About Yap Sister Studio
YAP SISTER is my journey to connect to my family and my culture, preserve traditional craft, and highlight traditional asian everyday wear.
Our Story
Like many hyphen-asians, my family focused on integration. While we maintained certain aspects of Chinese culture such as celebrating holidays, food, or kung fu movies, my family never taught me traditional folktales or arts. It was through my early years working as an urban planner that I realized my roots and connection to my Chinese culture was limited and I felt a draw to rediscover it.
YAP SISTER is committed to the following:
Storytelling: Like most traditional wear, storytelling is infused in YAP SISTER pieces through symbolism, material, techniques and traditional craft such as silk embroidery and Chinese knots.
Representation: YAP SISTER highlights traditional Asian head wear.
Slow Fashion: Every YAP SISTER is made by hand and where applicable, traditional techniques and designs are used. We aim to ensure our designs are timeless and traditional techniques are preserved.
Made for You
To ensure each piece fits you perfectly, each piece is made to measure. We also design custom pieces that tell your story. Let’s work together to build something that is perfectly yours.
The maker
Carrie Yap is the youngest of the Yap sisters. Born into a family of strong artists, she searched to find a craft that was unique and her own. Good with her hands and patient for meticulous and detailed work, Carrie trained under New York’s Anya Caliendo before launching her own creative practice as YAP SISTER. She has also trained in the UK and Singapore. Her approach integrates traditional couture techniques with cultural touchstones such as silk embroidery and Chinese knots. All of her materials are ethically sourced and every stitch is sewn by hand.