Design(er) Speak: DEPRESSION

Depression is the brainchild of Kenny and Andrew, former advertisers who, depressed with the corporate world, have decided to start a label to channel their creativity. Known for their unisex outfits of baggy drop crotch pants, caped jackets and t-shirts with interesting silhouettes, Depression is a well known name in the fashion scene in Singapore.

Their latest collection, Birth Defects, features Depression’s first footwear line with wedges, brogues and loafers with fringe details. There is also a pony hair envelope clutch available in black, and pink that is to die for. A very cute couple wear of a dress and a shirt that resembles a face with bangs is another item to look out for in this collection. Who says couple wears have to be embarrassing?

FS: why the move to designing clothes?

D: We got depressed, that’s why! As much as we enjoyed creating ads, we got tired of the templates clients forced upon us. Frustrated with the industry, we started looking for a new medium for us to toy with. ‘DEPRESSION’ started as a design outfit that would be the antidote to our depression, and fashion became our canvas.
 

FS:  What's the meaning behind the Depression name? Is there any special meaning
to it?

D:Irony and dark humour are our main inspirations. Hence our labels’
name ‘DEPRESSION’, which arose as an ironic response to our depression over the
corporate struggles of our previous jobs.
 

FS:  Congratulations on your new store at Cineleisure! Are there any plans to open a
3rd store anytime soon?

D: We opened our Cineleisure doors on 4 Nov, and there’s an upcoming media cum VIP Private Party on 17th December. We call our new home ‘a hospital found in an industrial district’, with cement flooring, metal pipes and oxygen masks filling the clinical interior. But what we love most is the location – tucked among a cluster of cool multi-brand shops (Rockstar by Soon Lee is one of our fave destinations) and local designers (Frederic Sai’s flagship looks gorgeous), Cineleisure is fast becoming Singapore’s mall with the most potential.We would also love to explore a third shop as long as there is an interesting concept thatwe can be a part of. So if there is any leasing team or angel investors reading this, wewould love to get in touch!
 

FS:What are the inspirations behind the Birth Defects line?

D: ‘Birth Defects’ is our AW2011 collection, which was shown during Blueprint this year.
Unfortunately, it was not inspired by circus freakshows or genetic mutations! Instead, it’s a mouthpiece on the beauty of imperfections. By adding ‘defects’ or ‘tweaks’ in the
construction of garments, the collection aims to re-invent classic wardrobe staples. For instance, the unisex Cropped Hoodie is a sporty jacket with sleeves that are deliberately
selongated.

Currently, we’re getting ready to launch our AW2011 ‘T-SHIRTS by DEPRESSION’
collection. It’s our sub-line of graphic tees and accessories that’s less depressing for the
wallet.