Raya Gaya – Pastel, Done Right

by Arnaud | Mar 21, 2026 | Design

5 min read

Raya Gaya - Pastel, Done Right

There’s something about men and pastel that still feels slightly unexpected. Which is exactly why it works.

LISETTE

This Hari Raya, we’re introducing our men’s shirts in Malaysian batik. Easy to wear, light on the body, and designed to feel natural rather than styled.

The collection brings together a series of prints that sit somewhere between memory and observation.

Ixora, a flower you see everywhere in Malaysia, often unnoticed, but always present.
Passion fruit, slightly wild and a little unexpected.
Iris, more structured, almost graphic in the way it sits on the fabric.

And then a few that are closer to everyday life.

The classic red plastic chair, reworked into a print and placed onto soft cotton voile, light and almost translucent. A small nod, a bit of humour, something very familiar turned into something new.

Sharp, taken from our archives, inspired by the idea of staying sharp in life. A reminder more than a motif.

And of course pelikat. Because stripes have always been, and will always be, relevant.

There are also pieces made from our earlier batik designs, taken out of the archive and given a new life as shirts. These are one-off pieces. They won’t be reproduced. They simply needed to be worn, not stored.

All shirts are made from 100% cotton, so they’re breathable and easy in our climate. They work open over a T-shirt, buttoned up, or paired with a sarong. There’s no strict way to wear them.

What ties everything together is the colour.

Pastel, but considered. Pink that feels confident. Yellow that sits comfortably. Nothing too soft, nothing too loud.

Hari Raya is a moment to reset, to step into something new, and to feel good doing it.

This is our version of that.

In our universe, flowers will always be in fashion.

Selamat Hari Raya to all our customers.
May your days ahead be soft where they need to be, strong where it matters, and filled with quiet moments of happiness. In a world that can feel a little too fast and a little too loud, may you find your own rhythm again, and may the year ahead unfold with beauty, ease, and grace.

A Living Archive of Craft

by Arnaud | Mar 17, 2026 | Culture

5 min read

A Living Archive of Craft

A Journal of North Borneo’s Traditional Baskets – Jennifer P. L. Ingham

LISETTE

There are books that simply document objects, and then there are books that quietly preserve a culture. A Journal of North Borneo’s Traditional Baskets by Jennifer P. L. Ingham belongs firmly in the second category.

This remarkable publication reads almost like a field notebook of a disappearing world. Page after page presents detailed illustrations of baskets from across North Borneo, carefully documenting their shapes, weaving structures, materials, and names. What might appear at first glance as simple household objects reveals itself to be an incredibly sophisticated design language developed over generations.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is its attention to the different weaving techniques. Each basket carries its own structure, pattern, and rhythm. Some weaves are tight and geometric, built for durability and carrying heavy loads. Others are more open and decorative, revealing a lighter, more flexible construction. The patterns are not random. They often reflect function, identity, or regional tradition.

Equally surprising is the diversity of materials. Many people assume that baskets in this region are made primarily from rattan. In reality, the archive shows a far wider botanical palette. Some baskets are woven from bamboo, valued for its strength and resilience. Others are crafted from rattan, prized for flexibility. And perhaps most unexpected are baskets made from forest ferns, a material few people would ever imagine could be transformed into something durable and beautiful.

The journal goes far beyond simply cataloguing the baskets themselves. It records the straps used for carrying them, the types of rims and bases, the variations in structure, and the subtle differences between communities. Every detail is carefully observed and drawn. The result is almost a taxonomy of basketry: an entire system of knowledge captured through careful documentation.

What makes the book so powerful is that it treats basketry with the same seriousness that museums often reserve for painting or sculpture. These baskets are not presented as anonymous craft objects. They are understood as part of a larger cultural ecosystem that includes the forest, the people who harvest the materials, the techniques passed down through generations, and the daily lives in which these objects are used.

In a time when many traditional crafts risk disappearing, this journal feels particularly important. It preserves not only the visual beauty of the baskets, but also the knowledge behind them: how they are constructed, what materials are used, and how each form relates to its purpose.

For anyone interested in design, anthropology, or the deep intelligence of traditional craft, A Journal of North Borneo’s Traditional Baskets is more than a book. It is an archive of ingenuity. It reminds us that long before modern design theory existed, communities were already creating objects of extraordinary elegance, precision, and purpose.

And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that beauty often begins with the most humble materials: bamboo, rattan, or even a forest fern, woven carefully by hand into something that can carry both goods and stories across generations

Diamonds are the Girl’s Best Friend

by Arnaud | Mar 16, 2026 | Taste

5 min read

Diamonds are the Girl's best Friend

Hari Raya is one of the loveliest moments of the year in Malaysia.
After a month of Ramadan, life opens up again. Doors stay open, friends and family come by all day long, and suddenly the house becomes the centre of everything.

LISETTE

Of course everyone talks about the new baju raya, but the house gets a refresh too. Tables are dressed, cushions appear, things get rearranged, and somehow everything feels a little brighter.

Diamonds Lilac slipped into this moment very naturally.

The print actually began many years ago when we created a series for Jo Malone. At the heart of it sits the Bunga Raya, Malaysia’s national flower. Instead of drawing it in the obvious way, we completely took it apart and rebuilt it again until the petals started forming these beautiful diamond shapes. The result feels floral, but also structured and slightly playful, which is where the name comes from.

The lilac colour keeps it light and fresh. It’s soft enough to live with every day, but special enough for festive tables and open houses.

The fabric is 100 percent canvas, finished with a light coating so it has a bit of structure and is water resistant. In other words, it can survive a busy Raya table.

The Atas Magic Show – Nala at Great World

by Arnaud | Mar 15, 2026 | Design

5 min read

The Atas Magic Show Nala at Great World

Opening a shop sometimes feels like staging a magic show.

LISETTE

When we arrived at Great World in Singapore to set up our new pop-up, the team looked at us with a little concern.

“Are you sure you can do it?”

We had three days for the fit out, which in retail terms is actually very comfortable. But the truth is that at TANGS we are used to something quite different. There, we sometimes have two hours to set up a store before the doors open.

So the answer was simple. Of course we could do it.

And we did.

The night before opening turned into one of those beautiful, slightly mad retail nights that only happen when a team decides to make something work. We painted, installed, arranged, adjusted and re-arranged until nearly four in the morning. Billy painted the mural, I finished the paintings, and slowly the shop began to come alive.

By the time we stepped back, it felt like a small magic show.

The result is a store that is unexpectedly elegant. Nala goes a little atas at Great World. The space is light, refined and joyful, filled with new pieces we were excited to introduce. Our yellow fan home print made its debut, along with new T-shirts, and a small series of beautiful leather coasters.

But what makes the store special is the atmosphere that the team created together.

I want to give a very special thank you to Charlotte, who believed from the beginning that Nala should open at Great World. Her confidence made this possible. Together with Billy and the entire Singapore team, she stood there quietly through the night, smiling and helping to make the store happen.

No drama. Just dedication.

FREE T-SHIRT DIPLOMACY

by Arnaud | Mar 14, 2026 | Design

5 min read

Free T-shirt Diplomacy

Some research happens in boardrooms.

We prefer the street.

LISETTE

Armed with a pile of Nala T-shirts, we headed into Chinatown with a very simple proposal for anyone who crossed our path: choose a shirt, put it on, let us film you for a moment, and you can keep it.

Instant participation.

Within minutes the pavement turned into a spontaneous fitting room. People were changing shirts, laughing, asking questions, and suddenly we had a little international cast standing right there in the middle of the street.

Some people recognised Nala immediately and were clearly longtime fans, which is always the nicest surprise. Others had never heard of us before but were curious enough to join the experiment.

And the mix of people was wonderful. Malaysians, of course, but also visitors from China, Denmark, Finland, Turkey and a few others we probably forgot to ask because everything was moving so quickly.

The universal truth was confirmed once again: when something is free, people become extremely cooperative. Cameras? No problem. A quick interview? Sure. A little walk down the street in your brand new shirt? Absolutely.

But what made it special was the warmth of it all. Nobody rushed off. People stayed, talked, laughed, and for a few minutes a simple T-shirt became a small bridge between strangers.

Everyone left with their shirt.

The T-shirts featured in this little street experiment come from our PUNQ T-shirt collection. PUNQ stands for Pattern, Unique, Nature and Quality, which pretty much sums up what we believe good design should carry.

And the good news is that you do not have to chase us down in Chinatown to get one.

The PUNQ T-shirts are available in all Nala stores in Singapore and Malaysia.

If you want to see the results of this very scientific street experiment, watch the episode this week. It turned out to be one of the most joyful ones we filmed.

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