For many designers, fashion begins with a brand-new sketch. For Eric Wong, founder of Absurd Laboratory, it often begins with something that has already lived another life. A retired courier uniform. A leftover roll of fabric. A garment that somebody else has decided has reached the end of its usefulness.

Where others see waste, Absurd Laboratory founder Eric Wong sees possibility.

Since founding Absurd Laboratory in Hong Kong in 2012, Wong has built a brand around experimentation, upcycling and the belief that creativity can come from unexpected places. Through his creations that include clothing and accessories made from discarded materials, he has spent more than a decade challenging conventional ideas about value, consumption, and design.

A laboratory for life's absurdities

Rather than following seasonal trends, Wong approaches each collection as an opportunity to test ideas and explore new possibilities. Daily experiences, unexpected observations, and even life's contradictions often become starting points for his designs. That mindset naturally led him toward upcycling.

I was attracted to upcycling because it challenges the conventional limits of design," he explains. "Giving pre-existing materials a second life is, to me, the most exciting creative process."

Over the years, this practice has become central to Absurd Laboratory's identity. Working with off-cuts, post-consumer garments, and existing materials has taught Wong to see a second life. His collaborations with local vintage retailers, including Hong Kong's Midwest Vintage, reinforced this approach. Reworking vintage garments showed him how a piece can retain its history while taking on an entirely new purpose.

It also shaped his understanding of sustainability. As an independent designer, Wong came to realize that fashion does not have to be driven by constant consumption. Instead, it can focus on longevity, craftsmanship, and storytelling.

When designing and discarded materials, Wong feels he is making more than a product. He is creating a narrative around a carefully crafted piece that retains its value and contains meaning beyond trends.

Wong’s aim is also to create products that customers genuinely enjoy using and wearing. By combining modern styling with comfort and functionality, he hopes to create pieces people choose to keep rather than replace.

Absurd Laboratory’s philosophy has resonated beyond Hong Kong. Today, the brand’s customers can be found across Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, and the United States. "People resonate with the humanity in the pieces," he says. "They appreciate the craftsmanship and the story behind something that was once meant to be discarded.”

Casting a revival spell on retired uniforms 

Wong’s creative philosophy and motivations came together in Absurd Laboratory’s collaboration with DHL.

The collaboration was born out of Wong’s participation in the Redress Design Award 2025, where he won the DHL GoGreen Plus Alumni Prize. His winning concept went on to be fully realized as the DHL x Absurd Laboratory BFFS Upcycled Collection.

"I didn't see uniforms," he recalls. "I saw accessories like bags, clogs and plush toys waiting to be born." Retired DHL polo shirts and cargo pants were thus transformed into a playful cast of characters known as the BFFS, a playful take on the phrase “best friends forever”.

The collection includes Bailey, a bucket hat that converts into a sling bag; Frankie, a bear-shaped earphone case pendant; Felix, a mini plush companion; and Sam, a pair of unisex clogs. Each piece is made from upcycled DHL materials, giving retired uniforms a second life while supporting circular fashion.

The collaboration reflects a broader theme running through the creative output of Absurd Laboratory, showcasing how sustainability and creativity can coexist without feeling restrictive or overly serious.

Growing sustainably with the right support

For a small independent label, logistics can be one of the biggest barriers to reaching customers overseas. Beyond providing shipping support, DHL advised Absurd Laboratory on areas such as pricing strategy and international growth planning, recommending the use of delivered duty paid shipping to create an enhanced customer experience where deliveries are received without any unexpected fees.

Additionally, insights on how to improve customer experience and system integration between Absurd Laboratory's online store and the DHL Express Commerce platform enabled a more automated shipment management process. This led to better management of international orders through streamlined order fulfillment, improved operational efficiency, and reduced administrative workload.

The relationship also aligns with Wong's sustainability goals. International orders are shipped using DHL’s GoGreen Plus solution, which helps reduce emissions by using Sustainable Aviation Fuel. For Wong, this meant that Absurd Laboratory stays true to its environmental values while reaching customers around the world.

Looking ahead with curiosity 

More than a decade after founding Absurd Laboratory, Wong remains as curious as ever. 

Moving forward, he hopes to explore new forms of industrial waste beyond uniforms, while experimenting with techniques that combine digital design and traditional craftsmanship. But the philosophy driving this stays the same. “We don’t just make fashion,” Wong explains, “We make conversations.”

In many ways, that sentiment captures the essence of Absurd Laboratory. Every piece begins as a question: What happens if something discarded is given another chance? What stories remain hidden within a forgotten object? What possibilities emerge when a designer embraces the absurd instead of resisting it?

For Wong, the answers continue to unfold season after season, one experiment at a time.