"Coming from a background of fashion studies, it has been an eye-opener exploring the theories and frameworks which inform the project you see today. As someone used to seeing fashion from the West’s perspective, it was refreshing to put myself in the shoes of others and learn from a culture that was previously foreign to me. The speculative process we embarked on has also encouraged me to reframe my outlook on what decolonised fashion in Southeast Asia can and should look like."

"Southeast Asia has been producing some of the world's most sought after creatives and renowned fashion businesses and techniques over the past decade. The drive for this came from pride and nationalism while looking at global through a local lens. Being a former Indonesian citizen and diaspora living in Singapore, it has been advantageous for me to explore and understand my heritage from multiple points of view. As a result, I can observe, think, and understand how important it is to add to the decolonisation debate as we embark on our journey to vast possibilities of the future."

"As one of the ground researchers, I observe and collect the information and data from the community, locations, and other sources related to this research. That serves and enriches the materials for the whole project's analysis, ideation, and further development. Moreover, it is such a once-in-a-while experience to get to know and imagine the culture from the origin, aside from the modernised world in day-to-day form."

"The history of Indonesia always mesmerises me. With these initiatives, I got the chance to imagine what it would be like if Indonesia had never been colonised. I got to discover more about the history of my home culture, as well as enhance my ability to think critically."

"Being a part of this project has prompted me to reassess my current outlook towards everyday design rooted in our heritage. This experience granted me the opportunity to expand my understanding of a culture that I was previously unfamiliar with – to listen, observe and understand. It has also led me to consider the importance of speculative design and the need to reflect on our past, challenge what is presented before us in order to frame a better future that we are looking towards."

"Collect and archive historical information and events from trusted sources. As a native Madurese who joined the Alternative Future project, this made me know my culture better and develop more for the future."

"As the 3D Designer, I developed the overall output consisting of 3D objects and materials with reference to our research findings. Alternative Futures made me learn about history and the future at the same time, moreover the development of materials and object forms here is very challenging and fun."

"Designing and building the interface, navigation and aesthetics of this website. Alternative Futures gave me an opportunity to rediscover and reconnect with parts of my heritage. It has shown me significant parts of Madura and how fashion plays a huge part for the locals."

"This project granted me an astounding learning journey through a heritage that is foreign to me, as well as the freedom to experiment with the graphic elements in the website and overall visual identity."