research and development of garments

hiraware

A custom line of chef jackets and front of house shirts, designed by hiraware for Fifty Tales.

Stylistically.

Polished. Contemporary. Rooted.

We wanted something that represented the style of Fifty Tales. Polished, contemporary, and rooted in Malaysian culture. 

We began with a shirt-coat drafted from a YMC LONDON long shirt. We got rid of the shirt collars but kept the placard as a mandarin collar. We gave the shirt the slightest A-line cut. 

The final version was a piece that reminded different people of different things.

Some thought it looked like a modern baju Melayu and some thought it looked like a modernised traditional Chinese shirt. We personally thought it looked like a jacket worn by Nehru, with a contemporary cut

We liked the ambiguity, a piece that felt definitively modern yet hinted at a shifting heritage.

Functionally.

The clothes demanded a lot.

A durable fabric was needed that could handle being worn multiple times a week. It had to look formal but at the same time be breathable and comfortable enough to wear all day in the kitchen.

Kitchen safety dictated stylistic choices. We used snap buttons so that the Chef Jackets could be easily pulled off in case hot oil splashed onto them.

Further details were added to customise the pieces. The Chef Jackets featured a buttoned-hook at the back for attaching an apron to it and ensuring it didn't ride up on the neck. The Front of House Shirts featured large utility pockets for carrying pens, notepads, lighters, etc.

Available online and in-store.

Nehru Shirt.

A slightly altered version of the Chef Jacket and Front of House Shirts is available for purchase. The Nehru Shirt follows the same cut and uses the same fabric, but removing kitchen-specific detailing.