Our Design Process

We thought we’d bring you guys on a little behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a GINLEE Studio collection.

We’re big on design. Coming from two different design backgrounds, we’re able to collaborate and look at things from various angles. The problem-solving aspect of design is something we very much enjoy. When a customer shares a concern with us, we take it upon ourselves as a fun challenge to overcome it and birth something that we’re proud to call our own. 

Our starting point is when we start to gather bits and pieces of what has inspired us lately. We find them in everyday objects, as well as subtle references from our cultures. It is always important to us that we pay homage to our roots as we want to make sure that they’re represented and live on. In terms of everyday objects, this one time we found a piece of tissue that was dragged under the chair and when we retrieved it, it unravelled to reveal some creases that made for an interesting shape. Sometimes shadows, textures and clean lines are enough to get us excited. 

Let’s talk about the Hope dress from our recent Spring collection. We wanted to create a fresh silhouette but still stay true to what you’ve probably come to know us for – Pleats! It’s the thrilling rush of seeing something in 2D come alive in 3D. With a rough idea in mind, we play around and try to create the pleats using paper. This takes a bit of trial and error, and sometimes we come up with something totally unexpected and we end up going with it. The design took about 5 long iterations until we decided it was ready for the world. With further feedback on the opening of the neckline, we made some changes to it to make it more comfortable and it has proven to be such a hit among customers, old and new!

The whole design process tends to deviate from its intended course, the original sketch, and takes the form of something else. But that’s what we love about it. The first sketch doesn’t always end up what it’s supposed to be, it evolves along the way and we’ve learnt from experience to let the process be as fluid and organic as it can be. And then there we have it! The final garment is released and we give ourselves a pat on the back and hope that it’s well-received, and take notes on the areas to improve the next time around. As tedious (and honestly sometimes nightmarish) as the whole process can be, ultimately it brings us great joy. It’s rewarding when we see how it’s being received by our customers and that makes the whole design journey truly worth the the ride. 

Shop our latest collection here.