For Moh Ee Jin, an early interest in photography and sneakers led him towards a career in fashion. Today, the 21-year-old has made leaps and bounds in Singapore’s creative scene. He is currently the creative director of multi-label collective Spades. And in 2021, he founded his own clothing brand Lasik.
While the name Lasik sounds unconventional, Jin explains that the reference to corrective eye surgery is deliberate. “Lasik is rooted in ideas of changing perceptions of fashion and visualising a new society that’s free from monotonous routine: eat, sleep, work, repeat.”
In fact, the term was all Jin had when the idea of Lasik first emerged.“Lasik started out as a blank slate,” recalls the designer. “I knew I wanted to develop something Singapore never had. Through a couple of years of failed designs, I finally grasped the vision of what I wanted to achieve.”
In the process of shaping Lasik’s visual identity, Jin looked to his affinity for sci-fi aesthetics and underground subcultures. The works of Japanese designers like Nigo, Yujiro Komatsu and Jun Takahashi served as sources of inspiration. The same goes for Lasik’s debut collection, Revolution.
Featuring a black and white colour palette, tech-wear elements are injected into Jin’s utilitarian garments. Think oversized lab coats, faux leather gauntlet gloves and multi-pocketed cargo pants, all of which look straight out of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira and video games like BioShock. Jin also adds customised hardware—large eyelets, chunky zippers and metal rivets—to his creations to mimic cybernetic augmentation.
“Lasik is rooted in ideas of changing perceptions of fashion and visualising a society that’s free from monotonous routine.”
Apart from his mission to establish an independent label, Jin seeks to use Lasik as a platform to create a creative community. “With Lasik, I hope to create an avenue for my designs as well as multidisciplinary collaborations. I’m interested in using my garments to work on conceptual shoots, videos and music with photographers, models and friends.”As for Jin’s personal style? The designer leans towards the bold and eye-catching. Imagine a cross between the likes of Ren Honjo from Ai Yazawa’s anime Nana and the boho-rock style of Aerosmith’s frontman Steven Tyler.
In addition, Jin attributes his fascination with the art of dressing up to his mother’s influence. “She steered me in the right direction by always making sure I was well-dressed as a kid. It made me realise that I could create something unique when putting a look together.”
Creating Lasik was not without twists and turns either. From learning the logistics of running a label to carving out Lasik’s identity, it took Jin a while to decide on his direction. “I’ve had many bouts of being uninspired, unmotivated and drained because of other responsibilities,” admits the designer.“Learning about fashion’s technical aspects was a long-drawn process, but pulling through and creating something I’m proud of has been fulfilling.”
Come February, selected pieces from Jin’s Revolution collection will be released exclusively on Lasik’s website. As for the year ahead, he has several interdisciplinary collaborations with local creatives in the works. Rest assured, this is just the beginning for Lasik.
Pre-order your copy of the January/February ‘Renewal’ issue of Vogue Singapore online now or pick it up on newsstands from 18 January 2023.
