Name: Elaine Yan Ling Ng
Heritage: British Chinese
Now living in: Hong Kong / China
Brand: The Fabrick Lab
Please tell us about THE FABRICK LAB
THE FABRICK LAB, founded by Elaine Yan Ling Ng, is a multi-faceted boutique textile consultancy, we bridge unrelated businesses and provide the right answers for issues from material research to fully integrated branding solutions. Our understanding of textile innovation enables us to use agile techniques in a cross-disciplinary procedure. We show clients how to translate their ideas into original design approaches, and through forecasting, blue ocean strategising, and in-depth material research and product development, we produce clear and coherent outcomes.
Our Approach:
At THE FABRICK LAB we are creating our own version of the Big Bang theory through textiles, observing changes in our universe to inform our design…
‘AI and Nature’, ‘Technology and Craft’, ‘Smart production and Handmade’ – these are the extreme spectrums which we weave together in order to map out the future of textile design. At THE FABRICK LAB, textiles are not limited to physical construction. It is the principle of textile making that helps us navigate new ways to design. We are dreamers, defining our concepts through materialisation, led by green thinking, engaged by science and stimulated by traditional heritage techniques and their history. As an industry catalyst, we are ready to extend the boundaries of modern textiles with a wide disciplinary application.
What material do you use?
We are also well known as a wide discipline material specialist. We work with all sorts of materials, from technology-driven material that is programable such as shape memory material, to natural waste, such as seashells or eggshells from landfills. We create formulas to utilise and maximise the material’s application and build a successful business opportunity for our clients to elevate their brand, with a technology and experience driven material approach.
There is a particular project I am working at the moment utilising the function and volume of eggshell waste. I was invited by Nature Squared, a Swiss company, known for their craftsmanship and turning waste into luxury surfaces for ultra high-end clientele in the past 20 years.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
I am always inspired by nature and its cleverness such as its innate engineered structure. Take an eggshell for example — it appears to be fragile but it has a very strong chemical bonding, calcium carbonate just like seashells.
How are some of your materials made?
The eggshell waste is handmade in Cebu, Philippines. We work with local central kitchen and bakeries to collect all the eggshell waste and prevent it from going into landfills. After cleaning, we will process into different fragment sizes and work with different natural colouring processes, such as baking and natural dyes to enhance the natural character before we formulise it. The final application is versatile, from wall tiles to bespoke furniture application.
What inspired you to start doing this?
The planet is full of finite resources. If we look at the entire world as one massive factory, it is working on a linear economy with an abundance of waste and underutilized resources. By 2030 we will need 2 planets if we don’t change our attitude and approach of working. As a designer specialising in the future of living, I feel is part of my quest and responsibility to promote by action, and to design in a more circular approach, working with partners that can provide equal work opportunities to different people in the world.
Who do you create your work for?
Our clients and projects span the globe and industries and include UBS, Swarovski, Gold Peak, HKEX, Moleskine, Nissan, Art Basel and Design Days Dubai, Nature Sqaured, Kvadrat
What are some of the projects you are most proud of?
Sundew for Swarovski. This project was very special as it had multiple challenges during the design and creation process. At that time, I was still a young designer, lacking experience to plan international exhibitions and installations. There were a lot of things that could have been planned better but at the same time, a lot of spontaneous solutions that made the work alive and organic. The work has been exhibited in over 3 countries and at 7 large-scale public exhibitions and attracted over 50000 visitors.
How has Chinese culture shaped your work?
One of our most well known projects is UN/FOLD, a Chinese heritage research initiative.
UN/FOLD is a heritage craft research initiative which has been running since 2013. With continuous research and product development activities, The Fabrick Lab aims to keep traditional Chinese craft and technique alive.
Artistry from Guizhou, in southern China, has a strong heritage of handmade craft. Sadly, only 10% of craft skills are passed onto the next generation. The pride of their traditional culture is becoming lost.
At THE FABRICK LAB, we have spent the past seven years researching village life. However, we started to question – how can this heritage fit within the modern world? By creating a social study programme we have aimed to answer this question. We investigated how conscientious design could fully utilise Chinese craft, expanding to new markets and creating a sustainable income for rural villages. With Design Trust’s support in 2015 we have increased the employment rate by 100% in the past year.
Through visiting local markets, sourcing local materials and gaining trust from villagers, we have been able to create an ecosystem that works with the villagers existing resources and lifestyles. By studying their expertise, the best qualities of their traditional techniques have been extracted, resulting in a range of contemporary textiles and products that coincide with our modern lifestyle. In the future we hope this new operations system can be applied to more artisans in other rural communities.
What is your dream for your brand?
To become an impactful studio. A studio to help brands be sustainable from all directions, a brand that can build a legacy for the circular economy.
What should we be looking forward to seeing from you next?
In the coming year, I will be spending more time in China, as China will be one of our most important markets. I am in the process of studying Sustainability Management in Leadership at University of Cambridge at the moment. I can see there are many opportunities for our consultancy to help guide Chinese companies develop sustainability as a core value, and not just as a meaningless KPI.
Discover THE FABRICK LAB
www.thefabricklab // Instagram: @thefabricklab
