About

The Birth of Chiin Chilla - The Golden Rebel:

While living in Shanghai during the explosive creative and local fashion movement of the 2010s, Gene was searching for a way to build something cool—a brand that felt both personal and globally resonant. One day, sketching in his flat, he found himself inspired by the Onyx rap group logo from one of his favorite songs growing up: Slam. That raw energy stuck with him.

He started with a rough sketch—simple, bold, expressive. But something was missing. Then he remembered a design quote he had read online: “Sometimes all it takes is flipping the perspective.” That’s when he turned the frown on the character’s face upside down and suddenly, everything clicked. The entire mood of the drawing shifted. The character felt alive.

That smile became a signature. And as the project evolved, Gene kept returning to the sketch—tweaking, refining, adding, subtracting. One night, after attending a local fashion show, a particular male model caught his attention. He had a sharp jawline and a clean, straight bowl cut—totally confident, totally unique. Gene loved how the model just owned look and experimented by adding similar hair to his sketch.

At the same time, a trend was bubbling in Asia: oversized, rimless glasses. The youth were rocking them everywhere. Gene gave the look to his character, and it immediately added a hip, localized flair. When the same glasses started showing up in the U.S.—on star and athletes like Dwyane Wade during interviews—Gene knew he had tapped into something ahead of the curve.

Inspired by the Asian artists illustrated their characters, and mixing in his own childhood love for American cartoons, Gene continued building the character—adding arms, a colorful shirt, and eventually shorts. Originally, he imagined Chiin Chilla with purple hair—a playful nod to Marge Simpson and a futuristic fashion edge. But after shading the hair in with a new pencil he’d just bought at the library, he knew black was the right choice. It grounded the character and gave it a timeless attitude.

Then came the final, golden touch.

While studying Mandarin, Gene discovered something unexpected: his own name in Chinese (金 jin) meant "gold." It felt like destiny. He decided to weave the meaning into the charter by incorporating a warm golden tone into the design. It brought everything full circle-a symbol of identity, transformation, and love for self. Self Expression one may call it.

From a rough sketch on a quiet Shanghai night to a fully realized icon, Chiin Chilla became a reflection of Gene’s story. A fusion of culture, instinct, rebellion and self-discovery. (Till You Fly)

Chiin Chilla first appeared on T-shirts and rapidly became a fashion icon in Shanghai, a mega-city in its creative prime. Our urban-inspired brand was a first of its kind there, and we continued to grow our collection, invent new patterns, and build a loyal fashion-forward community.

Operation Chiin Chilla is known for its prestigious fabrics and is forever inspired by Shanghai's traditional and Art Deco prints that are playfully interwoven into our designs. You might call it, Shanghai Couture.

After eight years in China, we expanded overseas to new headquarters in majestic Downtown Los Angeles, USA.