By: Li Ying
The environmental-friendly hoo-ha may be focused on paper-plastic-glass, but not for Didier Ng.
Pretty lights churned out of plastic bottles with her mere hands.
Didier's talent stems from a passion for creating handicrafts, drawing, and painting since young, and is later harnessed through her erudite years in Product and Industrial Design at Temasek Polytechnic. Ever since then, her designs have garnered plaudits and are continuously attracting attention from the media, fashion and art industries alike.
“The idea of creating instead of buying something, the idea of conservation, and saving as much materials" - the “revival of junk”, truly characterises Didier’s designs.
So when does inspiration strike, exactly?
“Hard to say. Sometimes I start with the materials I have picked - I experiment with its possibilities. At other times, I start with what I know I have to produce, say, a laptop bag, and then think of what materials would be best for such a thing.”
In Didier’s hands, a torn t-shirt can easily transmogrify into a shawl, a rag, or even a hat.
Patchwork art that vamps up old shirts and jackets.
Answering questions for this feature, Didier displayed a spunky attitude that is in many obvious ways reflected in her fun, unique designs. She has carved out a niche so far by recycling materials that most people throw away without second thoughts. Her resume is expansively impressive: her creative endeavours consist of a fusion of murals, banners, bags, and even furniture amongst many other creative endeavours.
In fact, she had first worked for furniture and electronic firms in her early days, but having found herself constricted in her designing opportunities, she eventually moved on to recycling materials into bona fide aesthetics.
The Amore Love Chair, one of Didier's furniture designs.
Didier puts a 60s spin on vehicles.
It simply seems that as far as the imagination goes, that is where possibilities end for Didier, and this could be the very reason for her consistent success.
“I love to explore and experiment. I hate limitations and restrictions,” she says, and cites John Galliano and Louis Vuitton as some of her favourite fashion designers. Just in the “green” shade of Didier’s own quaint designs, she reasons: “Louis Vuitton’s designs are so durable; users usually own their items for life: and that is truly green.”
Despite the pervasiveness of environmental awareness in her lines, she makes a surprising confession that she is dubious as to whether her designs are really positive messages for recycling initiatives or in her words, “just creating more junk”.
Nevertheless, if that is cause for any doubts for her tree-hugging tendencies, Didier’s latest project should put that to rest: she is currently consultant for the filming of a Go Green programme.
Didier is also sparing in recreating and selling her work, sheer proof that she is creating out of passion more so than for the fame. Nevertheless, she is game on turning her passion into an outlet for serious business opportunities—hence, the setting up of her web site.
She concedes to having not made much out of it, but remains positive about her venture: “One good thing about my business is that I don’t have to spend lots of money on production costs, since I am using existing items to make new products.” She also adds that business through the Internet does not require too much expenditure, and that it is the self-satisfaction she gains from this that is truly rewarding.
If you are eager to get your hands on her beautiful work, remember to check her out for more information on her rare artwork at her website, or at the MAAD exhibition (held only once a month!).
Didier at work
Sources: asiane.com, didier.itgo.com
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