How we started:

Brooklyn, NY 2022 – I met my first love. We were in each other’s lives only briefly during this life – unfinished from a past life perhaps. During the healing – I learned of how difficult it is to exist. Each day crawled by, simple tasks like deciding what to wear became burdensome. I reflected on the love~

I wanted to create a brand that could provide comfort, warmth and confidence.

“that must be difficult~”

Your kindness isn’t weakness. Your love, deeper than we could understand. Your culture, more beautiful than they could understand.

Liberation through tradition. Decolonization of our minds and spirit. Sungaai is a story of Hakka-Cantonese-Chinese diaspora. Acceptance of the [very global] world we live in. Gratitude for our ancestors, cultures, veins, roots, traditions. Preservation of the [quiet] stories, languages, intentionality that came before. Empathy to heal. Hope for what is to come. Love, for all. 

Once logistics and operations are solidified (asking for patience since I am running this by myself [Danny]), a portion of proceeds (targeting +10%) will be dedicated towards non-profits and charities that support underserved communities and/or organizations that support cultural preservation. 

inspiration

My father is my hero. He’s taught me everything, and sometimes quietly nudging me towards its truths. He pursued pursues duty, duty to his family, our culture. He named me 喜達, “to achieve happiness” a happiness he was never able to. He doesn’t have any pictures of his youth. 

A love letter to my father and the time he spent in a beautiful city — the city I’ve grown to love so deeply.

Maybe I’ll tell him someday.

新界 sungaai / new territories

Sungaai is one of 3 districts in Hong Kong, the English translation is “New Territories” (N.T. for short). Sungaai accounts for the majority of Hong Kong’s territory (86%) and population (53%). Despite this, most Hong Kong diaspora you will meet, the stories that do make it abroad, are mostly from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon side. Hakka (//m. is indigenous to many of the villages in the New Territories. Just as important, other indigenous groups to Hong Kong include the Punti, Hoklo and Boat People/’people living on water’. 

Hong Kong has a long history with garments and textiles, since the 1800s! The growth in the 1900s, particularly 40s-80s, is what propelled this city in southern China onto the global stage (besides also films and finance). There are many groups of people in Hong Kong, it is hard to simplify the intermixed, collective effort of Chinese in the region. 

Still, it is important cite them: the Punti, Hakka, Boat People, Hoklo, Teochow, Fujianese, Shanghainese, Cantonese. The many Shanghainese who moved their production to Hong Kong after World War II were key to the economic growth during this period. 

The 70s and 80s were considered the golden age for Hong Kong garments, textiles. Shortly after, it made more economic sense to produce in other countries and Mainland China. We are trying to preserve this history which is why all/most production for Sungaai will be out of Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. All clothes are handmade, these by the aunties and uncles in 新界, with ♥

a scene to describe the brand:

you’ve traveled the world. learn of its horrible truths. you process them. moreso, you experienced all of its beauties. life-– its wonders— the human condition— you process them.

you return home, a summer breeze, suddenly a child again. you grow lighter. comfortably warm, fresh. tropical. the floor shimmers. leaves rustle from the breeze. simple. 

you look up at mama and baba, they smile back at you. they nod.