Health & Beauty
24 AUGUST 8 – 21, 2014
Epoch Times
The founders of Banwagon Bags/ Wares—Mr Lengfei Tok (left) and Mr Gareth Dean Lee (right).
The Story of
Banwagon Bags/Wares We want to keep up with life, helping others see that life isn’t about competing with the times, but about experiencing things you really love and like. That is true happiness. Gareth Dean Lee, one of the founders of Banwagon Bags/Wares
JAMIE SLING in Horween ChromexcelBurgundy (body) and Wickett & Craig Vegetable-Tanned leather (handles and shoulder strap). All photos Courtesy of Banwagon Bags/Wares
By Li Yen Epoch Times Staff
M
r Lengfei Tok and Mr Gareth Dean Lee met during their days in Singapore Polytechnic, where both of them were multimedia design students. Both aged 23, they are the founders and designers of Banwagon Bags/Wares, a local brand that manufactures honest, well-designed and hand-crafted goods of the finest quality. Design functionality, lifestyle, and the philosophies of consumerism are a few of the key aspects of Banwagon Bags/Wares.
Jamie Day Tote.
The young duo hope that consumers will learn about the brand’s stories and products instead of being just trend followers. Wanting to cease the ‘bandwagon effect’, or the herd mentality of purchasing something primarily because others are buying it, they named their brand Banwagon. They wish to encourage individuals to do things that are true to their passion, or simply because they love it. “Consumers these days are an extreme example of ‘Hopping on the Banwagon’, the majority being victims of fashion and trends. It’s not a bad thing to follow fashion and trends once in a while, but people often
abuse them as a way to “fit” into society, causing them to lose their personal sense and taste,” says Mr Lee, the co-founder and designer. Mr Tok, the founder and craftsman, thinks that Singaporeans are sceptical to put their trust in local designers. Though these perceptions hurt him, they also motivate him to advocate for a change in the Singaporean mindset towards local design. If you thought that Banwagon Bags/Wares only produces bags and wallets for men, be prepared for a surprise. Mr Lee and Mr Tok are presently preparing to launch a range of bags for ladies. So ladies, stay tuned! Can you tell us more about Banwagon Bags/Wares leather products? What range of leather accessories do you sell, and how are they priced? Mr Lee: We use leathers from tanneries such as Horween, and Wickett and Craig. There are wallets, cardholders, tote bags, key fobs, passport holders, belts, bracelets, and furniture. Prices range from S$30 for a key fob to S$565 for a bag. Mr Tok: Gareth and I are collaborating with Kevin Chiam, a furniture designer. A coffee table is designed and is available now. How are Banwagon’s leather products different from other brands?
Mr Tok: Consumers can expect well-crafted and designed goods at an affordable price. Leather and hardwares used are from USA. Many brands tend to overuse the term ‘handmade’ or ‘handcrafted’ when their products are produced using sewing machines and clickers. Our goods are completely handmade from start to finish; leather pieces are hand-cut and sewn by hand, edges and surface of leather are polished by hand as well. Mr Lee: Our products on their own aren’t unique or special even though we are confident of its quality. Everything’s functional and minimalist with occasionally added details. However, what that defers us is that we don’t just sell a product, we sell a story with it. Unlike majority of brands you see in the market, they just want to keep up with fashion, trend, and money making. We want to keep up with life, helping others see that life isn’t about competing with the times, but about experiencing things you really love and like. That is true happiness. What inspired you to start up this leather accessories business? Mr Tok: The high amount of badly designed and ridiculously priced items that are available on the market. We really hope consumers will soon realise what they are actually supporting before paying the price. Mr Lee: No offense, but we’re not producing just leather accessories. We are just releasing the first wave of products that happened to be leather accessories. As to why we major so much in leather is because firstly we have interest in leather, second an interest for crafting, and lastly a large mass of humans obscure to leather products. Continued on next page