Three Rising Southeast-Asian Accessories Brands On Our Radar

Hi! Please introduce yourself — who you are, what you do, and where you’re from — and share with us the story behind EVERYTHINGS?
Hello! My name is Carl, I’m 21 and I’m based in the Philippines. I’m the person behind EVERYTHINGS. I’m currently studying in the hospitality industry, so people are often surprised that I don’t have a background in the arts or the creative field — especially considering the work I do.

I launched EVERYTHINGS in 2022, starting out with crochet keychains as a simple hobby that grew into something much more meaningful. What began as a small e-shop to share the joy of handmade and unique pieces evolved into three years of creating crochet items and other handmade works.  In the beginning, I doubted whether anyone would even buy my creations, but thanks to my supportive community, I’ve been able to grow — some people even wait for every release, which still amazes me.

By the end of 2024, I decided to explore 3D modelling with the help of my team, which led to creating 3D-printed accessories. I was genuinely surprised by how much attention these pieces received and how deeply they resonated with people. It’s been a reminder that creativity can connect in unexpected ways. This has informed my new found aesthetic at EVERYTHINGS at the moment.

Would nostalgia or childhood have any influence in shaping your work?
Other than wish-core, I can definitely say my childhood has been one of the biggest influences in my work. I remember how much I loved role-playing as a child. I was always the chef, the store owner, or sometimes the doctor. Looking back, I realise I’m still that same kid at heart, just older, carrying the same interests into what I do today. I was drawn to toys that were often considered ‘for girls,’ especially dolls and dollhouses with all their tiny plastic accessories. I remember how much joy I felt looking at the small details like the tiny combs, clothing hangers and rows of doll shoes that are designed with so much character.

Those details made the world feel magical to me, and they’re exactly the kind of feeling I try to capture in my work now. So, in a way, my art is rooted in that. I hope that when people see my creations, they’re reminded of that same sense of wonder I felt back then. 

You’ve described yourself as being in love with everything — from living and non-living things to the pretty and the practical. Would you say this broad admiration for life is your main source of inspiration?
At first, that quote is just a silly little concept I thought would be cute to include with every purchase, kind of like a reminder to find happiness in simply admiring things. It could be anything, you know? “I love living things, non-living, useful things, or even things that don’t make much sense.” 

I’ve always kept that mindset as a personal motto. My inspiration isn’t tied to one specific thing — it’s more about this broad admiration of life as a whole. I like to notice little details that people might usually overlook, and that’s what fuels my creativity. So adding that quote felt natural, like I’m sharing a piece of how I see the world with whoever gets my work.

Among the list of people who are fans of your work are a few characters, particularly, @behyone, the creative director of the newest K-Pop sensation KiiiKiii. How did that come about?
It’s honestly still crazy to me, and I can’t wrap my head around the fact that the artists I look up to are actually following me. To be honest, I didn’t even notice that KiiiKiii’s creative director was following me until my friend pointed it out. I remember being so happy that I immediately followed her back and started liking almost all her posts. She probably thought I was totally losing my mind fangirling! And honestly, I don’t even know the reason or what post made her follow me. At first, I was like, “I really hope this wasn’t just an accident.” But now I’m pretty sure it wasn’t, because she actively likes my posts. That alone makes me feel like I must’ve made some kind of impact on her and that already means so much. What makes it even crazier is that I’ve been a fan of her work ever since I saw her direction for IVE’s Love Dive and Eleven. 

And now, seeing what she’s doing for KiiiKiii, it’s absolutely insane. Her work really resonates with me because I notice so many elements she uses are the same things I try to bring into my own work. I even remember talking about how amazing KiiiKiii’s creative director was when those teasers dropped before their debut — without even realizing it was her behind all those ideas the whole time!

MIAO ATELIER

What are the primary thematic elements that define your jewellery?
Thematic threads of fantasy, chaos, and nostalgia run through almost everything I make. My pieces often take the form of blobs, squiggles, orbs, or crystalline bubbles, forms that are simple in essence, yet surreal in how they’re brought to life. I’m fascinated by that tension between childish shapes and grown-up adornment, or between humour and elegance. Colour is also another constant. I see colour as emotion, so each shade becomes part of the story. Ultimately, my jewellery lives in contradiction: it’s playful but powerful, silly but sculptural, nostalgic yet futuristic. It’s this balance — or imbalance — that defines the Miao Atelier universe.

You mention that you grew up being drawn to the fantastical, chaotic and surreal. Could you describe that in further detail. Were there any films, media, etc. that formed your experiences?
Growing up, I was always captivated by things that felt larger than life. I spent hours buried in Nanny Piggins books, playing with my dolls and critters, collecting Hello Kitty stationery and arcade cards like Love & Berry. They weren’t just toys to me — they were entry points into miniature universes. I was also mesmerised by films that blurred the line between whimsy and strangeness, like Alice in Wonderland or Studio Ghibli’s dreamlike worlds, which made me fall in love with dream logic, where the absurd and the beautiful coexist.

But beyond that, I think one of the most formative “fantastical” experiences for me was the early internet era. Before Instagram and TikTok, everyone had a blog on Blogspot.com, where we customised layouts with pixelated backgrounds, glitter and magical wand cursors, autoplay music, and clashing fonts. It was chaotic, but it felt magical to create a little world of your own online. That DIY digital aesthetic with all its quirks, showed me that creativity didn’t have to be polished to be powerful. All of these influences taught me to embrace excess and surrealism as a way of expressing joy and freedom. That sensibility continues to shape Miao Atelier, where I try to bring that same feeling of wonder into tangible, wearable form.

What’s a jewellery stack that you think someone could wear everyday?
For me, an everyday stack should feel like storytelling in layers — playful, but still wearable. I’d start with the I’m A Star Choker, which feels almost like a quiet proclamation, framing the neck with a gentle sparkle and a statement star. Then I’d add the Enchanted Orb Pendant, my go-to dangling, layering piece with everything else in my collection. To finish, the Venom earrings — a simple, lightweight, dazzling piece that dances with me when I move. Together, these pieces create a stack that feels uplifting and bold without losing its balance. It’s a way of making everyday life feel like a little festival.

Experimentation seems to be one of the driving forces of many of your products. Where does that spirit of innovation and experimentation come from, and how do you implement it as part of your creative process?
I think it comes from a natural restlessness. I’ve never been comfortable staying in one lane because of my love for so many things. Before starting Miao Atelier, I worked across very different fields, from fashion and textiles to set design, styling, contemporary dance and even research in food science and material development. That curiosity to see how things could be transformed, whether fabric, resin, metal, or even bioplastics — has stayed with me. In practice, this means each new piece is an experiment in form and story. I’ll often ask myself: “What if a fork or laundry pods could become jewellery?” or “What if a plush toy could carry the same weight of memory as a necklace?” For me, experimentation is not just about pushing materials, but about pushing imagination. It’s how I keep surprising myself, and in turn, surprising my audience.

TANCHEN STUDIO

Hi! Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Where are you from? And what is the story behind Tanchen Studio?
We’re Sanchia Tan and Amber Chen from Singapore and Shanghai, respectively, and the founders of Tanchen Studio. We met in 2013 at Central Saint Martins in London, where we studied textile design with a specialisation in weave, and started Tanchen at the end of 2019. We’re a design studio that takes textiles as our central element. Through experimentation, we create functional textiles for both use and display.

What is the one product that has been an absolute conversation starter at a party?
Definitely our 0/0 bag! That’s how it all started, really. We’d carry our first samples when bringing wine over to a friend’s place, and people were so intrigued by it.

Textiles seem to be the core or “soul” of what makes up the studio. From your line of 0/0 bags to the Mazha stool series, what is the significance of textile techniques in informing form and function?
Tanchen is not only an amalgam of my and Amber’s surnames—it’s also a play on the word “tension,” which is probably the most important concept in the process of weaving. We wanted to continue to play with the idea of tension after the product has been woven, so many of our objects rely on tension and elasticity to be functional: the nylon’s elasticity of the 0/0 bag stretches and suspends bottles in mid-air; the Mazha stool’s woven seat pad is just flexible enough to be soft, while having enough tension to bear the user’s weight.

Tanchen Studio’s work has been seen in all corners of the world, from Barcelona to New York City to Tokyo. What does it mean to bring Southeast Asian and Chinese design to the rest of the world, especially in the context of design appreciation?
We often design for ourselves, and we attribute our own existing sensibilities to the strong and rich visual cultures of where we’re from—Southeast Asia and China. When people interact with our objects and show interest in them, it opens up a small window into many different ways of thinking.

Tanchen Studio has collaborated with several brands, including your recent project with Morning and larger entities like COS. Looking ahead, is there a local brand or designer with whom you feel you could foster a symbiotic collaboration in the future?
We’re always open to collaboration, especially outside of our own disciplines. I think that would open up new ways of working and making. It could be in food, sound, ceramics, a spatial installation, or even perhaps something experiential.

Also, congratulations on your recent store opening in Singapore! What are your aspirations and plans for your first brick-and-mortar space?
Thank you so much! It’s been such a journey getting here. It’s not just a retail store, but really an extension of how we think and work. We also see it evolving into a space for collaborations, workshops, and conversations—a way to connect with our community, share stories, and maybe even feature other creatives we admire.

Are there upcoming projects that people can expect in the near future?
We have a new collaboration launching next month with a scent brand, which will be quite exciting. We also have a few interesting product launches in the pipeline that we can’t discuss yet, but they’re all fun and practical spins on our current offerings.

Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our October 2025 issue.