NG2 Studios
The duo that makes up Ng2 Studios is Margarita and Cristina Ng Ng; they are fresh out of graduate school, having earned their degrees in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The Chinese-Dominican sisters moved to the states to attend the Fashion Institute after having been born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Their brand aesthetic is very unique with oversized garments in black and white with pops of vibrant colors and a mixture of fabrics. This has gained the attention of many, which has opened the door to great opportunities, won them numerous awards, and has gotten their pieces photographed in multiple publications.
Did you guys always know that you wanted to start a brand together? We knew we wanted to start something together. During our last semester of our four years at FIT, we had the opportunity to collaborate together for our final thesis. It was our first experience working on the same project, we indeed enjoyed the dynamic we had. Like any other sister, we have some disagreements on things, but we sort things out. This made us realize that we definitely wanted to be a designer duo just like The Row by the Olsen twins and Dsquared2.
Were you guys always interested in fashion? When we were little, we developed an interest in art: drawing, painting, and making miniature clothes. Our older brother was the one who accidentally influenced us to go into that field (drawing and painting). We still remember flipping the pages of his sketchbooks, he had all his favorite cartoons drawn - he was a super talented drawer. So, those two subjects became our hobbies when growing up. We thought we would major in fine art or architecture, we didn’t know what fashion was. Our brother asked us what major we are interested in after graduating high school. We were not sure at that time, but he knew that we love art and creating/making things so he mentioned fashion design. So we decided to give it a try and here we are.
What is the best part about being in business with your sister? Well… the best part is that we understand each other and we communicate without any problem, it’s like a built-in buddy since birth. There are times that we definitely have different opinions or disagreements, but at the end of the day, we make it work because we are always together 24/7 since birth.
Were there any bumps in the road when first going into business together? Not really to be honest. We pretty much comprehend each other like we can read our answers just by looking at each other, and we agree on most of the decisions that have to be made.
Why did you guys choose to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology? We wanted to learn the basics and the fundamental techniques that go into constructing a garment. FIT teaches you how to start from scratch to finish which is very important for a fashion designer to understand how a piece of garment is constructed. So for those reasons, we chose FIT.
Where did you guys draw inspiration from? We draw inspiration from our twinness; we share some similarities and differences, for instance, one likes the color blue, and the other one likes pink. We love streetwear and that is the aesthetic that we go for and suit us.
If your guys’ culture plays a role in your designs, do you feel like your Chinese or Dominican culture has a larger influence? We have taken into consideration the idea of fusing two completely different cultures, but haven’t had the chance to do it. It is definitely going to be on our bucket list. Having double nationalities gave us the opportunity to experience two different cultural “universes” and we are super proud to be part of the Asian and Latinx communities.
How do you guys design in a way that accurately represents both of you? We both discuss what topics/inspirations we have in mind then we talk about the silhouettes, color story, and fabrics. We individually sketch what we like to have in the collection keeping in mind what we have discussed previously. We constantly feed each other with new ideas and provide constructive criticism about each other’s designs.
Where do you guys see the brand going in the future? To be honest, it’s hard to say, we are still trying to figure things out.
What are the goals for the brand? Our goals for the brand are that people recognize our brand, be sustainably responsible, and be a profitable brand.
Could you guys see yourselves branching out from fashion design? No, we don’t think so. We love designing and creating garments that can be very avant-garde or wearable pieces of clothes for the consumers. Since we both love streetwear fashion, our goal in the future is to provide a wardrobe that reflects individual self-expression with no fear of what other people [will] think.
What are your socials? Instagram: @ng2_studios
Where to Buy: https://fave.co/3x1gVHG
Article by Bridget McDonald, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
