Some travellers collect fridge magnets. My neighbour Wei Ling collects photos of her dachshund, Twix, standing in front of things: the boardwalk at Changi Point, the shophouses on Joo Chiat Road, a hotel pool at sunset on a long weekend in Malacca. In every picture, the same thing sneaks into the bottom of the frame: the leash in her hand.
After a few dozen of these photos, she realised the leash was the one constant across all her trips, and it was the least personal thing in any of them.
The travel companion nobody photographs on purpose
A leash goes everywhere the dog does. It gets clipped on at the car, at the hotel lift, at the start of every unfamiliar walk, and it ends up in more holiday photos than anything else you pack. Yet most are bought for function alone, in a plain colour, and look the same in Malacca as they do in Bishan.
A leash that tells the story
In the end Wei Ling went to Little Red Cute for a personalised dog leash, with Twix illustrated from a photo and printed down the strap. Now the bottom edge of every travel picture shows a small, recognisable sausage dog instead of a stripe of grey nylon.
Here is what it involves:
- 150 centimetres of polyester strap, 2.5 wide, and only one size.
- A zinc alloy hook at one end, a roomy loop handle at the other.
- A sublimation print, with heat setting the artwork into the strap.
- Twix, illustrated from Wei Ling’s own photo and shown to her on screen before anything was made.
Before you pack it
Ordering is quick. You send one photo, ideally a sharp, bright one where Twix’s whole face is showing, turned roughly your way; a phone is good enough. After you choose a style, the completed design is ready to inspect, and you approve before paying. Until you give that approval nothing is made, and each leash is produced to order in Singapore.
Wei Ling’s tip is to use a photo where your dog looks like their everyday self. Hers was taken in a hotel corridor, with Twix sitting still for once and staring straight at the camera.
The next postcard
Her latest photo shows Twix on the Changi Point boardwalk again, the loop handle over Wei Ling’s wrist and his own face printed along the strap. For the first time, the souvenir in the corner of the frame is one she actually chose.