I first found out about Digest Design when I visited the Triple Major store back in June. Their rack was beyond perfect. If guys drool over double D’s, then there I was, shamelessly drooling over these double A+’s. I sent the team an email confessing my unconditional love for their clothes, and Dooling Jiang and Hooh graciously (and bravely) invited this crazy fangirl over to their workspace for a meet-and-tea.

The studio is a two-floored homey space, with textiles scattered around, walls taped with visual references and patterns, and racks upon racks of their previous and current collections.

I asked Dooling and Hooh about what they truly wanted as designers – to become globally recognized? To be sold in all the best stores in China and beyond? They surprised me when they said that they didn’t want to get too big: they want to keep things personal, and work with store owners they consider friends. When I touched the subject of e-commerce, they simultaneously confessed their addictions to Taobao (the ebay/Amazon/everything of China), but said that if they did plan to go online, they would have to do it in their own way.

In an age where a lot of upcoming young designers are pushing their work at tradeshows, vying for the attention of powerful buyers, it’s a double-take to witness such nonchalance when it comes to success, commercial or otherwise.

This meeting with Dooling and Hooh really gave me a lot of dimsum for thought: Do we define ‘success’ as having carved a truly unique niche, giving people what they never knew they wanted? Or do we spend time researching what consumers need and then supplying that demand? Perhaps both? In the business of making things – clothing, magazines, films, photos – we seem to need to schedule in some regular reflection time to remind ourselves of, firstly, why we chose this path and, secondly, what our motivation for what we are doing is.

While commercial success does not necessary equate great artistic integrity (or vice versa), truly great work can also only be celebrated if it is first discoverable. So hustle on this week, fellow aliens, let’s push our work out there and be brave. If a tree falls and no one is there to hear it – there is no sound.