Empire state of mind

IT was past one o'clock on a night in September, when Jasmine Chong was scrambling in her New York apartment looking for a fabric to drape a dress. The designer had ran out of muslin; but not one to silence a creative urge, she went for the next best thing: her cream bedsheets.
As fate would have it, the frock turned out to be the opening look for her Autumn/Winter 2016 show at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) last February. Christened the Botanist Dress, it is fluid and delicate, taking after vintage botanical illustrations from the 1900s as well as the lush equatorial greens of Chong's childhood (the ones we're familiar with).
"Here are these botanical illustrators, putting ink and paint to paper to preserve the colour and life of a plant or flower that is fleeting. I decided I wanted my debut collection to be a story about finding beauty in the ephemeral. I've found that often, the things that do not last are the most compelling and beautiful," Chong expressed via an email interview.
It was the Malaysian-Indonesian designer's first taste of showcasing at NYFW, and about time too. Chong was armed with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Fashion Design from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) when she went to Parsons The New School For Design in New York, where she graduated last May with a degree in Fashion Business, Marketing and Merchandising. She has also done apprenticeships at multiple fashion houses – Anna Sui, Thakoon, Marchesa and Tory Burch, to name a few.
"Seeing my name in gold on the glass doors and at the end of the runway was infinitely surreal. It was emotional; the past decade of work and education coming into fruition at the NYFW debut. And I can't say how fortunate I was to be working with such amazing people who came together that day to help me realise my dream," shared the 28-year-old.
Congratulations on making it to NYFW! What was D-Day like – could you share a favourite moment?
The actual day was a blur, and I'm so thankful I have images and videos to remember it by. When the models were lined up back-stage, waiting to walk on to the runway, there was this palpable moment when the girls were swaying, laughing and maybe even dancing a little before they put on their fierce walk. Seeing women enjoy wearing my clothes was when it became clear that this is something I want to do for a long, long time.
What was the biggest challenge you faced leading up to the day?
Probably all the working parts that go into play into putting a NYFW show together – venue, event planning, PR, marketing, catering and model casting. It's been a learning process for me to be able to manage all the different elements. I'm also fortunate to have a wonderful team of people I hold very dear to me. There's no way I could've done it without the support, drive and passion of my team.
How did you celebrate when it was all over?
My team and I went out to have dinner with my father and sister Jacintha at one of my favourite restaurants in New York, Palma in West Village. It was the first time my family got to know my team, and it was important to me that we celebrated this milestone together.
Having spent four years there (and counting), what is it about the Big Apple that you love?
The best thing about New York is that it's a rich and energetic environment that is conducive for creativity. There's such a breadth of incredible work being created here – from fashion legends to small design studios – and everyone has such a distinct aesthetic that we can all coexist. It's incredibly inspiring. I'm so excited and fortunate to be representing Malaysia here.
Speaking of which, what's a typical situation in your studio?
It varies depending on what I'm doing. If I'm catching up on emails or going over invoices, it's usually neat. When I'm in design development mode and draping on the dress form, it's chaotic – yards of silk everywhere; bits of fabric littering the ground like confetti; photographs, mood board images and pins all over my desk.
My studio is smack in the middle of Manhattan, so I'm surrounded by lots of buildings and concrete. I need to love my space in order for me to be productive, so I've made a real effort to have plenty of plants in my studio. Every morning when I come in to work, it feels like I have a slice of Malaysia here with me in Manhattan.
Do you design to fulfil your imagination, or create to cater?
I think my label is a marriage of fantasy and reality. The clothes I design have an element of quiet, understated luxury without compromising wearability. It's important to me to design clothes that can actually be worn regularly by the woman I design for, while making her feel special with soft, luxurious details.
You managed so many apprenticeships! Is there a piece of knowledge you received that still resonates strongly with you?
During my first fashion internship with the design team at Anna Sui, I worked closely with Anna and she advised me to remember one thing: that it's important to know my voice and my craft, and to stay true to myself. I've held on to that for years, and it's greatly influenced my outlook and work ethic.
It is also SO important to pay your dues and work hard because the industry is small and word gets around. The world owes you nothing, but if you have a voice and push hard, things will eventually align and the universe somehow gives you what you want. Also, my final piece of advice is to never let anyone tell you that your dreams are out of reach – they're wrong.

Now that Autumn/Winter 2016 is done and dusted, what's keeping you busy?
I'm collaborating with a film-maker friend for his upcoming film, so I'm looking forward to dabble in costume design. And of course, Spring/Summer 2017 is constantly on my mind. Working on a fresh collection the next few months is going to be exciting.