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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.

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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.
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
The Green Bags Are Back

The Green Bags Are Back

5 min read

The Green Bags Are Back

Our green bags are back and each one tells a story.

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Made from upcycled our marketing banners that once lived in our shop windows, these bags give our visuals a second life. Nothing wasted. Nothing repeated. Every bag is completely unique.

They are big, sturdy, and endlessly useful. Perfect as a gift, perfect to keep in your car, perfect for laundry, market runs, or clearing out life’s little messes.

Some even carry fragments of past campaigns. A word. A colour. And yes, a few might even feature my photograph.

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

Limited edition
RM59
Launching at the Kasturi Christmas Party this weekend

Once they are gone, they are truly gone.

Ampang Has Its Own Font

Ampang Has Its Own Font

5 min read

Ampang Has Its Own Font

The entire Campus branding was designed by us, and it was never meant to be just a logo exercise. I love Ampang, and this is the school I graduated from, so working on The Campus felt deeply personal from the start. It was about history, place, memory, and giving something back to a neighbourhood that shaped me.

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From the beginning, we knew the branding had to go all the way. The Campus logo is built from a protractor, a quiet nod to education, strategy, sport, and learning how to navigate the world. Four protractors come together to form what we call the Ampang seal, or flower, depending on how you look at it. Geometry meets landscape. Structure meets play. Degrees become movement, from 0 to 180 and beyond.

Naturally, the logo evolved into an alphabet. For me, this is where branding becomes truly meaningful. My background is in advertising, and I have always believed that a brand should speak in its own voice, right down to its typography. Creating an alphabet is as personal as it gets. It is not decoration. It is identity. I have done this before for larger groups, and it remains one of the most intimate ways to express who you are and how you think.

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 tote bag is a small but significant expression of that thinking. It carries the Campus alphabet, our protractor font, and the spirit of Ampang itself. It is a true collaboration between Nala and The Campus, rooted in place, design, and intention. We hope this is just the beginning, and that you will see much more of the Ampang Protractor Font in future bags, T-shirts, and objects that continue to tell this story.

The Ampang Protractor tote is yours to take home for free.
Available to the first 100 customers with a minimum spend of RM150 in two receipts.
Redeemable from 20 December to 31 January, only while stocks last.

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