Q:How did the name of your brand come to you?
A: “Salang” translates to “three people” in Hokkien, which also represents the three of us as founders. This dialect is pretty much a unique and expressive language of its own and we want our brand to thrive in the community as the dialect does.
Q: What inspired you to create a brand centred around nostalgic Malaysian culture and its cultural items?
A: Graduating from art and design school, we used to study and borrow a lot of cultural references/case studies from overseas and yet we barely see local art and culture being taught by schools. We know there is so much more to explore and study about this diverse country and we hope it can be seen by those around the world. But we all live in an instant society today, a society that has to have everything quicker and faster and our history and culture will soon be forgotten. We want our society to commemorate and spread the culture not just through plain words, but in a tangible product that could be used in our daily lives.
Q: How do you encourage each other as a team to be more creative and innovative?
A: As a team, we will always need help from each other. There’s no individual member in a team that can have all the knowledge and experience of the team as a whole, hence we always schedule a brainstorming session; we listen to each other and sometimes explore ideas together to see what works and what could be improved. When we all help each other, everyone wins. Besides that, meeting up with other creative people inspires us, too. Sometimes meeting people from other industries helps us to think differently as we are exposed to different perspectives and points of view.
Q: Embroidery is becoming a popular hobby amongst young adults as a way to spruce their items. What got you interested in the art of embroidery?
A: The three of us were scouts during high school. We earn and collect each ‘lencana’ (badge) by scoring in various events and tests. Since then, our interest in collecting patches grew. Embroidery patches used to be just functional back then but now with advanced technology, digital embroidery is making everything come to life. By showing each detail of the stitches and threads adds a strong touch to every artwork we create using the computer. Till now, we are still always amazed by the outcome of each design we make.
Q: When your brand first started, did you think it would garner as much popularity as it does now?
A: Never! When we first started, our intention was just to gather and work on some fun projects, something that we were not familiar with. Salang is like a mini jackpot to us and we appreciate everyone who supported us from the beginning. We are also grateful that it has reached out to fellow Malaysians and now we are looking forward to bringing our Malaysian pride to all over the world.
Q: Do you have any words of advice for other budding young entrepreneurs like yourselves?
A: It is important to know that no matter what you are working on, nothing comes easy. During the journey, there will be a lot of obstacles to overcome. When working as a team you have to learn to trust your own judgement as well as those from your team members. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help when you are in need of advice. Learn from others, take in new information, and create something new.
Good things are meant to be shared. 😉 To see more of Salang’s work, check out the links below!
Website: Salang Design
Facebook: Salang Design 仨人設計
Instagram: salangdesign