Say it with a pin
Two Malaysian companies are taking notice of the little details that make us who we are, writes Aznim Ruhana Md Yusup
ENAMEL pins and iron-on patches are small add-ons to give outfits a personal touch. In an official capacity such as for uniformed services, certain pins and patches are used to signify rank and used for identification.
But in fashion, these accessories give a basic shirt “oomph” and make a plain cap or beanie just that bit more interesting.
I’ve used patches to cover up a stain that won’t wash away as well as the telltale sign of an ironing mishap. I’ve also taken pins to brighten up an uninteresting bag although they sometimes fall off and I’d lose the pin.
These pins and patches tell something about the person sporting it. That’s what makes personalised accessories so interesting because there’s a story behind them — and it’s usually more compelling than say, an ironing accident.
CHILDHOOD REFERENCES
“People wear pins because it reminds them of things,” says Syafiq Mohd Noh, 30, of Pantun Pins. “There are those who collect pins, and some who just like the way it looks, and we cater to these two groups.”
“The majority of our online customers are quite young, like students or people in their 20s, but we sometimes do pop-ups at weekend bazaars where we get guys in their 40s who think the pins are cool because they take them back to a different time and place.”
The nostalgia may be brought on by pins of Nokia 3310 — now sold out — which detail a Snake game in progress or the old Telekom phone booth. Pantun Pins can also be cheeky, evident through the Kipidap pin with the face of dubious activist Rani Kulup and the Supekor pins that make fun of streetwear brand Supreme.
“I came up with the name Pantun (poetry) because we wanted to relate to local culture,” says Shafiq Saiful Azmir, 28, co-founder of Pantun Pins. “I was adamant on a Malay name for the brand. A pantun tells a story and can be quite cheeky, just like our pins.”
While each pin tells a story, it’s really up to the customer to interpret it. At the same time, pins of a plate of nasi kandar or a bowl of ais kacang do not need a message except to reflect our eating habits, and it’s lovely to see a side of Malaysia portrayed in such a way.
Others reflect the times we are in, such as the Tun Jedi pin with the face of Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. There’s also a Negaraku music sheet pin and a pin of the old one ringgit coin which is not legal tender anymore. Some pins are conversation starters.
Syafiq recalls: “I brought the durian pin home and my dad looked at it and asked, ‘do you know which durian is the sweetest?’ I go, ‘I’m not sure.’ So he answered: ‘It’s the one that’s half-eaten by the squirrel,
Pantun Pins and Salang Design make enamel pins and iron-on patches respectively.
Their story is one of wanting to spread joy through designs that reflect the everyday experience of Malaysians. There’s a quiet desire to foster national togetherness in a non-preachy way, by taking pride in the little things that make us who we are.
because they will only eat the good ones.’ The durian pin reminded my father of when he was a kid in the village.”
A FUN, SIDE PROJECT
But why pins?
“We started in April 2016,” says Shafiq. “I was planning to bring in hype pins called Pintrill from New York but we realised that they would be too expensive for the local market. So we decided to put a local flavour.”
Shafiq contacted Syafiq, as well as artist friends Chern Loo and Shawn Tan to start Pantun Pins. They saw it as a fun, side project. They didn’t want to be identified as the people behind the brand, preferring to remain anonymous and let the product speak for itself.
But business took off, and Pantun Pins soon became a full-time venture. Companies approached them to do corporate pins, while others wanted to collaborate. Unknowingly, they had uncovered a gap in the market.
“Being mysterious gave the brand a cool factor. But after we grew to a certain size, it was right to come out,” says Shafiq.
They credit Malaysia’s small but supportive creative industry for helping them, through collaborations with artists like Sherwan Rozan and design house PB&J, as well as stores such as Snackfood, Kinokuniya and Cziplee.
“People took to our pins with good, positive energy which is amazing,” says Syafiq. “We can’t forget who we are and where we come from. One of our first pins was the Malaysian passport. It’s a reminder that wherever we go, it’s pretty special to be a Malaysian.”
PATCH IT UP
Meanwhile, Salang Design was started by long-time friends; Deryin Teh, Wilden Tan and Jiun Pheng, all 24. In Hokkien, “salang” means three people. It also began as a side project; in their case it was something to do after graduation before the nine-to-five routine. While Tan had studied architecture, Teh and Pheng had finished art school.
“As students, we were presented with a lot of case studies and references from overseas,” says Teh. “So we wanted to do something of our own.
“That’s why we do Malaysian motifs because design is not just aesthetic. The patches are not just pretty things but also tell a story. Nasi lemak is familiar to tourists but knowing about Cap Tangan groundnuts or Bas Pekerja is uniquely Malaysian.”
Salang started early last year with a Chinese New Year project. It was the Year of the Rooster, and it released T-shirts with embroidered chicken-related motifs. But customers wanted options on where the embroidery could go, so they switched to iron-on patches.
“We were scouts in secondary school,” says Tan. “Scouts get badges in the form of patches that represent an achievement, and it became our habit to collect badges.”
“It’s like the movie Up With That Boy,” Teh adds. “There’s a sense of pride in collecting those badges and we wanted our product to bring that same feeling. Patches are fun to collect, and you can also appreciate Malaysian culture at the same time.”
TO GEORGETOWN
When the trio released their debut Chinese New Year T-shirts, it was a matter of doing things familiar to them because it was a festival that they celebrated. But they’ve since begun to venture outside their comfort zone.
“We decided to do things that all Malaysians can relate to. We had a ketupat patch for Hari Raya and we did a Cinta patch for Valentine’s Day. We thought, ‘let’s not do hearts or couples that you see everywhere. Let’s do Cinta.’ It’s more special that way,” says Teh.
“We’re creating patches for all Malaysians because we’re using Malaysian culture for our patches. What we see in our daily life, we illustrate into patches. In the future we hope to do more collaborations with artists from different backgrounds,” she adds.
A recent collaboration was with the Georgetown Festival in Penang, with Slang as the theme. This included the Anneh patch with a mamak waiter and a steaming mug of teh tarik. The An Zhua Ho patch pays tribute to Hokkien speakers in Penang — it means what to do, which translates colloquially as “Eh, how ah?”.
They’ve also worked with Art, My Foot which does hand-painted shoes and the collaboration combined both painting and patches. And while the trio are keen to do more, they admit it is a challenge running a business straight after graduation. Teh and Pheng are now working with Salang Design full-time, although Tan has a day job.
“We don’t have marketing experience and we’re not business-minded people. It’s not just about designing the patches but also about learning customer service and how to handle finances. But we have loyal customers and we want to respect that,” says Teh.
A pantun tells a story and can be quite cheeky, just like our pins.
Shafiq Saiful Azmir