Joey Sofa’s performance in REXKL was the most creative furniture showcase we’ve seen sofa…r
[Written in partnership with Joey Sofa, but the editorial team had full control over the content.]
Over the weekend, we attended an event at REXKL. Before even stepping into the space, we were handed black satin blindfolds to put on.
With our blindfolds on, we were guided by a gentle hand and a friendly voice motivating us to take each step down the short flight of stairs into the open yet warm space on the first floor of the building.
“Come on, you can do this!”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
“Good job, I’m so proud of you,” the person said to my unseeing self, before leaving me to guide the next attendee at the space’s entrance.
As sus as the whole interaction sounds thus far, don’t get the wrong idea—we were actually there for Joey Sofa’s latest event, held in collaboration with Rexperience.
Minutes later, we were prompted to remove our blindfolds, and the collection of micro-influencers clad in trendy getups that formed the audience were treated to a space made vibrant by scenic projections and sofas in an array of colours.
At the front and centre sat a lady in white, reading on a Joey Sofa as the audience took their seats on other ones that faced her.
Then came the music.
A sofa for different moments in your life
The modular Joey Sofa can be customised into four different orientations, fit for multiple social settings and sleeved in one of eight vibrant colours of corduroy.
Sitting in Colour represents one of the brand’s first forays into the experiential space since the Joey Sofa’s launch about three months ago.
Lacking a brick-and-mortar store, the Joey Sofa brand has relied on taking over physical spaces to give interested audiences a feel for their comforts, only this time, they took it a little further.
As the soft ambient music played, a man joined the woman on the couch, backdropped by a view of ocean waves and the setting sun.
With the duo dancing the story of love and its comforts and conflicts, the walls of the Rexperience space shifted too through various natural scenery; from a bright sun against an orange sky to a snow-white icy waterfall, to a cacophonous green forest.
Indeed, the projections reflected the eight colour options of the Joey Sofa interspersed throughout the hall, which comes in Seashell (light grey), Beach (beige), Sunset (orange), Peony (pink), Mist (blue), Sage (light green), Forest (dark green), and Stone (dark grey).
In each act the duo would change the orientation of the Joey Sofa, from the classic couch to conversation pit to a flat bed, showcasing the versatility and ease of use of the sofa, before ending the performance laying on the ‘movie’ orientation, with pink flowers and petals floating in the background.
“Sitting in Colour, this show, is our little love letter to all the shades of comfort. At Joey, we believe that comfort is not just sitting or sleeping; it’s a feeling, a vibe, a little piece of home that you carry with yourself. It’s an unspoken language that connects us all.”
– Joey Tan, co-founder of Joey Sofa
My review? The performance was a heart-pulling display of the comforts of love, and it did well at incorporating the Joey Sofa into the story.
Sharing the moment
“We wanted people to come and truly experience the colours [of the Joey Sofa]. Like the pink flowers for the ‘Peony’ sofa and the jungle visuals for the ‘Forest’ sofa, we wanted people to really sit in colour and be taken away, on an experiential journey through the different shades of the Joey Sofa,” said Joey.
As such, after the performance, audiences were free to enjoy and modify the sofas to different orientations, for a full feel of the product.
“We were inspired by the reception of the pre-launch giveaway, which received about 5,000 to 6,000 shares, which was presented in the form of a moodboard. We wanted to turn that into an immersive experience,” said Winson Chong, another one of the co-founders.
Beyond the performance, guests were also given the chance to take their “Glow Portraits” to “capture their vibe,” share a message at the “Wall of Colour,” and even take home an embroidered pouch that we got to customise with our initials.
All in all, Sitting in Colour proved to be a fun experience that perfectly displayed the features and beauties of the Joey Sofa.
Currently selling for RM2,995, with the option to split the cost into 24 monthly installments with zero interest, the Joey Sofa offers consumers a relatively affordable product, built to last with its highly durable corduroy fabric, rating 75,000 on the Martindale scale.
Dictionary time: Essentially, the Martindale scale is a measure of the durability of textiles, especially those used for upholstery. According to JustFabrics, scores under 30,000 are best for domestic use, while those above 30,000 can be used for heavy commercial use as well.
Take a seat for yourself
For the next six months, the Rexperience space will be populated by the Joey Sofas, offering visitors a hands-on experience of the modular product, and the visual performance would also be played as an interlude between Rexperience’s regular programmes.
If you’re looking to see just how well they fit into your homes, however, the Joey Sofa offers customers a 99-day home trial, with an easy return process if you change your mind.
“This collaboration marks a bold new step for Joey Sofa as it moves beyond the home and into the world of design, creativity, and community, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who came, lounged, and shared this moment with us,” said Joey.
Indeed, this latest event under Joey Sofa is a testament to the founders’ commitment to being a trailblazer for the industry. Similar to their other venture, Joey Mattress, it seems that the duo are constantly looking for opportunities to redefine just what it means to be a furniture business.
Also Read: Why Brisbane & Gold Coast should be M’sian travellers’ top Aussie destinations in 2025
All Image Credits: Vulcan Post
He quit auditing to pursue F&B, now his health food biz is set to make RM4.5 mil this yr
Even before he co-founded Agrain, Kee Wei has always been quite the high achiever.
Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Kee Wei completed his A-levels at Abbey College, Cambridge, obtaining 1A* and 2As. Continuing his studies in the UK, he pursued a degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Warwick.
He said, “I picked the course because I loved numbers, I loved money, and I thought this degree seemed like the most straightforward path to both!”
After graduating, Kee Wei started his career at one of the Big 4 accounting firms in KL. Steadily, he climbed up to Audit Assistant Manager.
“I didn’t hate the job, and I loved my team,” he mused. “But the rigid corporate environment, the layers of hierarchy, the repetition, etc., just didn’t feel like me and definitely not something that I look forward to after waking up.”
After years of preparing balance sheets and P&Ls for other businesses, Kee Wei realised he wanted to create something of his own.
Joining hands
On the fateful night of his 25th birthday, right after he made a wish to own a business one day, Kee Wei received a phone call from his cousin Jason, whose friend was looking to sell off a café business.
Seeing it as a sign, Kee Wei took on the opportunity. This business was The Townsmen, a now defunct café.
At the time, Kee Wei juggled full-time auditing and operating a café. It was a huge toll, but it taught him everything he needed to know from registering a company with SSM to managing payroll.
“It was raw, intense, and hands on—thinking back, it felt like a crash course for entrepreneurship,” he recalled.
It was this experience that really led him to start Agrain.
Remember cousin Jason? Well, back in 2016, Jason had launched a healthy burger brand called HALE. While it found traction with expats, it didn’t quite click with Malaysians.
But Jason, his friend Kendrick, and Kee Wei believed locals were growing more and more health conscious, and wanted to reimagine what healthy food could look like for Malaysians.
“What if we took the concept of mixed rice?” they wondered. With this, Agrain got its start in 2018.
Bumps along the way
The vision was clear: becoming the McDonald’s of healthy food. They envisioned a fast-casual chain offering delicious, healthy meals at affordable prices.
More than good prices, they offer good value—100% real ingredients, made from scratch, no MSG, no preservatives, and no processed food.
Agrain also believes they were the first in Malaysia to offer a macro calculator for every ingredient on their menu. Their website even lets users calculate their BMR and BMI.
With their efforts, business grew fast. In year one, they were already up to five stores. At their peak, Agrain grew to eight stores and a central kitchen. But then, COVID hit.
Their customer base of corporate crowds disappeared overnight, and so did the revenues. The pandemic humbled them, bringing the team back to ground zero.
“At one point, we had to downsize massively just to stay afloat. And through that, I realised: I would rather run 10 profitable stores than 100 unprofitable ones. Quality over quantity. Value over vanity,” he decided.
Kee Wei calls this their “massive reality check era”—an era that ultimately taught them lifechanging lessons.
Specifically, the team learnt to operate lean. That meant fewer people, decentralised ops, data-driven menus, and a laser focus on what customers want, instead of what the team thinks is cool.
A new way to grow
Changing things up, Agrain now expands by way of joint ventures, and their newest Mutiara Damansara is a testament to that.
“Our first JV partner is actually a loyal customer of ours who believed so much in what we do that she decided to partner with us to fuel up our expansion plans,” Kee Wei explained.
She funded 100% of the setup capital expenditure, while Agrain retained a majority stake in the newly formed JV company, allowing them full control of the brand.
“We also prioritise distributing a greater share of dividends to our JV partners once profitable—it is our way of showing we are just as invested in the store’s success, if not more,” he said.
With this model, Agrain is going all in on lean operations, speed-to-market, and control at the ground level.
Profitable ag(r)ain
Speaking to Vulcan Post, Kee Wei was proud to share that Agrain is profitable—again.
“We suffered a heavy total RM2.5 million loss over the three years of the pandemic. But we are now back, stronger than ever,” he expressed.
For their latest financial year (2024/25), they expect to close RM4.5 million revenue, all with just two outlets. Kee Wei also reported around 30% year-on-year revenue growth and around 50x the profit amount from the previous financial year.
With these positive figures, the former auditor aims to expand within Klang Valley using the JV model with like-minded partners.
“Our north star is to have 50 stores across ASEAN,” he said. “We want Agrain to become a household name across the region—the Sweetgreens of Southeast Asia.”
It’s not glamorous, but it’s worth the ride
After more than six years of running Agrain, Kee Wei has learnt (and unlearnt) a lot of lessons.
Coming from a finance background, he used to believe that numbers could tell him everything. But in F&B? That’s not always true.
For one, numbers alone don’t drive customer experience or culture. Sometimes, a marketing campaign might show a negative ROI in month one—but by month three, it’s what brings customers back time and again.
“If you make decisions purely based on spreadsheets, you miss the human element that drives a F&B business,” he commented.
Over time, Kee Wei has also learnt that the angriest customers are often the greatest teachers. The nastier it gets, the more excited the co-founder seems to get.
“Of course, the harsh language used at times may hurt you, but putting emotions aside, it is actually a shortcut to figuring out what was broken and how to fix it fast,” he shared.
But he’s also grown to have healthy scepticism—he doesn’t just reflect on what is going wrong, but also what is going right.
That, he shared, is how he keeps evolving.
For others who may want to follow him in this path, Kee Wei has pearls of wisdom to share.
First, don’t come into F&B to make a quick buck.
“F&B isn’t glamorous. It is a battlefield. You will face unpredictable operations, emotional rollercoasters, and razor-thin margins,” he emphasised.
Secondly, listen to the experts. Then trust yourself.
Especially if you’re like Kee Wei and coming from a different background, you don’t know everything. But that’s okay.
“Learn from those who have been through the fire. But don’t lose the voice in your head. Your instinct still matters,” he shared.
And lastly, be present and enjoy the ride.
“Don’t obsess over where you would rather be that you forget to focus on where you are,” he advised. “F&B is a long game. You can’t possibly win tomorrow if you are not paying attention to today. And remember—tomorrows aren’t guaranteed.”
Also Read: Why the M’sian co-founder of this Australian marketing co. is now expanding the biz back home
Featured Image Credit: Agrain
