#UPALLNIGHT: EMPIRE COLLECTIVE X AHEAD CO.

​In what promises to be a quirky Friday, Club Millian would play host to the first of many collaborative efforts between Empire Collective and AHEAD CO. An electronic music collective and homegrown clothing label, the celebration will be aptly named #UpAllNight with a host of DJs spinning till the wee hours of the morning (of course). The party is also to be a backdrop to a new line of apparel that is co-designed by the two.
 
Founded in 2015, Empire Collective has steadily been amassing some of the finest ‘undiscovered’ producers in the country. While not considered lao jiaos in the scene, the collective are no strangers to the big leagues with their regular curated line-ups at said club and Singjazz Club clearly no mean feat. Similarly founded on the same DIY and grit-teeth principle, AHEAD CO. was founded by a group of designers who came together, ironically, because and despite of various stigmas against each other.
 
Conceived by Cheryl Tng, founder and head honcho of Empire Collective, the unconventional tie-up actually has more in common after more than a fleeting glance. “Initially, there was a lot of questions raised about the feasibility of such a collaborative art push due to the different mediums that we operate in”, Cheryl said. There were also lengthy discussions regarding the direction of the collaboration before eventually realising that they had the same direction to create something that allowed various art forms to interact with one another and create something that would potentially be inclusive and unique. 

The featured collection of apparel features multiple cap designs as well as a t-shirt, celebrating their partnership. The designs prominently feature their choice motif of a hand holding up a crescent moon – symbolising Empire Collective’s mission of “Taking Over The Night”. The overlaying text, which reads “Up All Night”, is pretty self-explanatory in context with their nightlife involvement. “The designs were a collective, sit-down-together, kind of decision”, Cheryl explains with a laugh. “We wanted to make it something unique and something we could all identify with. Obviously, it wasn’t easy but definitely something memorable and a sort-of milestone for us individually and collectively.”

​With a huge party and an apparel to pair it with, the bar has been set unexpectedly high especially with the collaboration still in a rather infant stage of development. “This definitely isn’t like a start and end to the partnership”, Cheryl said. “What we can say is that, there really isn’t a definite timeline. A lot of it really depends on our schedules and how well we hold down our “day jobs” to say the least. More importantly, what else can we do differently together? There really isn’t a point in just following norms and being just another flash in the pan.”
 
#UpAllNight is happening this Friday at Club Millian, doors open at 2200.
For more information: ​https://www.facebook.com/events/420330564973063/ 

​-SS