Larissa Hazejager was intrigued by the unknown history of her ancestry. Her source of inspiration was to find out more about her heritage in the East. Her family, who are decendants of Peranakans are the locally born chinese immigrants who travelled and settled in the Malay Archipelago. Their customs and traditions are so striking, the wedding and funeral attire of rich colours, patterns and decoration which her collection to explore menswear in such a way of adornment and fluidity.




Throughout the process, Larissa was drawn to the discoveries of photographer Paul Koudounaris, who revealed the heavily embellished saints which were found beneath the Roman catacombs. Similar to the adornment of funeral carts in Singapore, the idea of dedicating that enrichment to the past was inspiring. Even in death, respect follows no matter of where they came from. Wire embellishment thus became a recurring technique throughout the collection, as emblems like medallions, crowns, or armor, to show the beauty in all facets of life. This array also inspired the use of fabrics with shine and fluidity, in a limited colour palette to bring focus textures of the wire.




The essence of the Peranakan culture can be seen throughout the collection, nodding at the expressiveness of life and death customs. Each piece was created with the idea of a man who embraces “otherness”, reflected through the motifs and light touch of feminitiy. While the Peranakans lived in the Archipelago, the West had a major influence on the culture, pulling them into a new, blended society. This collection reminds you of the lost heritage.