ZANG TOI was born and raised in a small village in Kelantan, the youngest of seven children of a grocer. After leaving his native Malaysia at the age of eighteen, Zang arrived in New York and at the age of 20, began his studies at Parsons School of Design. In August 1989, he opened his atelier and soon after, Zang was awarded the 1990 Mouton Cadet Young Designer of the Year award which recognizes the top, young U.S. designer of the year. In a Newsday article published in 1991, Frank de Car enthusiastically noted of the Malaysian-born designer and his success, “If anyone is THE NEXT BIG THING, it’s him.”
