#TheObsessions — These are Beyond The Vines Daniel Chew’s Favourite Things - Men's Folio
Style, Interview

#TheObsessions — These are Beyond The Vines Daniel Chew’s Favourite Things

  • By Bryan Goh


What makes some of these local or global creatives tick? In this weekly column, Daniel Chew, co-founder of Beyond The Vines, shares his many inspirations and obsessions.


1. Family:  The best gift that my wife Rebecca and I can give our children is a happy marriage. Because they exist, they bring meaning and purpose to the things I do. They put the why in the what I do.



2. Spiritual Belief:  Starve the fear, doubt the doubt and walk the faith. It brings comfort to my soul knowing I am at peace with the One who made me and to live life loved.



3. Miles Davis:  I love jazz; it has no rules, celebrates the moment and improvises as it goes. Much of that, I carry with me in life.



4. Books: This is where I used to spend most of my weekends. I love walking in and smelling the scent of fresh paper; I’d like to think it makes me a little smarter.

Walking pass aisles of books, I like to pick up ones that either naturally interest me or ones that are of a completely different genre. I have come to learn to read widely and to keep my mind open to learn.



5. Japan: To wake up in different cities, soaking up the local way of life, comprehending and accepting the diverse cultures living under the same sun.

Japan intrigues me the most; the extremities of being so advanced but also so traditional.  Their discipline to a single craft for a lifetime is unfathomable.



6. Golf: When time cease to exist and space is infinite – the endless pursuit of the perfect game.



7. Beyond the Vines:  Rebecca and I created a brand that is honest in its design, innovates functional products to fulfil psychological criteriasm, all with a keen eye for aesthetics.

Beyond The Vines is a means to an end but not the end itself. The end itself is to simplify and enrich people’s life through good design.



8. The Grandmasters by Wong Kar Wai: The poetic cinema of Wong Kar Wai; more imagery and style than reason and substance.

The remarkable fight sequence in the pouring rain that brings out the strength of a single raindrop.