Vestige x The New Quarterly
A literary fashion collaboration
We’re thrilled to partner with The New Quarterly, one of Canada’s most beloved literary magazines, to explore the intersections of memory, heritage, and slow design. This special collaboration features a two-page illustrated spread in TNQ’s upcoming issue, where Vestige founder Aileen Lee shares the deeply personal story behind the Dim Sum Bag.
Through photography, drawing and prose, this collaboration celebrates the quiet rituals that shape who we are—and the objects we carry forward.
The New Quarterly: publishing since 1981.
For over four decades, TNQ has published emerging and established writers whose works explore the texture of everyday life with sharpness, grace, and wit. Their issues are beloved for their thoughtful curation and warm, curious editorial tone. As a longtime award-winning publication, TNQ received the Gold award for Personal Journalism at this year’s National Magazine Awards.
The origin story penned by Aileen will be available in select bookstores across Canada on July 21 in the upcoming print issue of TNQ.
“It was a stroke of luck and good research that we found the work of Aileen Lee at Vestige, where the whole language used in making clothes is a celebration of the literary arts. In our first conversation, Aileen shared the things that were important to her. The need for time to think through her designs, to refine them over and over. This is what we do in writing, choose a word, discard it for a better one. She has talked about having eight iterations of the dim sum bag, and all I could think of is that it mirrored the writing process – draft after draft after draft. It’s a slow process. It’s an act of faith. You have to hope that you get something exquisite at the end.” — Pamela Mulloy, Editor-in-Chief, The New Quarterly
Aileen’s Story: The Origins of the Dim Sum Bag
In this reflective piece, Aileen revisits her childhood memories—drawing inspiration from her mother’s imperfect home cooking and the quiet power of handmade things. Special thanks to fellow Canadian furniture designer Alan Hung, whose beautifully crafted Sinn Armchair appears in the photos featured in this story.
“Machine precision can’t replace human potential. Crafts have endured for centuries because people pursued mastery—through study and repetition. In fact, it is human hands and minds that continue to stretch the bounds of imagination. With practice, we master not just the doing, but the dreaming too." — Aileen Lee, designer and creator of Vestige
An Editor’s Note from TNQ
"We talk about the struggle when creating things, almost as if it’s a bad thing. Why labour when there are tools to make things faster, easier, we might ask. The truth is because the struggle is where the art lies, where the craft is manifest. We need to slow down, go deeper, get closer to get the true essence of what we are creating. We owe that not only to our craft, but to ourselves." — Pamela Mulloy, Editor-in-Chief, The New Quarterly
Vestige x TNQ Giveaway
Can you tell a story in 6 words?
We believe the best stories are sometimes the smallest ones. To celebrate this collaboration, we have launched a very special giveaway with a literary twist, for a chance to win an Ambrosia scarf. You will also have your story published on TNQ’s website—and of course, bragging rights.
Head to our socials for more details!
