N EAT & N E E D CRAFTED FOR BETTER LIFE
MAGAZINE INTERVIEW
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N E A T&N E E D Crafted for Better Life
Marco Mak and Joshua Chan launched their lifestyle-fashion label Neat & Need in 2016. Developed partnership since 2014 at London College of Fashion, the pair set out to develop a series of timeless and utilitarian garments and items, aiming to make everyday life a little more easier and appreciable.
| Writer PhilipWatts | Photographer James Pearson-Howes |
In this project, we have taken different approaches to tell the story of the brand “Neat and Need”. This time, the time we spent on reading articles and interviews is as much as spent on design development because we would like to know more about fashion labels in business and marketing perspectives. We find that the most direct way to understand a brand’s identity and philosophy is to read interviews. Therefore, instead of listing out a boring brand profile, we would like to imagine a piece of magazine interview of Neat & Need by the Inventory Magazine for the brand’s 8th birthday.This interview does not only illustrate our vision for the Neat & Need, but it also tells how we want to direct the brand to evolve.
An Interview with Marco Mak and Joshua Chan
Philip Watts: Can you tell me a little about your background and what have PW: In 2016, Neat & Need announced their first collection, and since then you been involved in before launching the label? it has been commended by the public and industry. What is the key to your success? Marco Mak: After graduating from London College of Fashion, I have spent two years working in a lifestyle magazine in Hong Kong. In there I have got JC: Since the very first day, we never expected nor aimed to make it a successplenty of chances to access to a wide variety of products and knowledge, from ful business. The reason why we started it is because we wanted to produce books, movies, music, food, to architecture, funiture, and even stationaries. products that match our aesthetics and would benefit our daily lives. But of This allowed me to realise how small things can make a difference to your course, we are glad that many people appreciated our work and find them everyday life. useful. Joshua Chan: I have been organising events and concerts in Hong Kong for more than 15 years. Arts and culture are two of the big things in my life es- PW: We see from previous interviews that you have menioned about your pecially music and movies that I constantly get inspired by. After graduated different interpretation for garments, can you tell us more? I continued to persue my production business but soon I felt I need to start something stimulating and creative. MM: We think that garment is more than a piece of cloth to beautify oneself; perhaps every one has their own interpretations, and we treat it as a necessity. A garment can keep you warm, keep you from harm, or even to hold your PW: Can you tell me how you started the partnership? wallet and a pack of cigarettes.You may say our products are still consumer goods, but that is why we try to make them as durable as we can. We pick the MM: We studied Menswear in London College of Fashion back then and we best fastenings, fabrics that would look good when matured, and made to the used to spend time exploring and sharing interesting ideas together. During best quality. This is a piece of crafted necessity that people would appreciate. the time in college, we had our first opportunity to collaborate and worked on a brand project. It was the starting point of the partnership. After graduation we both worked in the fashion industry but we both soon felt there was a need PW: How would you describe the Neat & Need style? to produce our own products. MM: Since we do not treat ourselves as a fashion label, we are free from the term ‘trend’, which allows us more freedom to create products that PW: What is the story behind the name of the label? are 100% original and with our own taste. Again, it is hard to describe our ‘style’ with a few vocabularies, but if I have to do so, I would choose ‘urban’, MM: The name is very straightforward. It derives from the notion of tidiness ‘durable’, and ‘life’. The garments we produced are mainly inspired by the and the importance of being organized in order to enhance convenience and idea of improving an urban lifestyle, and therefore urban is one of the most quality of life. It was originally come from the project that we worked on important element for Neat & Need. In terms of fabrication, we use fabrics back in college in 2014. The project was inspired by knolling and craftsman- that will look nicer when matured, and because of its durable finishing and ship, since then we have been developing concept and marketing ideas, which subtle design, some people would say that Neat & Need is specialize in proformed the basic structure. ducing ‘durable’ and ‘timeless’ pieces.
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01 Marco Mak in London studio
PW: Apprently Neat & Need has two studios, one located in London and the other one in Hong Kong. Can you tell us about the reason why you have that idea and how does that benefit the brand? JC: In fact, there are reasons why we have two studios in different corners of the world. To us, London is a cultural capital, which has an important role in influencing today’s culture. We feel that it is crucial to be in the heart of this cultural capital in order to keep updated to what is happening nowadays thus stimulate us to create products that are useful to improve life quality in today’s world. The other studio is located in Hong Kong, where Marco and me came from. It is simply a place where we grew up at and that we feel comfortable to work here. PW: People have been comparing you with designers like Junya Watanabe and Hiroki Nakamura, what is your view on this? MM: They are two of the greatest designers in this generation as well as our favorite designers and we have been greatly influenced by their works. I can still remember Marco and me were so excited to hear that Junya Watanabe and F.I.L. would be opening their first stores in Hong Kong. Back then we were still students and could not afford to purchase any thing from the store, however we were so keen to see the real products that went to the stores every week, spending time studying pieces by pieces and amazed at the quality they have. Great things influence people, and their works have definitely motivated us to work harder and create better products. PW: Do You think of yourselves as fashion designers? MM: We don’t really see ourselves as fashion designer, because there is not much fashion in our products. Instead, we want to be problem solvers that could make people’s life easier and happier. In fact, we prefer being called as craftsmen since we love to refine existing objects and to make them more appreciable and practical. We think this is our mission.
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PW: Many fashion labels tend to separate design and business sectors so that each sector can focus on their roles. How do you two divide your workload? JC: In Neat & Need, we work as a team instead of assigned into a particular area. To us, every corner in the business is a creation, an exploration, an innovation, whether it is a design decision, or a marketing approach, every one gets a chance to contribute. For example, a designer while designing a piece of garment, he or she may already have considered which shops would sell the products, or an image of the consumer, or a specific packaging idea. We believe that fine products can never be an individual effort. In fact, you may say it is difficult to work with us due to the incredible workload, but eventually every one in the team loves their job and finds it inspirational no matter what their main posts are.
02 Neat & Need S/S 2016 Campaign 03 Neat & Need S/S 2018 Design development
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PW: What inspires you the most? MM: Our greatest inspiration is life. Anything that happens in everyday life, every problem we encounter in life, is the reason why we started the label. At the same time, we want to let people understand what is missing in life and how life quality can be improved. PW: Who do you think are Neat & Need customers? JC: Neat & Need is not only a garment label but also a platform to promote our ideas and believes. There is a certain style in the garments but we do not see it as the core of the label, thus we don’t tend to categorize our customers into age, interest or taste groups. We believe that our customers do not necessarily fully understand the brand philosophy, but they surely appreciate our products. For instance, from the first collection in 2016, the concept is to encourage tidiness so that people would not lose things easily. One of our customers came back to the store and thanks us for the convenience that our products have brought into his life. This is all we ask for. We hope our customers bring the product into their life and find them useful. 04 Joshua Chan at work in London studio