NERDUNIT

Designer

Ronald Chew

Category

Men’s & Women’s / Street style wear, Shoes, Bags & Accessories

Brand information / About the designer

―What inspired you to become a fashion designer? Describe developments leading up to the brand launch.

I have always loved streetwear since young. When I was studying in San Francisco, the streetwear culture is really strong there. My friends encouraged me and I tried designing some clothing myself and sold it online. All my designs sold out quickly and I decided to pursue this career full-time.
 

―What is the brand’s concept? What do you want to communicate through fashion designing? What are the images of men and women you want to project?

Nerdunit’s tagline “no one ever really dies” (stands for NERD) explains the brand’s belief that when we die, our legacy is still left behind. Nerduit pays tribute to the lifestyle of the military, where simplicity is essential, but with boldness. We like to think of our customers as men and women who appreciate simple silhouttes but with style.
 

―What is your source of inspiration in creating fashion? What is your process of developing a design concept?

I find my inspirations from historical events and military elements such as military colours, badges and ranking lines. We come up with a concept or theme for each collection and source for inspirations from various cultures and sub-cultures, then we sketch and source for new materials that are able to complete the whole collection feel.
 

―Who are your current stockists (areas, retail formats, etc.)? Describe the typical followers of your brand.

We have 7 flagship stores & 8 stockists in Malaysia, as well as in Italy, Nigeria, Taiwan, Thailand, Macau, Singapore, United Kingdom and soon Japan and USA. Our customers are fashion forward individuals who keep up-to-date with the latest streetwear trend. They like clothing that are comfortable at the same time stylish and bold.
 

―Which brands, designers, styles and cultures have had the most impact on your fashion designing, and why?

The streetwear culture definitely. I personally like Fear of God, Geo design, and A Bathing Ape.

About 2018 S/S collection

―Why have you chosen Tokyo(Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO) as the venue for presenting your collection?

Japan has a strong streetwear culture which is suitable for Nerdunit’s branding, and Amazon FWT is the most prestigious fashion event in Japan.
 

―What is the concept / image for your brand’s 2018 S/S season?

For our 2017 A/W collection, we’ve developed our very own camoflauge design using our signature emblem pattern. We also instilled more practicality and functionality in our products, such as our 3-way Camo Bomber Jacket, to emphasize on how the military uniforms are supposed to be – very functional. War time is also often linked with hysteria, hence you could see some exagerrated details on some of our items for A/W 2017.
 

―What is your vision for your show / installation?

As camo design orginated from military uniforms, the show’s concept is based on World War II.

Future

―What are your brand’s future outlook and goal?

These 3 years we will focus on expanding our market in Japan and USA. A physical store in Tokyo is definitely in our books for 2018.

About TOKYO

―What does Tokyo represent for you?

It’s the city for the fashionable; almost everyone is fashion-conscious and will appreciate good designs.
 

―Which parts / sites of Tokyo do you like most? Why?

Harajuku because of the various knick knacks I can find.
 

―What are your favorite / recommended shops (of any genres, e.g. fashion stores, homeware stores, food services), facilities and sites?

I love Tokyu Hands.