A.Cross Creations will be making its debut with a series of three gift sets to commemorate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival (Photo: A.Cross Creations)
Fashionista twins Rachel and Michelle Yeoh may be known more for their beauty and sense of style but the enterprising sisters and YTL scions (their parents are Datuk Seri Michael and Datin Sri Tina Yeoh) are now turning their design-conscious sensibilities to the world of premium gifting. The pair has long been making the headlines in the style and social circles as A-List attendees of almost all the major international fashion weeks and even walking for Dolce & Gabbana in its fall/winter 2017 show. But they have chosen to keep busy during the lockdown by conceptualising and coming up with a brand-new gifting business christened A.Cross Creations.
Launching a new enterprise in the middle of a global pandemic is far from easy and takes guts, but the girls believe Covid-19 has underscored the need to share experiences and create positive memories together, come what may. “The challenge [the pandemic] has presented only further highlights the necessity of keeping in touch despite being physically apart. With limited opportunities to meet, we want to help our customers explore new ways of expressing their love and gratitude,” they say.
“As an innovator in the gifting space, we want to bring new and exciting collections to the market. Over the last few months, despite having to adopt many lifestyle changes, staying connected and making meaningful memories with loved ones have continued to prove enriching. Hence, A.Cross Creations was founded to spread joy and connect people.
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The company’s name is inspired by the word “across”, which evokes the notion of bridging, giving and sharing. “These are inclusive and unifying acts that link individuals and groups together, be it across generations or geographical locations while the ‘x’, the cross, is also symbolic of infinite possibilities,” says Rachel, the elder of the two by three minutes.
Having assembled a tight-knit team of individuals from varied backgrounds but with a shared passion for paper, packaging and design, the girls are set on upping the gifting ante.
“We are determined to change what gifts should look like and what the gifting process can be. A.Cross Creations is about gifting an experience. After all, the company’s ethos is rooted in the celebration of human relationships and connections. We want to highlight the vitality of these by offering gift sets that both the giver and the recipient will appreciate. Reminding loved ones that they are thought about is important and our mission with A.Cross Creations is to go above and beyond the aesthetics of gifting by carefully curating the experience of it as well.”
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A.Cross Creations will be making its debut with a series of three gift sets to commemorate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. “The Mooncake Festival, as it is also known, brings back fond memories from my childhood ... of being around family and setting lanterns aglow in the night,” Rachel notes. “It is that feeling of warmth and the comfort of falling back on tradition that we are missing now as many of us are separated from friends and family. We hope our Mid-Autumn gifts and experiences will make people feel closer to each other, even if they are still kept worlds apart.”
The Fable Set, which comes with a DIY Bunny Lantern Kit, is inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the immortal moon goddess and her faithful Jade Rabbit companion, while the Peranakan Pair is a pretty paean to the traditional tiles and biracial culture of the Baba and Nyonya. The third in the lineup is created in collaboration with KL-based micro-bakery Flaaah at REXKL, and will offer four different pastries with a fresh, exciting spin. For those charmed by images of the packaging and design, do know that upcoming collections are already scheduled for all the major celebrations, including Christmas, Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day.
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“We are also open to custom orders so our clients can have a more tailored experience, and intend to collaborate with Malaysian brands and feature local talent in our offerings. [Ultimately], we are guided by what we all share as people: experiences, culture, travel and the memories we have created. Our work and designs are shaped by what the team brings to the table. When creating our gifts and curating the experiences around them, we always begin with what we would like to emote, be it love, gratitude or generosity of thought,” they add.
This article first appeared on Aug 9, 2021 in The Edge Malaysia.
