cash voucher you will love receiving, love using, and very possibly want to keep. Because why should something functional not also be beautiful.

From this Saturday onwards, our new Nala Cash Vouchers will be available in all stores in Malaysia and Singapore.

There are three voucher values:

Malaysia :
Spend rm150 and above and receive a rm10 voucher
Spend rm250 and above and receive a rm20 voucher
Spend rm500 and above and receive a rm50 voucher

Singapore:
Spend $50and above and receive a $5 voucher
Spend $100and above and receive a $10 voucher
Spend $200and above and receive a $20 voucher

Each voucher is valid for one month from the date of issue.

The paintings began exactly one year ago. Each vase holds flowers with meaning. The chrysanthemum for long life and devotion, the dandelion for resilient women, the yellow saraka for joy, the heaven lotus for purity, the magnolia for quiet strength, and more still waiting in my studio. They began simply as paintings, but one year later they have found their place.

Instead of photographing the artworks, we translated them into layered illustrations so the colours could be separated, chosen and silkscreened. It means the skirt carries the soul of a painting and the precision of a print. A long process, an experiment, and something I am genuinely proud of. You will see a picture of me with the originals.

The production is very limited and each skirt carries its own quiet story. And for those who love the paintings but prefer not to wear them, we created a small number of limited edition prints, available in all our stores.

My Sister, My Best Friendby Kee E-Lene

by Arnaud | Jan 12, 2026 | Culture

5 min read

My Sister, My Best Friend
by Kee E-Lene

Some books slip into your life quietly and stay there. My Sister, My Best Friend did exactly that for me.

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E-Lene wrote it for her sister’s, Shih-Lene’s, 60th birthday, sparked by a very real thought most of us prefer to avoid. What if time runs out before you ever properly say the things that matter. Not out of drama, just out of habit, busyness, and the assumption that there will always be another moment.

What I love about this book is that it never tries to be emotional for the sake of it. It is warm, observant, and often very funny. There are small moments that stay with you. One of them made me laugh out loud. She writes about dropping out of the car, an image so unexpected and absurd that it catches you completely off guard. It is those kinds of details that make the book feel honest rather than polished.

What makes that even more surprising is knowing E-Lene herself. She is strong, grounded, and assured. You would never imagine that insecurity had ever played a role in her life, and yet here it is, acknowledged with humour and ease.

When you don’t know both sisters, what strikes you immediately is how different they are. They look different, think differently, move through the world differently. And yet they borrow each other’s clothes, which somehow says everything. I see them as friends rather than “sisters” in the conventional sense, and that is exactly what makes it work. They complement each other without trying to be the same.

That is what makes this such a good example of how sisterhood can function. Not through sameness, but through contrast. Through acceptance. Through letting the other person be fully themselves.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Mulaika and available at Book Access.

At its core, this book is not about grand statements or perfect relationships. It is about saying things while there is time, allowing yourself to be seen, and finding humour in moments you might otherwise gloss over.