In the beginning, he used fabrics from his own stash, as well as dead stock textiles to produce his shirts. “I wanted to ‘recycle’ the fabric that nobody wanted, which would otherwise end up discarded. Then, I chanced upon a teen artist with autism, Alex (@theunskilledboy), on Instagram, and thought about turning his artworks into shirts for Plain Prints Project. His mother agreed to our discussion and it happened. It then sort of grew from there – ideas started floating in my head about how I can continue working with artists with autism to give further exposure to their work,” he shared.
Apart from working with artists, he also created prints of his own. Leveraging his business contacts in Italy, he worked with an Italian textile mill to realise his ideas for designs and get them printed onto fabric. “I’d send them drawings and mood boards, and then we’d work on the prints together, making changes along the way until every aspect about the design sits well with me,” he explained.
Over the two years since he started the brand, he’s already produced so many prints that he lost count of how many there are. “I just create [whenever I have an idea] and put it out. Plain Prints Project is meant for the customer to find something to complement his style. Some prints are more botanic in nature, some prints are influenced by heritage, and so forth – they can be inspired by anything that’s around me,” he said.
IN SUPPORT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
At Plain Prints Project, environmental sustainability and a slow-fashion approach are priorities. Every shirt is made upon order, which means they are only produced when orders are placed. They are also made from scratch – the process begins in Hee’s hands. “When I receive an order, I will measure, cut the fabric, send to the tailor and get it sewn. Once it’s done, I’ll give the garment a once-over and then send it off to the customer,” he said.
“Right from the start, I wanted the brand to be based on such a model. Consumers are now aware of the environmental harm of low-cost, fast-fashion manufacturing. I want people to take time and choose a print they like, and be willing to wait for the shirt to be ready (production takes about two weeks) – the Plain Prints Project customer is someone who appreciates and understands the process,” he added.
