Cover It’s not every day that a fashion student’s first-year project ends up going viral, but that’s exactly what happened to 20-year-old fashion designer Low Ying En
It’s not every day that a fashion student’s first-year project ends up going viral, but that’s exactly what happened to 20-year-old fashion designer Low Ying En
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Low Ying En’s Y:EN Studio is still finding its shape, but after going viral with her experimental designs, the young Malaysian fashion designer is now taking her curiosity to Paris
It’s not every day that a fashion student’s first-year project ends up going viral, but that’s exactly what happened to 20-year-old fashion designer Low Ying En. Before Y:EN Studio had fully found its identity, her experimental designs were already catching attention online, putting the young Malaysian designer on the radar while she was still in fashion school.
If you’re not familiar with Y:EN Studio yet, we first came across the brand while working on our Tatler Most Stylish 2026 shoot with one of our cover stars, Diani Lee, who wore one of Low’s sculptural tops for the cover. The whole team loved the piece—its exaggerated silhouette and clever construction made it one of those looks that instantly caught our attention.
Since then, we’ve been keeping an eye on what Low is doing with Y:EN Studio. Her work has continued to explore sculptural shapes, unconventional construction and unexpected uses of materials, while she lets the label evolve alongside her. She’s even ventured into bridalwear, designing her first wedding dress for a close friend almost on a whim.
Now, Low is taking that curiosity to Paris. She’ll be heading there to further her studies in couture and textile techniques, stepping into a new fashion environment while continuing to discover what the brand can become.
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From Barbie Dolls to Y:EN Studio
Long before the viral projects and sculptural Y:EN pieces, Low was already making clothes in her own way. “I actually started with my Barbie dolls and the ’90s fashion magazines my mum kept. I wasn’t really allowed to use the TV growing up, which, looking back, probably helped a lot with my creativity!”
She might have accidentally stumbled onto something increasingly valuable in an age of constant stimulation—especially now, when AI is making it easier than ever to generate an idea in seconds. The late Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White, once spoke about the importance of stepping away from the constant “treadmill” and giving yourself the space to stop, think and even be bored. For Low, that space became an excuse to make things—starting with Barbie clothes, makeshift patterns and whatever materials she could find.
“I would cut patterns out of angpaos, experiment with tablecloths that had interesting prints, and eventually got my first sewing machine when I was 11. A lot of that came from my parents constantly encouraging me to make things and explore.”
Above Look 04
Look 04
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That same instinct to experiment continues to shape Low’s work today. While she is still developing the label’s visual language, she keeps returning to pieces that feel unexpected without losing their sense of wearability.
Since starting Y:EN, I feel like my identity as a designer is still constantly evolving. I’m still figuring out my aesthetics, but I do notice certain ideas that I keep gravitating towards. I’m interested in creating pieces that feel unusual or almost socially unfamiliar, but are still beautiful and flattering on the wearer.
From studio to stage
Low’s designs have also started making their way beyond the studio and onto the wardrobes of public figures, including singer and actress Bella Astillah, who has worn her pieces for performances and appearances.
For a young designer, seeing her work move from the sewing table onto an actual stage offers another way of understanding how a garment behaves beyond the fitting room. It’s also a glimpse of how Y:EN has begun to reach people beyond Low’s own creative circle.
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Shape takes centre stage
Above Look 01
Look 01
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At the heart of Low’s work is her fascination with the body and the space around it. She plays with exaggerated proportions and volume, often balancing softness with rigidity to create silhouettes that feel slightly unfamiliar.
“I’m very drawn to the relationship between the body and the space around it. I like exaggerating proportions, creating volume and manipulating silhouettes to make the body appear almost unfamiliar. A lot of my work explores contrasts; softness against rigidity, and something beautiful against something slightly unsettling.”
For Low, the silhouette can communicate an idea before you even take in the rest of the garment.
“I’m interested in how clothing can change the way someone carries themselves and how a silhouette can create an emotion before you even understand the garment itself. Rather than designing around trends, I want the shape and construction of a piece to communicate an idea or feeling.”
That focus on construction is also what makes the work particularly personal to her. Rather than simply adding structure to a garment, Low prefers to manipulate the pattern itself to create unexpected forms.
“I think the way I approach shape and construction is probably what makes Y:EN the most personal to me. I’m very interested in manipulating patterns to create unexpected structures and volumes, rather than just adding structure onto an existing garment.”
Above Look 05 and Look 03
Look 05 and Look 03
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And if there’s one shortcut she’d rather avoid, it’s boning—the stiff strips often inserted into garments to provide structure and support.
“Honestly, one of my biggest fashion icks is seeing boning being overused as the shortcut to creating a sculptural silhouette. I’d much rather find a way to make the pattern itself do the work.”
Beyond Malaysia
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The attention hasn’t stopped at home. Low’s work has caught the eye of international stylists and fashion platforms, giving Y:EN a growing audience beyond Malaysia.
“It’s honestly quite surreal seeing pieces I created in Malaysia being noticed by people from different parts of the world. I think it has made me realise that the ideas I’m exploring can resonate beyond where I’m from, which is really encouraging.”
Still, she isn’t letting that attention dictate what the label should become.
“I don’t want that attention to make me rush into defining the brand too quickly. I’m still figuring out what I want the brand to be, and I’d rather let it grow naturally. If anything, the response has given me more motivation to keep experimenting and to see how far I can take my ideas.”
The next part of that process will take Low to Paris, where she’ll further her studies in couture and textile techniques. Rather than going in with a fixed idea of what Y:EN should become, she sees the move as a chance to develop her skills and experience fashion from a different perspective.
“I don’t think I have one fixed idea of what the next chapter of Y:EN will look like yet! I’m mostly focusing on furthering my knowledge & studies to challenge myself outside of the environment I’ve grown up creating in. I want to take this time to develop my technical skills, especially in couture and textiles, while experiencing the fashion industry from a completely different perspective.”
She’s particularly looking forward to textile development, an area she hasn’t explored extensively before, while allowing her new surroundings to influence what comes next.
“I’m someone who gets inspired a lot by my surroundings, so I’m looking forward to exploring & being more comfortable with my designs and creativity! Most importantly I’d love to work more on textile development! It’s something new & foreign to me so far. And of course, seeing what catches my attention.”
For now, Low is happy to leave the next chapter open-ended. After all, the point of Paris is not to arrive with Y:EN completely figured out, but to see what she discovers along the way.
I don’t really know yet how that will translate into my work, and I think that’s the exciting part.
And perhaps that’s the most fitting place to leave Y:EN for now: somewhere between couture and ready-to-wear, experimentation and refinement, with Low still figuring out exactly where she wants to take it next.
Credits
Photography: Amirul Irfan
Aliya Qarina is the Junior Style Writer at Tatler Malaysia with an interest in fashion and beauty. Her writing often focuses on contemporary style, beauty culture and emerging trends.
