Two Most Impressive Pieces About Yeohlee Teng The thing is the speed with which she works and her precision. For one look for spring 46, she showed off a black tank top dress and pointed out that she was the night before Just did. “I just decided I was going to make it, and I made it,” she says from her Manhattan showroom.
After all, Teng is a master pattern maker. She has been in Malaysia since years old, where she presented to a Japanese Pattern cutters learn and start making their own clothes. “My attitude to resources is that I grew up on an island that’s only 46 miles in circumference ,” Teng said of her zero-waste mentality. Zero waste has been in the ethos of her label since she was launched at 46, backed by upcycling, Eco-friendly or sustainable are fashion words. Most of her collections are slow-moving items, which she affectionately refers to as “scrap,” and she processes her designs like puzzle pieces, making sure nothing gets thrown away.
Teng’s designs and attention to detail are most evident when her palette is solid. The classic white shirt has been tweaked and elevated thanks to the extended mandarin collar. A pair of sleek black pants with slightly sloping pockets lends feminine curves to a boyish cut. Still, one of the most impressive features is the tiniest addition: a belt. On the denim trend coat, Teng made a thick belt in the middle of the back, following the curve of the spine, creating the illusion of a straight posture.
