Felicia Ang: From ex-ITE student to furniture design enthusiast

Text: Shah Salimat
Photos: Felicia Ang

One may think that the differences between a vocational education and a tertiary education are great, but Felicia Ang will have you know that she had no issues settling into her 3D Design course at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. The ex-ITE student had a background in design which greatly aided her next move.

“Design has always been an interest of mine since young. I live to design so that I can improve people’s lives. What I took before NAFA was totally different from 3D design but it’s actually nothing much to adjust to. It was just going into a new environment and learning new stuff,” Felicia said to xinmsn.

Despite vehement objections from her father to pursue a design diploma (“Design doesn’t earn you money,” Felicia reiterated her father’s retort), her efforts have paid off handsomely: her final project, wardrobe presentation solution Pino Shelf, was picked up by furniture label AIR Division to be sold as a product within their range of offerings.

Her coat-dresser idea was born out of a common city dweller dilemma. “Singapore is a fast-paced country. People wake up early to rush to work and they need to present themselves well. I saw my friends hanging their clothes everywhere in their rooms, so I thought “Why not just make something simple so that clothes can be presented well?””

The final result looks deceptively simple but the magic lies within: an adjustable branch can hook a hanger below the shelf or hold accessories above it. A compartmentalised shelf acts as a vanity dresser and a mirror provides a final look-over before you head out the door. Felicia hopes the Pino Shelf will help cultivate a neater lifestyle amongst get-up-and-go urbanites.