Since
an early age, London-based Sian Zeng knew she wanted to create; with fairytales,
books, and her surrounding environment providing endless inspiration.
It
wasn’t until after following the valuable advice of her parents - to have a
plan B - and graduating from her economics degree as well as a second degree at
London’s Central St Martins University, that she established her eponymous design
label in 2010. In the same year, Sian was awarded not her first, but a second
prestigious accolade; Elle Decoration’s Young Talent of the Year.
Impressed
by her innate creativity - not to mention her charming narrative-telling
designs - we leapt at the opportunity to chat with Sian; read on to find out a
little about what makes her tick.
When and why did you decide
to be a designer?
Design and art was something I was always interested in, but it
wasn’t popular with my Chinese parents, so I had to study an economics degree
first before I went to Central Saint Martins to study a one year foundation
course, which then lead me to a three year BA textile design course.
What are you main creative influences?
I draw a lot of inspiration from stories, be it ancient or
something that I’ve experienced myself. I love stories that are funny or
a bit odd. I translate those ideas into products so that other people can also
experience the stories through my products. With my Magnetic Woodlands
wallpaper I wanted to create a product that allowed users to tell their own
tales using the magnetic characters, buildings, and dry-wipe speech bubbles.
Who is your favourite designer? Which aspect of their work do you most
admire?
I don’t really have a favourite designer, but I have a huge
admiration for fashion photographer Tim Walker. His photos always tell an epic
tale and are staged so beautifully. Even though many of his themes come from
well known fairytales, he has managed to twist them and present them in a
poetic and quirky way.
Which aspect of your work gives you the most pleasure?
I love coming up with new design concepts in my head and sketching
them out on paper. The more unusual it is the more excited I become so I then
quickly start my research for materials and viability of the new product.
Where are you most creative?
When I am travelling on a train with nothing to do other than to
think.
How do you describe your
style?
The products I design often appear as though they’ve come out of a
story book. I would describe them as fun, magical and poetic.
What are you currently working on?
A wallpaper design for a jewellery franchise.
When you first started out, what was the best advice you
received?
To take really good pictures of my work.
What advice do you have for other designers starting out?
I value great design very highly. However, I think that for a
designer to become successful it is also extremely important that they market
themselves well and calculate their pricing model correctly.
How do you achieve a work/life balance?
I plan my days out so that when I go to work I try to be as
efficient as I can. If I don’t absolutely have to, I don’t work on
weekends and after 6pm on weekdays.
What are your other passions?
I enjoy finding out about new apps and other tech gadgets. I also
watch TED talks and dance.
What’s your favourite food?
Pickles.
And your greatest weakness?
I have a really bad sense of direction. I often feel embarrassed
when I come out of the bathroom in a restaurant to try to find my table. I
usually pretend to be merely checking out the rest of the restaurant.
Trousers or skirts?
