KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — When was the last time you thought about socks? If you even wear socks, that is.

Sam Wong, founder of homegrown socks label Good Pair by Medium Rare, hopes to change that.

“Socks are not just an accessory,” said Wong who has a collection of about 200 pairs of socks. 

Medium Rare is a company started by Sam Wong and her husband Feixief Kweok in 2009 selling garments for men. At that time, the graphic designers were in their late 20s.

“We were not young nor old. We were somewhere in the middle, hence the name Medium Rare. The initials for Medium Rare is MR which suited our brand at that time because we were selling clothes for men,” said Wong.

Then, Medium Rare had not started selling socks yet.

The couple travelled to Korea, Taiwan and Japan to source for shirts, pants and accessories for men to be sold at their online shop. After some time, they became busy with their day jobs so they stopped selling men’s garments. 

In 2012, Medium Rare was invited to participate at bazaars and that is when they got to know their customers and learn about what they liked.

“We decided to become more minimalist and focused so we changed the direction and started to look into selling glasses and socks,” said Wong.

Wong loves wearing socks and she appreciates good design.

“I used to compare socks whenever I travelled and I always wondered why comfortable socks are not beautiful and why beautifully-designed socks are not comfortable,” she said.

The couple then started to design socks in 2014, sourcing for a local manufacturer to produce them here. It took a year to plan because they had to do R&D.

The socks are priced at RM29 per pair.

“We chose the name Good Pair because we just got married at that time. A good pair of socks is like a good relationship. It is comfortable and you feel good,” said Wong. 

Medium Rare also started selling glasses even though both founders have perfect eyesight. The design of the frames are customised by Wong and Kweok but they are made by consistent suppliers.

The mould and material are fixed but Wong and Kweok will put together different parts, for example a design of the leg with another design of the shade. Although Medium Rare also sells glasses, Wong says that the brand is more focused on socks. 

Wong is proud that the brand is made in Malaysia. Even though Good Pair socks were only introduced to the market last year, there is good feedback from their customers.

You can also find Good Pair socks on Etsy.

“We got good response from the overseas market and have been invited to do trade shows in Singapore and Taiwan,” said Wong. 

Currently, Good Pair socks are free size but there are plans to make different sizes. The Good Pair socks are doing well in Taiwan, Singapore and US but the local market is slower.

Wong uses Adobe Illustrator to design the socks. When Medium Rare started making socks, Wong was doing freelance designing in an agency. Now she works at Awegallery (next to Awesome Canteen) in Taman Paramount while running Medium Rare with her husband. Kweok is still a full-time graphic designer.

When Wong started approaching manufacturers to produce the socks, it was difficult because there had to be a minimum order. The couple had budget constraints so they couldn’t order a huge volume. 

Eventually, they went with a local socks manufacturer that makes a minimum of 1,200 pairs of socks per design. For Good Pair’s first collection, there were three designs and each comes in 3 colours. 

“What makes us special is the fact that we have a wider heel. We also have seamless toes so that you will feel comfortable wearing them. Other socks then to use cotton and nylon mix but we use spandex and cotton mix because it is more breathable. Spandex is usually used for sports socks because it is more durable. Another thing about spandex is that it won’t shrink so much in the dryer,” said Wong.

For Wong, she believes that graphics and function have to sync together in order to have the perfect pair. Medium Rare also worked with fashion designers to come up with socks. 

One of the fashion designers they worked with is Joe Chia. For Good Pair’s second collection, they collaborated with fashion designer Motoguo, known for his quirky and eccentric style which Wong likes. 

Launched in 2015, the collection is called Frolicking in the Crease.

“The collection is actually about being emotionally disabled. Everyone has their own version of emotional crisis, like an inner side and outer side. There is a positive and negative. That was the inspiration for the collection. The other part of the collection is about being OCD where everything has to be in line, be proper and in a grid system,” described Wong. 

For Medium Rare, they believe that designing socks is also a platform to work with different people. Be it fashion designer, interior designer or even contractor, they are ready to collaborate with anyone who is willing. 

Wong doesn’t believe that limited edition or special edition items should be priced more than a normal collection so that is why the pricing for the Motoguo collection is the same as their first collection. “I want to make comfortable, beautifully-designed socks affordable for everyone,” she said.

The socks are priced at RM29 per pair. 

“I noticed that our first collection is more popular among our Western customers while our second collection is more popular among our Asian customers. I feel that Asians are more conservative, especially Malaysians. The best-selling socks in Malaysia are actually the white ones,” said Wong.

Currently, Good Pair socks are free size but there are plans to make different sizes.

The Good Pair socks are doing well in Taiwan, Singapore and US but the local market is slower, admitted Wong. 

Wong loves to hear feedback about the socks, working on ways to accommodate different requests from customers.

Currently, Good Pair socks are free size but there are plans to make different sizes. 

“I like to look at other people’s socks. Whenever I meet someone, I usually notice their socks first. It gives me a hint about what kind of person he or she is. I feel that I can get an impression of people when I look at their socks because it means that they take time to carefully choose their socks,” said Wong. 

For more information about where to get Good Pair socks, check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Medium.Rare.Store.MR and Instagram page www.instagram.com/mediumrarestore for online and offline stockists. 

* Medium Rare is part of the Malay Mail Online collaboration with George Town Festival. If you are in George Town, go check out their booth at the My Design Exhibition at The Space @ 212 Beach Street. Exhibition starts tomorrow and ends on August 30.