IT seemed fated that they would meet. Two strangers who suddenly found their world turned upside down when they were diagnosed with breast cancer — Stage 3.
At the same time, both were also heavily pregnant.
It was during the course of their respective treatments at UM Specialist Centre in Kuala Lumpur that Mei Ng's and Aimee Soon's paths eventually crossed. Both were haunted by their unpleasant experience as a result of chemotherapy.
"We hated how we looked. It was depressing. We just wanted to feel beautiful again," begins the Kuala Lumpur-born Mei, the pained expression on her face emanating very clearly on the screen in front of me during this Zoom interview.
It was this determination to claim back their pre-cancer selves, she confides, that led the two to make a pact: That should they be given a second chance at life, they'd embark on a journey that would allow them to express themselves through something they both loved — fashion.
After a long and harrowing battle, the two friends set off on their entrepreneurial journey and founded Wonder Me. Since its establishment in 2017, this Kuala Lumpur-based brand has successfully launched a series of capsule collections ranging from casual to formal wear, comprising dresses, jumpsuits, rompers, shirts, outerwear, skirts and shorts — all imbued with a cheerful and confident vibe.
In conjunction with the Year of the Ox, Wonder Me recently showcased a lovely Chinese New Year collection that reimagined the traditional cheongsam with touches of the contemporary, with plenty of flowy silhouettes, ruffled details and asymmetrical cuts.
"Through Wonder Me pieces, we aspire to channel positivity and confidence to other women who might also be fighting their own battles," shares Mei, before adding softly: "We want to remind them that they're capable of being stronger than they think."
WHEN THE STARS ALIGNED
"Intan, Aimee's here now!" And just like that, the aura of pensiveness that had hitherto shrouded Mei's being is lifted as I spy the smiling face of an attractive, long-haired lady coming into view on the screen. The quorum for our Zoom interview is finally complete.
As Aimee, a mother-of-three, throws me a jaunty wave from the "other" side, Mei continues, somewhat apologetically: "Intan, I want to tell you ah, Aimee doesn't really know how to speak English. She only studied up to Form 2. So can I be the one to translate for her?"
"Of course," I mouth to the pretty 39-year-old, who I soon realise is the more vocal of the two by virtue of her mastery of the English language. That said, Aimee, who hails from a small fishing village in Pulau Ketam and is now residing in Klang, Selangor, is no less animated, albeit in her mother tongue of Mandarin.
Can you tell me more about yourselves,? I ask, automatically turning to Mei. "Sure!" she replies before enthusiastically launching into the duo's backstory, intermittently turning to her friend and breaking into Mandarin, presumably to verify her points.
"I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in December 2014 and Aimee, in 2015, when she was more than five months pregnant. Although we were both at Stage 3, mine was the more advanced — I was bordering on Stage 4 already," begins Mei, whose late father was an electrician, and mother, a store keeper.
They had actually only met twice in the hospital during their respective treatments but managed to forge a friendship by keeping in constant touch through a WhatsApp support group created by Aimee for all the young cancer patients at the time.
Continuing, Mei recalls the trauma she went through when she discovered that her crowning glory was disappearing as a result of her chemo, which she underwent for a year. "Every time I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted. I even hated myself," she confides, an expression of dismay etched on her pretty face.
One day, she decided that enough was enough and that it was time to pull herself together. "I did my make-up, wore something really nice and then stepped out of the house. I was determined not to let anyone know that I was a cancer patient," recalls the KL-ite, the elder of two siblings, adding: "I found that when I dressed up, did my make-up and put on my wig, I just looked like everybody else. I felt confident again."
Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Mei, who has a background in accounting and finance, was helping her husband run his business. "My husband studied law but his passion lies in fashion," she elaborates, adding: "He was doing events and also had a fashion retail business. When I was undergoing my treatment, I started creating my own designs, primarily designing the kind of clothes that I wanted to wear to make myself feel beautiful and happy."
Despite not having a background in fashion or design, Mei had always enjoyed leafing through fashion magazines and being inspired by what she saw. Furthermore, she couldn't help but be swept in as her beloved husband was so passionate about it.
In the end, she found herself sharing her ideas which in turn would be realised by the small team of seamstresses that the couple employed at their modest workshop.
"I love fashion and enjoy designing things that I can wear with confidence," shares Mei, before adding sheepishly: "But I don't know anything about marketing. But Aimee is very good at that. Before we joined together, she was always the one I turned to for ideas on how to design for the market. She has a good eye for fashion and is very knowledgeable about body shapes and how to tailor-make designs for customers."
It seems that the 42-year-old Aimee had been working in the clothing retail line well before the duo met. Leaving the simple idyll of her village in Pulau Ketam at the age of 15, Aimee headed to the more bustling town of Klang to work in an electronics factory. But the humdrum life of a factory worker wasn't something that Aimee wanted and she soon left to become a fashion promoter in a local mall.
"She gained a lot of experience in this line during that period," says Mei, before adding that not long after, her sister (Aimee's) suggested that they should pool their savings together in order to open their own clothing boutique.
Thanks to Aimee's eye for fashion, she was able to source for the kind of clothes that would appeal to their customers and soon enough, the siblings found themselves running a thriving business. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to make Aimee happy.
"Actually, she started feeling very pressured — working from morning to night, and having no true friends to help her. She just felt lonely and eventually, depression hit. Mentally and emotionally, she felt totally down," shares Mei, as Aimee listens in rapt attention, nodding occasionally at her friend's story.
THROUGH THICK AND THIN
So, the boutique was closed. But by that time, says Mei, her friend had already made enough money to stand her in good stead. Aimee's cancer diagnosis hit not too long after. "So you see, when we decided to join forces, it was inevitable it would be in a line that's close to our hearts," states Mei, matter-of-factly, adding: "But this time, Aimee doesn't have to be lonely anymore. We have each other."
Their boutique, located in the upmarket mall of Bangsar Shopping Centre, is called Wonderland and their specialty? "Oooh, all our seamstress are local aunties with a lot of experience and are meticulous in their craft," exclaims Mei. "Our team is small — five seamstresses, and the rest are draughters and cutters. We don't hire cheap foreign labour."
Excitedly, the bubbly 39-year-old elaborates that they're able to customise clothes for their customers. "We don't sell all those China-mari, factory-made stuff," she says proudly, adding: "Every woman has a different body shape and there's no such thing as one size fits all. Customers can try the clothes in our boutique and if anything is amiss, we can do alterations. The cost would depend on material, design and how complicated the alteration is."
Whilst Mei focuses on the backroom stuff, such as supervising the workshop and factory side, the more marketing-savvy Aimee oversees the branding and marketing side of the business. "It has been a challenging journey for sure, especially with the pandemic, but we're getting better," confides Mei, smiling broadly.
The longer the minutes tick, the more it dawns on me that the duo are as different as night and day. While the chatty Mei exudes a joie de vivre that's simply contagious, her older friend seems a little more reticent. But I put that down to the language barrier.
Occasionally, during their animated exchanges in Mandarin across the screens, I sense a deep familiarity between the two, an ease forged from having undergone so much together. Despite Aimee being the older of the two, it's Mei who comes across as the more confident.
"Ooo, I definitely am!" she exclaims happily, when I point that out. Eyes dancing, Mei adds that she's always been confident — with everything. "Whether it's with people or life, I've never had problems with taking chances with new things or embracing anything. It's an inherent trait."
In that respect, she adds, Aimee and she are very different from each other. "I remember when I was diagnosed with cancer, and I had to make a decision as to what I wanted to do next, I didn't take long to decide to remove my breasts. I've never been able to stand defects — in any form — and if I need to do something about it, I do. Am I fearless? I think I am!"
Meanwhile, Aimee, whose husband paints and renovates homes for a living, was totally devastated when she learnt that she had contracted the dreaded "C", confides Mei. Her voice drops when she tells me that although Aimee, the youngest of four siblings, had always been strong, the cancer diagnosis broke her.
"She was so traumatised," says Mei, brows furrowing at the memory. "She felt inferior because all this while she'd been a very pretty person and had lots of admirers. When the cancer ravaged her, her confidence plummeted and her outlook on life totally changed. It took her years to emerge from the trauma and low self-esteem."
Where does your positivity come from? I couldn't help blurting out. And Mei smiles, a faraway look suddenly flitting across her eyes. "My late mother raised me well," she answers simply, adding: "Even though I'm not from a well-to-do family and our home was just a humble government flat, my mother was very strong and ensured that I enjoyed a smooth childhood. I've never been beset by any issues that couldn't be settled. Until I got diagnosed with cancer, that is."
Her own mother, whom she was very close with and cites as her inspiration, was diagnosed with nose cancer in 2011 and subsequently drew her last breath in 2018.
Recalls the Pisces: "I was devastated but I remember she used to tell me it's important to always be brave, no matter what life throws at you. When she passed away — and to this day — I find sometimes that I can't let go and just move on. But I keep trying lah because my mum never liked seeing me cry."
When she discovered that she had cancer, the first thing to cross her mind, confides Mei, was that she had to live. "My mother was still around then and there was no way I'd leave her alone in the world. I told myself that no matter what, I had to fight — and keep fighting for mum's sake."
SOURCE OF SUPPORT
Today, both Aimee's and Mei's cancer is at the NED stage (No Evidence of Disease) and they're determined to live each day as it comes. "We don't make long-term plans like everyone else," says Mei softly, adding: "We live each day as if it's our last. We have to try to stay positive. Although Aimee continues to be plagued by negativities, she does try hard to be brave."
The duo is each other's wing-men. Knowing that it's so easy to succumb to despair, they make sure that they're in constant communication with each other — on WhatsApp. Smiling, Mei shares: "We communicate with each other often but we don't chat about business. We talk about what's going on with our respective lives, our families, and generally try to motivate each other."
Whenever she feels like giving up, Aimee, a determined Leo, would do her utmost to raise her friend's spirit. "And I'll do the same for her," says Mei, adding that no matter how positive one tries to be, there'll still be moments when you're hit with an unexpected low.
And what does she do during those low periods? I ask. "I sleep," replies Mei, simply. "Our cancer can come back any time. Actually, these last few months, I've not been feeling too great. I can't lift my hand. Maybe it's the side effects of the radiotherapy or maybe the tumour has relapsed."
Are you scared, I ask, casting a furtive look in Aimee's direction. I can see that her hitherto contented smile has been replaced by a small frown. "Am I scared?" Mei repeats my question before replying: "I'm okay, I guess. After my mum passed away, I realise that at some point, we all need to go. It's just a matter of time."
Breaking into a grin, Mei, who cites travelling as her other passion, continues: "Honestly, if God wants to take you, takkan you nak cakap you tak nak pergi (how can you say you don't want to leave)? I know Aimee doesn't share my attitude. She's really afraid of dying because she still has parents here. Unlike me, there's no one waiting for her in heaven!" Aimee's parents, adds Mei, were previously fisher-folks but have since moved to Klang too.
Chuckling softly, Mei is swift to add that she doesn't have a death wish or anything. She looks thoughtful when she acknowledges that her husband and children still need her to be around. "Actually, I pray every day to God to grant me good health and a long life. But I'm not afraid of dying anymore because it's just part of life's cycle, no? Ultimately, I just want to live whatever life I have, as happy as possible."
"Nobody wants to have cancer," continues the mother of three, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "But the experience has, in a way, forced us to be stronger and fearless in facing all kinds of hardship. With courage and confidence, there's nothing we cannot overcome."
A pause ensues as we all allow for Mei's fighting words to sink in. I'm the first to break the silence. What's the story behind the name Wonder Me, I couldn't help asking, noting the ticking of the clock and realising just how time has flown.
A shy smile crosses Mei's face as she shares: "In 2017 I watched a movie called Wonder Woman. I remember the character saying, 'You're stronger than you think,' so I thought, ah, maybe I can use this name. I believe that every woman has that 'wonder' strength within. We can all be a 'wonder' in our own ways!"
FROM design to cut and sew, from packaging to distribution, this end-to-end approach without outsourcing to a third party ensures that quality is controlled and prices are kept affordable. Wonder Me avoids the mass-produced model, opting instead for hand-sewn pieces carried out by experienced local seamstresses.
For more info on Wonder Me's collections, go to www.mywonderme.com. Follow @wondermefashion on Facebook and @wonderme_fashion on Instagram for the latest promotions and updates.
