Ask costume jewellery designer couple Stefanie Fong and Marcus Gee for a portrait and we got memojis instead. Excuse us while we LOL. It’s the sort of humour and cheekiness that have come to epitomise the duo’s costume jewellery label Mr Lorem Ipsum (MLI) since it launched on Instagram in April this year.
Fong, a graphic designer by day, and Gee, an art director in an advertising agency, are behind the fun pearl and beaded necklaces and bracelets – cue the smiley face charms and rainbow hues – which hark back to those adolescent days when we would string seed bead bracelets.
The ’90s charm of these DIY designs – all hand-strung by the duo – could explain why they’ve been sported on some of the hippest creatives in the local scene like branding whizz and Female collective member Charmaine Seah-Ong and singer Joie Tan.
The brand is also a good destination for those who want to get started on the recent pearl revival in costume jewellery. “Pearls are usually associated with being more elegant and feminine which isn’t really my style,” says the 25-year-old Fong. “I enjoy playing with the contrast of feminine and masculine, so I took on the creative challenge to reinvent what typical pearl accessories look like and brought that to MLI.”
Below, we get Fong to tell us more about her label.
How did Mr Lorem Ipsum begin?
“We are a couple that works in the design industry who became accidental jewellery designers and entrepreneurs on the side. We began a month before circuit-breaker – what started off as a stay-home activity due to the rising Covid-19 cases, evolved into Mr Lorem Ipsum.“
What’s your background in jewellery design?
“I started making necklaces and earrings as an after school activity when I was younger. I didn’t know much about dressing up at that time as most of my clothes were bought by my parents. I turned to accessories as an outlet to express myself and I realised how a single piece could really change up an outfit.
This inspiration of ’90s style jewellery very much stuck with me, and is distinct in Mr Lorem Ipsem (but of course, a more refined version). For me, each piece sparks that sense of nostalgia from my childhood. In fact, my mum found a pearl necklace that I made for her when I was younger! I can’t believe I’ve come full circle.”
What’s the story behind the name of your label?
“Mr Lorem Ipsum was actually named after the first air plant my fiance got for me. I couldn’t decide what to name him, so I jokingly named him Lorem Ipsum (temporary replacement text that is used until the actual text is ready) which is what we use frequently in our day jobs as creatives. Just like the nature of the text, the name meant to be a placeholder, but it eventually stuck. Unfortunately, my plant didn’t live long, so this is my way of keeping his memory alive.
I kept the ‘Mr’ as I thought it would bring an interesting twist to jewellery that was primarily more feminine. Who says jewellery can only be worn by girls?.”
How would you describe your aesthetic?
“An easy way to feel cute on a lazy day.”
Walk us through the design inspiration for your collections.
“Besides childhood nostalgia, I also get a lot of inspiration from what I’m feeling at the moment. An example would be from our latest collection: I remember starting to feel anxious about how unpredictable the current situation was. To combat that, I channelled a lot of positivity into my designs by using colours and smiley faces. In short, I enjoy creating pieces that are fun and need not be taken too seriously.”
Eyewear chains seem to be a signature product of the brand. How did that idea come about?
“I was planning for a trip to Bali earlier this year and it was a chance for me to experiment with new styles. I wanted to use accessories to inject a pop of colour to my wardrobe which generally leans towards more neutral colours. In that process, I found eyewear chains.
Though Covid-19 happened and I couldn’t go on my trip, it sparked the idea and now I can share them with everyone else. I never would have thought of wearing eyewear chains but now they’re one of my favourite pieces from MLI.”
Are the jewellery produced in limited quantities, because the designs seem to sell out fast?
“We keep our inventory small as we are a humble team of two. We create the pieces in the evenings after our day jobs and often work on them late into the night. In order to keep it sustainable for both of us, we take in limited orders and restock when there’s a demand.”
Photos Mr Lorem Ipsum
