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Cosentino celebrates International Women’s Day by shining a spotlight on four incredible Southeast Asian designers
Get to know Ho Jing Wei from Malaysia, Nessa Phoeng from Indonesia, and Jackie Ho and Stacey Leong from Singapore.
Today, 8 March 2023, is International Women’s Day, a global occasion celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. And what better way to commemorate the day than putting a spotlight on Cosentino’s incredible female collaborators? We chatted with four of them to find out what empowers them in their chosen creative fields, their female role models, and their experience collaborating with Cosentino.
Ho Jing Wei, WO Design
For Ho Jing Wei, Design Director at Kuala Lumpur-based WO Design Studio, being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated architecture and interior design industry is an opportunity to break gender stereotypes and show that women can excel in any field they choose. “As a female designer, I often bring a unique perspective and approach to my projects, which allows me to showcase my creativity and artistic talents,” she says.
Jackie Ho, Form & Space
For Jackie Ho, Design Director at Singapore-based Form & Space, her journey as a female interior designer can be summed up in two words: hard work. “I am consistently challenging myself to break the norm, explore and experiment with every aspect of interior design,” she says. “Carving out a style of my own, courageously exploring many types of materials and aesthetically putting it to practical use empowers me as a female in this male-dominated field.”
Stacey Leong, Stacey Leong Interiors
“As a female interior designer, my ability to meet design problems with a combination of analytical interrogation and a healthy dose of creativity, empathy and sensitivity has laid the foundation for the design practice,” says interior designer Stacey Leong, who practices under the banner of her eponymous studio in Singapore. “There is a misguided view that only design flair is involved in forming a vision of the space. Our work is to extend and refine that vision. It’s beyond having a grocery list and ticking through all the necessary pieces. The question isn’t what’s on that list, but why and how.”
Nessa Phoeng, INERRE Interior
The profession’s flexibility empowers Nessa Phoeng, co-founder of Bandung-based INERRE Interior. “Being a full-time working mother, I am blessed to have this job as an interior designer, which allows me to set my schedule to balance work and family responsibilities,” she says. “Creating functional, comfortable, beautiful spaces for my clients and seeing a positive impact on people’s lives have been empowering, rewarding, and fulfilling simultaneously.”
Inspiring the Future: female role models that impacted my life
Talking about their role models, the ladies share about the women in their families, as well as the trailblazing female practitioners in the field. “My late mother had an incredible zest for life and always showed up for her family and friends with sincere, loving kindness. A quintessential modern businesswoman with a strong work ethic, she shared many lessons I still carry dearly today,” says Leong. Phoeng cites both her mother and mother-in-law as incredible role models.” They show me the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Their strong work ethic in balancing work and family responsibilities and seeing them achieve success inspire me every day,” she shares.
Meanwhile, Jackie Ho cites Zaha Hadid, the first female recipient of the Pritzker Prize, as her role model. “She is unstoppable, constantly pushing the limits and enriching people’s lives through beautiful designs. The biggest impact she had on me was, despite negative critics along the way, Hadid was rebellious and defiant when it even took her over a decade for her designs to be realised,” she elaborates. For Ho Jing Wei, Chinese architect Li Xiang’s innovative designs and commitment to sustainability and social responsibility have been a source of inspiration. “Her innovations have inspired me as a female designer and motivated me to break through my creative mind, pursue my passion, embrace creativity, and positively impact the world,” she says.
Breaking Boundaries with Cosentino
Supporting these designers in their design journey are Cosentino’s products. Phoeng, Ho Jing Wei and Jackie Ho highlight the performance, durability, timelessness and extensiveness of Cosentino’s offering. “Cosentino always has a perfect match with all my designs. Its highly durable surface works perfectly on-site and in the client's daily life,” Ho Jing Wei comments. “With its visual uniqueness and durability, Cosentino is a great choice to create a timeless design for a space,” says Jackie Ho. “Both Dekton and Silestone are long-lasting materials, which means they will remain beautiful and functional for many years, making them wise investments for our clients,” adds Phoeng.
Leong raves about the ease of collaborating with clients in Cosentino’s showroom. “It’s always exciting and inspiring learning about the designs developed by Cosentino for their Dekton, Silestone and Sensa ranges. Our clients enjoy visiting the Cosentino showroom and viewing large slabs of porcelain and quartz that give them a clearer visual of what to expect in their spaces,” she shares.
We love working with talented local designers to create the ultimate spatial experiences for all genders. Thank you to our inspiring designers - on this day and all others, we celebrate the incredible creative minds you are! Happy International Women’s Day!
