“I want pants with Pikachu at the crotch area,” was what Kay Choong (KC) said at our first meeting.
Elisa was still a student at LASALLE and held focus group sessions at the Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS) as part of her research. KC was a participant and one whose humour left a deep impression. Amidst serious notes on adapting clothing to overcome X problem or styling it to fit Y aesthetics, his wish for Pikachu-crotched pants cut through the crowd like a...well, a pair of Pikachu-crotched pants.
KC wearing Slim Fit Long Sleeve Shirt in Navy Blue and Unisex Drawstring Pants in Cream.
When we considered who to model for the photoshoot, KC and his comment surfaced once more. To our surprise, KC spontaneously agreed to be our model despite not having any prior experience.
During the shoot, KC dived in without any awkwardness. Right off the bat, he was 100% KC, warm, playful and fun. It showed in his expressions, which easily became one of our favourites of the shoot. It had a genuine shine that was distinctively KC.
KC wearing Slim Fit Long Sleeve Shirt in Baby Blue and Unisex Drawstring Pants in Cream.
Notes from KC:
It was an interesting experience, my first photoshoot. In fact, it never seemed like I could be "model material". Initially, I thought that I would need to pose or feel different but, afterwards realised that I just needed to be me.
Also, I'm a shy guy (although many would disagree). Other than Elisa, I didn’t know anyone there. One thing that stood out to me was that during one of the shoots, Elisa's grandmother was standing beside me and we were told to talk. At first, I was ‘pai seh’ but as we started the conversation, we learned that we were both Teochews. I felt like the barrier to communicate was lifted and from there it was natural talking to her.
I feel the same toward Will & Well, their fashion isn't loud and it gives me the feeling of being myself.
What Will & Well is doing great, starting conversations that a functional piece of apparel can also be fashionable – bridging the gap between what’s in the market, fashion and the fundamental needs of potentially all consumers.
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Photographer:
Grace Ho / @purplepolaroids
