Kit Woo Reflects On a Decade in Fashion

Model holding the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 in White. WARDROBE by Kit Woo

Kit Woo’s aesthetic direction, blending deconstructionist techniques with contemporary style, is a natural result of his inquisitive mind. “In general, designers would sit down, sketch and draw before creating a pattern. It’s a 2D to 3D process. For me, it goes the other way,” he explains. Inspiration can come from something as unexpected and abstract as the silhouette of a coat hanging on the back of a chair, he says. And from there, Woo wants to figure out exactly how it was achieved. “I’ll take something apart, put it back together again, and then it naturally translates itself into a design,” he adds.

In the last few years, Woo has taken up the position as a guest lecturer in the prestigious fashion programmes at ESMOD Kuala Lumpur and Taylor’s College. And he singles out the creative pattern making course as one of his favourites to teach. “The clothes always speak for themselves, down to the details,” he says, emphasising the importance of learning technical skills.

He adds: “I like introducing to students where rules can be broken.” It is a fitting statement coming from Woo, who was a pioneer of genderless, seasonless wardrobes in Southeast Asia long before these ideas hit the mainstream.

Woo is also uniquely suited to be an educator to young designers. He is deliberately candid about the challenges he has faced sustaining a fashion brand, which is often affected by fluctuating demand and external factors. But the challenge is not insurmountable. He observes: “Some may say you need to find the right time to start a business. To this day, I still don’t know what that looks like, so if a young fashion designer has considered the financial aspects, I think they should go ahead and just do it. Along the way, they will make their own mistakes but it is inevitable.”

In fact, Woo can often be found in the front rows cheering on a new generation of fashion designers; he himself understands the indescribable feeling of joy, pride, and relief when finally showcasing new work to the public. “I can already see them bringing their own perspectives, from concept and ideas to showmanship,” he says.