Fervorous

Please introduce yourself.
Hi, I’m Josh. I’m turning 22 this year and I recently completed my National Service.

What were you studying previously?
I was from Ngee Ann Poly, Product Design. I did that with a minor in entrepreneurship.

Do you have any plans to pursue your degree or are you going to start work?
Yeah, I’m planning to do a degree ideally in Bunka Fashion College in Japan. I want to do fashion design there, or maybe fashion business. Well, that’s the best case scenario, but if that doesn’t work out, I’m also currently applying to study fashion at LASALLE as well.

Cool! So tell us, what got you into fashion?
Music and my godbrother. He brought me to Korea back in 2016, and it all started off with sneaker culture. At that time, Kanye was popping off and he wore the Adidas Ultra Boosts a lot, which got the attention of many sneakerheads, including myself. From there, I began expanding my interests through social media, exploring different brands on TikTok and Instagram, and eventually following a group of designers whose work inspired me.

How would you define your style?
Actually I wouldn’t put a label on it, as I pride myself in not establishing a set style. I typically buy things that attract my interest, even though they’re from differing styles. But if I had to describe it, I would say nowadays, I’m leaning towards more of the Harajuku-esque kind of fashion, with a bit of grunge avant-garde.

Cool, cool. We get that it can be hard to place a specific label on your style when you fall in between the margins. As you went through your style evolution, who were you looking at to discover niche fashion brands?
Fashion YouTubers. Polo Cheng, Ken Ijima, and whoisjacov were the big three for me. They would post their outfits or their shopping hauls and through that, I discovered a lot of niche brands.

Enjoying fashion and working in fashion are very different things, so what made you want to actually pursue fashion?
I’ve been doing some reflecting, and I’ve realised that I’m a creative at heart. I can’t stop working with my hands, and my mind is always coming up with new ideas. Whenever I look at something, I naturally think about how it could be improved or executed better. I think that mindset, along with my brief academic experience at Ngee Ann, has really shaped me. Even back in secondary school, I took Design & Technology, so this interest actually goes way back—I’ve always loved sketching and drawing.

Ahh, makes sense then! Who are some people from the fashion industry that you look up to right now?
Definitely Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, and Kiko Kostadinov. I was really into Kiko Kostadinov for a while—he kind of revolutionised menswear by pushing the boundaries of what people traditionally thought it could be. He was like my gateway into the bigger fashion scene, and from there, I started exploring all the more niche subcultures.

What’s your ultimate fashion holy grail piece that you’d love to own?
Wah, I can’t think of anything right now, but I’ve been wanting a pair of the Rick Owens kiss heels for quite a while. I’ve also been looking for pointy toe boots or derbies.

In a similar vein, what’s a piece from your collection that you will never part ways with?
I’ve this great Comme Des Garçons blazer that’s so special because I first saw it on my friend and instantly knew I needed it for myself. It’s as old as me, from 2003, and it’s made out of a very interesting fabric.

Last question, what does fashion mean to you?
It’s my passion first and foremost, but it’s also a form of expression. I’d say that I’m nobody without it. It’s everything to me.