Thread Talk is a series venturing into a designer’s inner workings and thoughts. Today, we have Cassey Gan, who recently launched a new collection that centres on the experience of an introvert, inspired by her introverted team members.
When it comes to styles, the fashion world is divided into two camps: minimalism and maximalism, shown through texture, silhouettes and of course, colours. A part of the community has their wardrobe dipped in nothing but black and white, while the other half have bees in their bonnets with the colourful and vibrant prints that turn heads. Prints, for Malaysians, are essential, not just because of our heritage but also how these patterns align with the high-spirited atmosphere of the balmy weather in this part of the world.
Cassey Gan, for those uninitiated, is one of the very few local designers whose garments were crafted with self-made prints—motifs inspired by her personal experience as a mother, food Malaysian enjoy and indulge in, and this year, it’s a tribute to her team, who are all introverts. The common misconception is that an introverted individual is reserved and distant, but the luminous prints say otherwise.”We are not shy! We are just introverts,” the designer quips.
“My first degree was Chemical Engineering, but I did not practice as an engineer,” Gan shares. Upon graduation, she secured an internship at a fashion magazine and went on to stay in the industry for the next two years. “I was exposed to fashion and absolutely fell in love with the design part of the industry,” the designer reveals. Her newfound passion and the encouragement she received from her parents were the reasons that later propelled her into further studying for a degree in fashion design, and the rest is history. For a designer who is not catered to mass production, 11 years sounds daunting, especially in the local scene. “The balance between business and creativity is truly an art form of its own, and I am still learning how to balance them, one step at a time!”
As Cassey Gan celebrates its 11th anniversary this year, we spoke with Gan about her recent collection.
Colours and prints are the anchor of the brand. What led to that decision?
When I was studying fashion in London, I wanted to be a designer who hung my hat on black and white designs—I thought that was really cool. However, I didn’t feel the excitement when I was working with only black and white. My lecturers saw my doodles and thought I could try working with colours instead, and I did. No turning back thereafter! I found so much joy working around colours!
Congrats on your recent launch! Can we know how the Series 20 “I’m Not Shy” came about?
We are in our 11th year, and I thought it’s about time for us to do a collection that serves as a tribute to our team. Everyone in the team happened to be an introvert, and so the theme of the collection is based around the experience of an introvert—people commonly assume that we are shy. Still, the reality is, we are just being introverted and that’s not interchangeable with shy, hence the name of the collection!
How long has the team been working on this? How does the creative process look?
This is the biggest because we only roll out one collection a year, as compared to the previous years, where we would have two seasons annually. It took us four months to work on the collection, and started with me setting the core theme—in this case, spotlighting us introverts—then we dove deeper into researching what it means to each of us. We then proceed to drawing and laying out the prints, created based on the inspirations we gathered. Once we got the prints done, we would then add them to the chosen silhouettes. As for the finer details, we would design, sample and edit until we are satisfied with pieces that are cohesive enough to be a part of the lineup.
The collection was made with the “quiet poetry of introverted individuals” of your team in mind. How do you and the team translate this into the garments?
We started looking at what activities we like to do as introverts, and visualised these activities to print ideas. For example, one of the prints is inspired by a swimming pool, as we enjoy the time in the pool alone, swimming or being under the water, uninterrupted. Another design detail we have is how we try to camouflage all the patch pockets in the collection, it’s like you see it but you don’t see it, but it’s there—much like introverts, we love to work in the background!
Among all the pieces made for Series 20, which is your personal favourite and why?
I love the denim pieces in this collection because they are quite understated yet impactful. I love S20 DD07, the sunlet mini dress in particular. It is this seemingly simple dress that we actually spent so much time trying to perfect the design. It took us a long time to get the right slant, the best proportion, the optimal number of panels, just to name a few.
As a print designer, you also started CG Homes for homewares. What would you like to venture into next?
I would prefer to be more focused and not spread myself too thin. I recently realised that I love drawing graphics and putting them on t-shirts. So my next venture will be to do more of that and possibly have a retail space below our studio for a t-shirt customisation service!
Looking back, what is your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge was wanting to get into department stores and even produce stocks for that. It’s challenging to get in touch with a good production house that could produce our designs flawlessly. Ultimately, I learned that being in the mass market is not the right direction for the brand. We eventually put a halt to all consignment arrangements with department stores and shops.
Ten—almost 11—years in the industry, what do you think you would do differently if given an opportunity?
Be more wise when I spend on fabrics! When I first started the brand, I bought fabrics more than I needed, and should—I still have them with me until today! Generally, I am happy with the journey and the learning curve so far. We have to fall at some point to learn and grow and to be better, so I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
How has the brand evolved since then?
I think the biggest transition was when we could design our own prints and not have to rely on what’s available in the market. Ever since then, the brand has progressed from not just making garments but also gained an opportunity to venture into more lifestyle products—a trajectory I very much welcome.
If you are given a chance, which local talent would you wish to collaborate with?
Ana Tomy! I love stationery and would love to see how our prints translate into that!
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