[Sponsored Post] Tiger Uncage X Quanda Ong of Gnome & Bow

Founded on the notion that bags can go beyond functionality and become a medium for storytelling, Gnome & Bow, a Singapore-grown artisan bags brand, recently launched its second collection, Book II: Jekyll’s Hyde. 

A modernisation of the classic tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, the collection is a collaboration between Gnome & Bow’s founder, Quanda Ong and Tiger Beer for their Uncage initiative.

Tiger Beer Uncage celebrates young adults across Asia who dares to pursue their passions and overcome barriers which may hold them back from realising their full potential. Previous featured personalities include molecular gastronomy Chef Han Li Guang of Restaurant Labyrinth and popular online comedians Tree Potatoes.

Quanda was chosen to be featured because of his dream to design bags and accessories with a message for the discerning individuals.

The new collection features a series of classy leather wallets as a prologue to an upcoming series of bags, designed to showcase two alternate faces of human nature: the rational, reserved side versus the wilder, more uninhibited inner self:

Reflecting this duality, Quanda has also specially designed a cardholder in conjunction with Tiger Beer, telling the story of an individual who has aspirations to succeed via means that lay beyond the cages of convention.

Embodying the Uncage proposition, Quanda’s obsession with detail and uncovering hidden design led him to kick-start his relentless journey through researching materials, designs and manufacturers to launch his own collection. After three years of brainstorming, Quanda left the banking industry to become a full time storyteller, or a ‘Master Talesmith’ as he calls it. In the pursuit of making his dreams a reality, his brand Gnome & Bow was brought to fruition through a crowd-funding appeal in 2013.

“Unsatisfied with my job in the private banking sector, I knew that I had to chart my career in something that was creatively fulfilling. With a natural instinct to protect me, both family and friends warned me against leaving the stability of a nine-to-five job, but looking back I could not be happier that I dared to take the plunge. I am so honoured and stoked to be recognised as an Uncage personality, and truly feel that my personal journey resonates strongly with Tiger’s proposition. As an independent designer, every day brings exciting opportunities, and I will use this as yet another fresh beginning”, shared Quanda.

Gnome & Bow’s first collection, Book I: The Hare & the Flying Tortoise, was based off a twist on Aesop’s Fables. This time round, the new collection turns toward a darker source – Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, exploring and reinterpreting the idea of duality, change and acceptance.

The two sides of humanity are represented by the two colours chosen for the collection – Deep-sea Blue embodies the classy and collected Dr. Jekyll, while Jungle Green characterises the spontaneous and thrill-seeking Mr. Hyde. This concept is especially synonymous with Tiger’s Uncage proposition, where the ‘cage’ represents one’s submission to societal norms at the cost of his/her passions and personal interests, and being ‘Uncaged’ celebrates our whimsical nature and unique motivations.

Crafted from full-grain US cow leather, Quanda has designed an exclusive Tiger UNCAGE x Gnome & Bow cardholder in Deep-sea Blue. Evident on the outside is a loop stitching that is in signature Tiger orange, contrasting beautifully with the glossy blue exterior. Other story design elements include an emblazoned crest, symbolic of the uncanny semblance between a fountain pen and a tattoo gun:

An emblem that represents the coming together of two home-grown brands can be seen on the flipside, with a debossed quote from the novel that reads: “It is one thing to mortify curiosity, another to conquer it” when the cardholder is opened. The quote taken from the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde serves as a reminder for one to feed their uninhibited side and pursue their curiosities.

The collection is available on gnomenbow.com and selected stockists from SGD125 onwards. The exclusively designed Tiger UNCAGE x Gnome & Bow cardholder will be available for sale at Keepers: Singapore Designer Collective and on gnomenbow.com.

As a way to reward its loyal fan following, Tiger is also providing five lucky Facebook fans an opportunity to win the limited edition cardholders via its Facebook page. Visit the page for more details. 

This post is sponsored by Tiger Beer.