Check The Label: thirtyfour
The brainchild of cousins ShuennKee and Linda Chong – with a cumulative 20 years of experience in this field between them spanning across the US, Europe and Asia – local leather label thirtyfour melds architecture, metal-smithing, industrial, graphic and interactive multimedia design with fashion in their range of exquisite leather goods. With design-driven handcrafted leather bags and accessories combining the traditional hand techniques of timeless classics with their characteristic, unique thirtyfour spin, it’s not difficult to see how their creations are flying off the shelves of exclusive boutiques in KL, Singapore and Berlin.
The label recently lifted the veil on its latest line of leather bags and accessories, thirtyfour collection03, at the aptly-titled ‘thirtyfour In Perspective’, showcasing the brand’s growth over the past year and a half. Held at Chin Woo Stadium in KL, the 9,500 square foot area played host to alternative installations of bubble wrapped scaffolding sculpts, transforming, much like the products thirtyfour has to offer, into a cutting-edge, trendy site. Besides housing the brand’s highly sought after third collection, it also underlined the inspirations and processes that led to their production, with a special replica of a thirtyfour workstation installed, coming complete with hammers, rivets and studs, allowing the 600 guests and partygoers an interesting hands-on experience.
“We wanted to construct something that reflected thirtyfour’s attitude towards design,” quipped ShuennKee with much enthusiasm. And indeed they did, with off-beat additions to their exhibition including a tattoo artist adorning leather strips with fancy floral motifs for guests to accessorize their bags with. Making like Al Gore and reducing their carbon footprints, the Chong cousins will be reusing every part of their installation in their daily operations. Besides that, the label is in the midst of expanding their lifestyle line with intricate jewellery and a special, eco-friendly collection made entirely from sustainable materials.
With the addition of two new groups: Taylor and Sac to its already extensive ladies’ line comprising (don’t hold your breath for this one) Edie, Signe, Bree, Betty and Drew as well as three capsule groups – Penny, Hannah and Gabi, thirtyfour collection03 also sees the launching of their debut men’s range, Joe. With bags and accessories in hues of all sorts appealing to everyone from your trendy teen sister to your aging grandma retaining her keen eye for style to your metrosexual brother-in-law, thirtyfour has its sights set on taking over the world, one bag and leather cuff at a time.
For more, visit http://www.thirtyfour.net.
