Vogue Profiles: For Ponder.er’s Alex Po and Derek Cheng, Creativity Is Human-Driven

The designer duo’s practice is informed by collaboration, community, and the work only hands can make.

The idea behind Hong Kong-based brand Ponder.er’s upcoming collection began with a line. As do all collections, certainly, but for designers Alex Po and Derek Cheng, it is in itself the very central idea.

Due to present at the first edition of Fashion Week Asia, their collection “Loose Ends” is inspired by the “symphony of lines in Hong Kong, from the tangle of urban cables and overlapping architecture to the raw, organic strokes of nature,” they tell Vogue Philippines. “We pay tribute to the origin of design, the humble line… Every piece traces the journey of a creative impulse.”

For anyone in a creative field, that impulse might look like drawing a line, or lines, that bridge one idea to another. It’s all the same for the designers. “What begins as a simple, solitary stroke on a sketchpad evolves into intricate garment constructions and rich, tactile textures woven together by countless yarns,” the duo shares. “The collection becomes a homage to our ultimate directive: to create, to ponder.”

Cheng and Po met as students at Central Saint Martins in London, later launching Ponder.er and its gender-fluid designs in 2019 with the goal of inviting their wearers to experiment with and explore identity, free from stereotypes and social conventions. Since then they’ve been listed in Fashion Asia’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch in 2022, and placed as a semifinalist for the LVMH Prize in 2024 and a finalist for the Vogue China Fashion Fund.

But in the past near decade of Ponder.er, their objective hasn’t changed much; it might have even deepened. Po and Cheng tell Vogue they’ve learned the value of collaboration and the community around them, and that “creativity is a very human-driven thing.” Creativity is the idea spurred by experience, emotion, and personal histories, and the line that connects it to another idea and the next.

In the Vogue Profiles interview series, we speak with Filipino creatives and cultural voices about their taste, worldview, and inner life, and explore what informs their creative choices. Below, Alex Po and Derek Chan discuss how they’ve grown as a brand and what people get wrong about creativity.

Vogue Philippines: What’s capturing your attention these days?

Alex Po and Derek Cheng: We are recently very obsessed with paper art, and good food (always), plus the people who make the food!

What has shaped your creative eye the most?

We have to say the mixture of London and Hong Kong have inspired us to do what we do today. London has such a diverse community and incredibly rich art scene that has shaped our paths as creatives. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is our root, and there are so many hidden treasures within this (some might think) cold and rigid city.

How would you describe your aesthetic—not just in your work, but in the way you live?

Fluid. The reason we created Ponder.er is because we are both pretty open-minded in terms of where life takes us and also the people we meet throughout the journey. Our brand is so much about the community we build and the many different ways people express themselves, and we would say that freedom represents our aesthetic.

What do you think people misunderstand about creativity?

That it is something AI can replace… It definitely isn’t. We think creativity is a very human-driven thing, and although AI can facilitate the process if used correctly, it cannot replace the process of creative developments by a creative person.

When do you feel most like yourself?

When we are surrounded by our closest friends, it is the best feeling ever.

Is there a ritual or habit you return to whenever you need clarity or inspiration?

Derek: A night run.

Alex: A visit to an old fabric market.

What are you saying through your work that words alone can’t express?

That’s a very interesting question as we also struggle to describe what style Ponder.er represents. Someone once described our work as “a quiet revolution,” which we think is quite accurate. We are pushing boundaries but we are not the loudest, we are doing it in our way and at our own pace.

Has success changed the way you create—or the way you define success itself?

We feel like what has changed is that we have become better listeners. We listen to our audience, our consumers and our friends, and we are really inspired by our conversations and their advice. Our creations change according to them.

What are you learning to let go of?

Ideas that don’t fit with the [current Fashion WeekFashion WeekA series of seasonal events where designers debut their latest collections, setting the tone for upcoming fashion trends and showcasing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation across the global fashion industry.Go to Fashion Week Glossary Asia] collection!

What kind of legacy do you hope your work leaves behind?

That some people feel liberated wearing Ponder.er.