Creative Minds: Malou Ko wants to have dinner with the late Virgil Abloh and Hikaru Utada

In Creative Minds, we ask APAC creatives a long list of questions, from serious to silly, and ask them to pick 11 to answer. (Why 11? Just because.) Want to be featured?

Name: Malou Ko 

Origin: Hong Kong

Places lived/worked: Hong Kong

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

Founder and creative, The Cabinet, Hong Kong, 2005-2023

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I loved drawing on every textbook and lesson back in high school. At one time, I had to choose between athletics and design. Thanks to my art teacher who showed me how fascinating the design world is, I was amazed by the possibility of creating something from zero. So, I chose to pursue design at the time, and I’ve never regretted my decision.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

It’s the Wishes Plate we designed. We did everything ourselves—brainstorming, planning, designing, packaging, production, logistics, marketing, advertising, and sales. The entire process was a lot of fun, and we gained positive results from the public.

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

The design that aroused my interest in becoming a designer is the 021c concept car by Marc Newson. It blew my mind when I saw the drawer design as the car trunk. Still love this design now.

4. What or who are your key creative influences?

My mum. She has the most ‘creative’ cooking recipes, and since she is very lazy, she always comes up with the quickest and most creative ways to get sh*t done.

5. What kind of student were you?

A good one, I think. I always believed in working hard and playing hard back in school.

6. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

I started my own design studio when I was studying design without knowing how hard it would be to sustain.

7. What's on your bucket list?

There are so many others, such as skydiving, going to Madagascar, seeing a rally race, or watching an Adele and King Gnu concert.

8. Who do you most admire?

Satoru Iguchi from King Gnu. His voice can inspire everyone, it break languages and cultural barriers.

9. Who’s on your dream dinner guest list (alive or dead)?

The late Virgil Abloh, Nendo, Hikaru Utada, Adele, Satoru Iguchi, and Max Verstappen.

10. Who is/was the most important person in your life (not including parents, spouse/partner, or children)?

Alan Lee, my beloved art teacher from high school.

11. What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

Astronaut or doctor.