Alvin Ting and Billy Pang are upping the fun factor on undergarments in Malaysia with their quirky brand, Boxo
Whilst the romanticism and allure of designer lingerie is hard to ignore, boxers and briefs haven't quite attained the same level of attention. At least not before Alvin Ting and Billy Pang came onto the scene in 2020—two upbeat in-laws determined to realise their dream of starting an online business during a pandemic.
Like many others, Ting and Pang's respective careers in trading and furniture retail were adversely affected at the start of Malaysia's lockdown period in 2020. Against the odds, the duo decided to start Boxo, specialising in unconventional boxer shorts decked out in everything from polka dots and checkered prints to illustrations of llamas, smiling cats and even colourful durians. To date, Boxo's quirky boxer shorts for men, women and kids have enjoyed extremely successful online sales, stripping the notion that undergarments should be uniform and plain.
Though neither had any experience in the fashion industry prior to launching Boxo, Ting and Pang were encouraged by the brand's success and soon began expanding their product line to trunks, briefs and unisex T-shirts. In a chat with Tatler Malaysia, the duo shares what their brand stands for, and why comfort and style at home need not be mutually exclusive.
Did you ever imagine you'd be starting a business together?
Pang: The idea of selling boxer shorts was something we had in mind since 2019, but we did not have a concrete plan until MCO hit in March last year. The idea for Boxo came about very spontaneously during one of our conversations at home when I had on a pair of printed boxers, and Alvin thought that it would be feasible to sell them here in Malaysia.
Ting: We were inspired during our trips to Thailand and Taiwan in early 2019, where we came across shops selling undergarments. We were especially impressed by their boxers and briefs; it wasn't like the average underwear you see on the shelves, but had these fun, eccentric and quirky designs on them. We thought this was interesting and wanted to bring it into the Malaysian market. Ultimately, we believe that what you wear on the inside should be as fashionable as what you put on the outside.
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