Breaking Gender Stereotypes: The Story of PONDER.ER Fashion Brand Founded by Alex Po and Derek Cheng

Alex Po and Derek Cheng, who met at Central Saint Martins, saw that there were not many designs with gender issues on the increasingly rich Asian fashion scene, so they decided to challenge stereotyped gender images and they launched a fashion show together in 2019. They founded the fashion brand PONDER.ER. We hope to break many norms in society or in the fashion industry through gender-neutral designs, and encourage wearers to try to explore themselves.

Brand Name”PONDER.ER“In fact, the combination of the names of the two founders is “Po” and “Derek”, which represents their questions and research about the relationship between gender and fashion. At the same time, the word is also means “balance” in French, symbolizing the common ground between them. Coincidentally, PONDER.ER was shortlisted for this session some time ago LVMH AWARD In the semi-finals, Hypebeast invited two designers to share with us their personal must-haves and the background to their brands.

PONDER.ER “DASH” Denim Crossbody Bag

“DASH” is a by-product of the design process of our denim series at that time, we just saw some clothes that were left in the studio and thought that we might use the collection and washing processes of names us to make one with a big one. sufficient capacity to facilitate business trips. This bag received a lot of love and questions from friends who follow our brand, so we decided to make this style a reality.

Key chains with measuring tape

First, I tied the tape measure with the keys because I often met friends when I went out and wanted to buy our clothes on a whim, but I didn’t know what size that I wanted to wear at this time, with which a tape on me can easily solve the problem. Later I discovered that it is very convenient to have it when I go out. For example, if I happen to pass an interesting place or thing, or if I have a sudden inspiration, I can record the details more accurately immediately.

SWEETLIMEJUICE Silver Half Crucifix Signet Oval Mixed Chain Necklace

London-based SLJ is one of our favorite accessories brands and we love their experimental construction. From traditional craftsmanship and handmade jewelry accessories, they have developed their own unique pieces. The neutral design style and the emphasis on the interactive relationship between the wearer and the work go hand in hand with our creative ideas.

Baby Doll Squeeze Toy

Although it may seem silly, we love this joyous thing and it has somehow become a stress reliever for our studio members.

PONDER.ER Holder of a “Road Trip to Heaven” passport.

This is a small limited edition gift distributed at our SS24 show As this is our brand’s first Runway Show, it is particularly memorable. Encouraging everyone to go on a journey of self-discovery is the purpose of our brand and the meaning of this little gift. After becoming a brand manager, I had more opportunities to work in other places.

Hypebeast: Can you first introduce yourself and the brand to our readers?

Alex Po & Derek Cheng:It is a brand created by the two of us to challenge gender stereotypes, break down social stereotypes and destroy the status quo. We hope to break many norms in society or in the fashion industry through gender-neutral designs and encourage consumers to experiment and explore themselves. The design and concept of each season will be discussed between the two of us. Alex will be responsible for R&D and the production of more brand products, while Derek will focus more on creating and promoting the brand image.

What was the chance to find PONDER.ER?

After graduating from London, we happened to see the phenomenon of hundreds of flowers growing in the domestic fashion industry. Many new designers have a bigger stage to showcase their work, however, We note that, whether in China or Asia, there seem to be very few gender challenges.

As a brand with “gender fluidity” at its core, what new ways do you think there will be to blur gender boundaries?

In addition to using craftsmanship to break certain gender structures in clothing, our brand also puts a lot of emphasis on how to present the concept of diversity through photos, videos, and multiple – media. We feel that social media now allows brands to have more space to communicate and interact with a diverse audience If used appropriately, it is a a very impressive device.

What is the ratio of men to women among the brand’s current user groups?

The gender ratio of people paying attention to our brand is good even Looking at our own social platforms, we get more messages from male customers However, for channels traditional sales and customers, they are more likely to sell our products women’s clothing. We will also notice that different regions and cultures have different responses to our products, which is interesting to us and sometimes gives us more inspiration.

Collection technology is PONDER.ER’s signature design Where does this element come from?

We will use pleated elements at the beginning, hoping to clean up some traditional structures and turn them into a flowing state. “Smoking” is an element that can only be seen in children’s clothing and women’s clothing today. But in fact, this process was originally gender-neutral. Based on this, we felt that it was a craft that could express the theme of our brand.

What is your current favorite PONDER.ER item?

The HUG shirt is the first thing we developed. We used our diamond-shaped assembly technology to transform a very simple men’s shirt into a very flowing shape”. We started developing the denim series in SS23, among which denim is the most our favorites and what we love and often wear.

Where do you usually get your inspiration from?

We are inspired by essential items in men’s and women’s wardrobes, such as jeans, shirts, boxers, etc. In fact, they all represent certain social definitions of gender. Many times we examine how traditional culture and mainstream media describe and define gender, and then we examine how we can define it in our own unique way.

In fact, many of the things that inspire us come from everyday life, or products from the past, such as American cigarette advertisements in the 1970s and 1980s, or fashion brands that influenced the fashion culture of young people in the 1990s Their definitions and descriptions of masculinity are interesting to us, and they also make us think about whether these concepts are still relevant today.

What influenced you during the LVMH Prize?

When I first entered the center, I felt like I was participating in the Hunger Games! But luckily, the whole process of communicating with the judges was easy for us to be able to explain our work to many famous people in the industry and get their opinions. In addition, most of the brands this year encountered the epidemic shortly after they were established as we all. Each of the 20 units has its own unique development model. find

If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be doing?

Alex Poe:Furniture designers use different materials to design functional yet elegant creations.

Derek Cheng:I hope to work in documentary filmmaking, using images and sounds to record different stories from the world.