For some of Singapore’s most exciting creatives, 2025 has been quite the year. From a buzzy fashion designer whose graduate collection bridged tradition and contemporary identity, to an emerging filmmaker whose debut feature made it to cinemas despite stacked odds, every one of them pulled off projects that marked major milestones. What they all can also agree on: None of them could have done things alone. To close off the year, we got them to gather their community – friends, mentors and collaborators who have helped to shape and realise their dreams – and tell us about their journey, and what they’re carrying into 2026.
THE ART WORLD IT GIRL ANNA DU TOIT
Curator and artist Anna Du Toit (pictured seated in the foreground) in her studio with the people who have raised her, literally and otherwise: (clockwise from far left): Artist and writer Velda Phua, who co‑curated her debut show Lingerers; fashion designer and art educator Xin Lee, and multi‑disciplinary artist Josh Tirados (on ladder), both of whom she refers to as friends who inspire her; GOFY co‑founder Tiffany Soh; musician, producer and Du Toit’s partner Kin Leonn; and her parents Adriaan Du Toit and Valerie Du Toit Low.
It has been a mad, mad year for this 24‑year‑old who’s been a rising name across both the art and fashion worlds. Her day job: curator at GOFY, a platform that champions Southeast Asian artists. Its mission is close to her heart since she, too, is an artist, known for her phantasmagorical ballpoint pen drawings that seem right out of a gothic Hans Christian Andersen tale. As that girl, she was part of the Sixty Summers Here group show at Cuturi Gallery this July, exhibiting two of her paintings. She followed this with her inaugural solo show Lingerers, which dived deep into works she produced over the last four years – including her first experimentations with ceramics – a month later.
All of that has incidentally put her on the radar of the fashion circle – and we aren’t referring only to her cover story for this magazine when we rebranded to F ZINE this August. This November, she became one of six names – alongside the likes of Tilda Swinton and Thai‑British actress Rebecca Patricia Armstrong (aka Becky) – to be featured in a magazine Chanel had specially commissioned in conjunction with the staging of its Cruise 2025/26 show at Raffles Hotel Singapore.
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR HER “It’s hard to choose from everything I did this year because every project stretched a different part of me, but my solo art show Lingerers stands out. It was the first time the works based on my most intimate medium (ballpoint pen) had been showcased in a public space. Seeing them exist beyond my private world, and having to consider things such as titles, framing, pacing and spatial presence, shifted how I understood my practice. It was deeply personal and it made me grow in ways I didn’t anticipate. Working with the supportive team at the salon 35A, where the show was held, also renewed a sense of hope for me.”
ON HER SUPPORT SYSTEM “I really believe that the people you choose to keep close shape you in ways you can’t always articulate. Everyone photographed alongside me for this feature has influenced my direction this year through collaborative projects, their support and an unbelievable willingness to show up for me. They’ve challenged the way I see things, and that impact now touches every part of my being, even in the smallest decisions. An example would be the artist and writer Velda Phua, who co‑curated my debut solo show and wrote a response to it (it was printed onto pamphlets and distributed on site). Coming from someone who knows me closely, her perspective shifted how I understood my complex body of work, in a way I couldn’t have arrived at on my own.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR HER “A group show with artists I’ve admired for years (details were still confidential at the time of writing, but it’s to be held at the non‑profit arts company Temenggong Artists‑In‑Residence this month) and a couple of collaborative installations … What I’m most looking forward to now, though, is making work purely for myself again. I didn’t get to do that much this year, and I’ve been craving that quiet space to watch YouTube
THE INDIE SCENE’S BEST SUPPORTING ACT: THE TEAM BEHIND ENCLAVE BAR
Long live Enclave Bar, which ceased operations in October this year, but will always be known as a big‑hearted champion of indie talents thanks to its founders Ritz Ang (second from left) and Rush Ang (far right), and their business partner Kimi Teng (third from right). Their past regular collaborators are equally big advocates of emerging creatives, and include musician Tim De Cotta (far left), arts manager Patrick Anthony Chan (second from right), and Nik Voon (third from left), who’s also active in the arts industry. The group requested to be shot in The Coup, a vibey bar‑slash‑restaurant on Ann Siang Hill that’s run by their pals Keola Ho and Mark Samuel Ng, and also known for being a home to the creative community, providing space for DJ gigs, poetry readings, film screenings and more
At its original location in the basement of Golden Mile Complex, this legendary dive bar – owned and run by brothers Ritz and Rush Ang, and their business partner Kimi Teng – was a favourite of the creative community for its live music, affordable yet artisanal cocktails, and unpretentious air. Then, we all know what happened to the building and its tenants, but that didn’t deter Enclave (as it’s affectionately referred to) from bouncing back – and with an even more passionate agenda to support others in the indie scene here. Moving to a bigger location on the second floor of a shophouse on Neil Road in April 2024, it ramped up its cultural programming, offering anyone from artists to Butoh dancers and rave organisers a platform – sometimes even pro bono. After all, the Ang brothers are indie musicians themselves and know the struggles creatives face in space‑scarce Singapore. While the bar shuttered this October due to a surge in rent, its place as a big‑hearted home for creatives lives on – and, as Ritz puts it, “Let me assure you this: You haven’t heard the last of us!”
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR THEM
Ritz Ang (RA): “I’d have to say the projects we’re especially proud of and that have spawned their own communities: the Warrior Night Jams hosted by musician Tim De Cotta (they’re essentially jamming sessions), and artist Xue’s Butoh Night with the Singapore Butoh Collective (a young group that practises the Japanese avant‑garde dance form) … I feel that we really have curated our programmes very tightly and, in doing so, Enclave Bar has attracted a lot of independent collectives and communities that may not have resources, but have a lot of heart, passion and fire within them. As a bar, we’ve always been more than willing to give these talents a platform to showcase and express their craft. If not, who else would?”
ON THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM
RA: “There’s Tim De Cotta – artist, singer, bass player, curator and everything in between. This guy has been an inspiration as we both came up in the music scene pre‑Covid 19. I’m also including Patrick Anthony Chan and Nik Voon – both of whom are heavily involved in our arts industry – for how they’ve been managing and doing activations for all things related to live music, and art and community programmes. These are truly the unsung heroes of the industry whom I feel best represent the landscape of people who are a part of Enclave, be it officially or otherwise (all three are regular collaborators). They’re also a reminder of how important it is to have a holistic team. I mean, look at the main team behind Enclave: Rush and Kimi both hold down the fort when I can’t, for example, allowing me to focus on other aspects of running the business. Without them, I couldn’t even have hoped to operate the bar for so long.”
THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS GOH ZHONG MING AND DEBBIE LEE
Since founding Open Door Store in mid-2023, Goh Zhong Ming (front row, middle) and Debbie Lee (front row, left) have become two of the most understated yet powerful champions of local design talents, expanding their scope this year to include events that have helped to spotlight a diverse range of names, including Open Door Store’s neighbours at Kapo Factory. Pictured here with them are some of the folks who help them in big ways and small: (back row, from left) Nabila (she prefers to go by her first name only) and Allie Ang, part-timers at the silkscreen printing business Konstrukt Laboratories, which is run by Goh and Lee, and shares the space; Tan U Zhing, JD Sports’s marketing manager who went from being a client of Open Door Store (they’ve collaborated on projects together) to friend; and Beh Zhenyee (front row, right), a part-timer at Open Door Store.
This duo is behind Open Door Store, a multi‑label design store that has become one of the liveliest and most authentic hubs for creative exchanges here since its founding two‑and‑a‑half‑years ago. (They also run Konstrukt Laboratories, a silkscreen studio that shares the same premises.) Of the more than 40 labels stocked (the goods span from custom graphic T‑shirts to keychains, postcards, vintage toys and costume jewellery), Goh estimates that at least 90 per cent are by Singapore designers.
In 2025, it expanded its support of local talent to beyond its physical space, organising Kapow!, an open house for its neighbours – most of which are small, independently run lifestyle and design businesses – at Kapo Factory, where it’s based. Goh and Lee have also lent their space to altruistic projects such as Letter To Birds, an art market co‑organised with artist Anna Du Toit in June that helped raise $15,000 for humanitarian aid in Palestine. Open Door Store couldn’t be more aptly named – it’s a model example of what can happen when people come together to support one another.
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR THEM
Goh Zhong Ming (GZM): “We’ve done a lot this year, but if there’s one specific project to name, it might be Kapow!. The whole idea was to bring different entities – creatives, small businesses, everyone – together and open things at Kapo Factory up to the wider public. There are so many talents here that people don’t know about. For the second edition in August, we invited nine local acts and bands to perform live … We just did our best to expose everyone to what’s here and I think people responded quite well. For the first edition (held this February) alone, we had more than 1,500 people come down.”
HOW THEIR COMMUNITY HAS SHAPED THEIR WORK
GZM: “Without these local creatives who are willing to stock their wares with us, nothing would have happened. And the relationship goes both ways. They push us to think further – as they create new work, we have to adapt to help their products move, which is why we’re changing our store layout every other month, for example. And when they know we’re hosting something, they share about it on social media without us asking. They know we’re busy setting up, so they show up with friends and help in ways we don’t have capacity for, especially in marketing. We might not see the work, but we definitely see the results.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THEM
GZM: “I’m planning a printers’ festival, which we don’t have locally. I saw one in Thailand and it felt relatable, as I’m a printer and print artists here who work across mediums such as risography or linocut don’t have many platforms. We’re also working on more overseas collaborations – not to bring overseas brands in, but to bring local artists out. That’s our goal.”
THE UNDERDOG FILM‑MAKER CHENG CHAI HONG
Singapore film‑maker Cheng Chai Hong (far right) has made quite the splash with his oddball yet heart‑warming debut feature We Can save the World!!! this year. For the group portrait for this story, he gathered some members of its cast and crew in his cosy, art‑filled home to be shot alongside him: (clockwise from far left) video editor Danial Razak; actress Xuan Ong; video editor Jeremie Lim; first assistant director Weiqi Chuah; producer Tan Jia Min; director of photography Russell Chan; and actors Fauzi Azzhar and Noah Yap. Actor Jun Vinh Teoh as well as producers Lee Yi Jia and Martin Loh should have also joined in the mischief, but were unable to make it for the shoot.
The shuttering of cinemas in Singapore this year left many floundering – this 35‑year‑old director possibly more so than others. Premiering at the New York Asian Film Festival this July, his debut feature We Can save the World!!! was originally meant to show here at The Projector this August, and then potentially at Cathay Cineplexes, but both abruptly closed before it could hit their screens. The independently funded film is a quirky sci‑fi comedy revolving around a disillusioned civil servant and his encounter with a homeless man who claims to be an alien. One can think of it as Cheng’s love letter to Singaporean lives that he sees as messy, kind of weird and 100 per cent real, contrary to how our city‑state is often depicted in popular culture. All the publicity that came with the setbacks – some organic from the media, others planned by Cheng and team DIY‑style, including a screening of the trailer in a coffee shop – eventually landed the flick an eight‑week run in mainstream theatres and made it still one of the most buzzed‑about releases of 2025. Turns out one can save the world, or at least a piece of Singapore cinema, with enough nerve and gumption.
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR HIM: “I was most satisfied with … what else, We Can save the World!!!. Launching the movie was a culmination of so many smaller projects – from digital marketing to social media content and events management. At the end of the day, I’m really proud that our movie ended up being something that really represented our goal of telling a story that would connect younger generations of Singaporeans.”
ON HIS SUPPORT SYSTEM “Film‑making is the ultimate team effort: The only real way to make anything good is to have a multitude of voices, talent and expertise all pulling in the same direction. That’s how you turn words on a script into a living, breathing vision.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR HIM “I’m starting a comedy‑reality YouTube series with actor Fauzi Azzhar (he’s also part of the We Can save the World!!! cast) in which we team up to help people – whether they want the help or not – along with plenty more online content. I’m also beginning work on my next movie, and planning to take We Can save the World!!! out of cinemas and into the neighbourhoods. There are still a lot more Singaporeans we’ve yet to show it to.”
WHAT HE HOPES TO SEE IN 2026 “More guts, more daring, and more willingness to reject the status quo and get out there to surprise people – and ourselves.”
THE COMEBACK FASHION KID JOSIAH CHUA
After 20 years in the game, fashion designer and stylist Josiah Chua (in foreground, right) staged his debut fashion show this September, the Y2K‑inflected Retrograde Runway Remix. Helping him to pull it off as one of the most iconic moments in Singapore fashion in recent years was a diverse mix of industry veterans and newbies.
Top row, from left: Models Ranisse, Nicole Rusli, Bryce and Kelynn from Basic Models Management, who all walked the show. Second row, from left: Makeup artist Zoel Tee and DJ Kiat, who was behind the runway soundtrack. Third row, from left: Makeup artist Zhou Aiyi; co‑show producer Jasmine Choo; hairstylists Peter Lee and Junz Loke of salon 35A; photographer Jayden Tan; Evon Chng, founder of the digital creative agency Beastcorp; and Nike energy marketing manager Dianna Tai, who’s in charge of the brand’s department to drive culture. Bottom row, next to Chua: Makeup artist Alison Tay
This 37‑year‑old fashion‑design‑trained stylist can be best described as an IYKYK fashion industry insider. For all the work he has done in the past two decades, he has been in the headlines mostly for amassing one of the largest collections of garments by local fashion designers from the late 2000s and having crafted sneakers out of the packaging of McDonald’s BTS Meal in 2021 (you bet these went viral). Meanwhile, those who’ve worked with him often insist that he’s one of the most down‑to‑earth and giving people in the scene. In September this year, Mr Nice finally got his flowers: He staged his first‑ever fashion show Retrograde Runway Remix at *Scape as part of Singapore Design Week – and with the support of Nike, no less.
The 30‑look collection nodded both to the 2000s (the era that shaped him most as a designer) and the present (cue Gen Z and its obsession with nostalgia), with all pieces incorporating upcycled materials. Making this milestone even more heart‑warming was how folks from across the industry – marketing whizzes, modelling agents, and veteran hair and makeup artists, just to name a few – rallied around him to make it one of the most iconic moments in Singapore fashion in ages. Who says being nice doesn’t pay?
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR HIM “Twenty twenty‑five has felt like the year in which the universe finally handed me the mic – or in this case, the runway. After years of sketching, dreaming and quietly cooking up ideas on the back burner, I finally staged my own fashion show … It was a matter of the right time, the right place and the right opportunity. With SG60 coinciding with my 20th year in fashion, the moment felt almost cosmically orchestrated. Retrograde Runway Remix has without doubt been the highlight of my year: a culmination of passion, persistence and the work of a community of creative peers who believe in shaking things up just as much as I have. Thank you to everyone who has supported my journey or followed my fashion adventures – this show was and still is for you.”
ON HIS SUPPORT SYSTEM “The dream of Retrograde Runway Remix became reality thanks to a crew whose talent and energy held it all together. Watching each person push his or her own craft with such dedication reminded me of why I needed to keep pushing mine too.”
WHAT HE WANTS OTHERS TO KNOW “My wish when producing Retrograde Runway Remix was simple: that the show would inspire the next generation. My biggest hope is for youths to feel empowered to chase their wildest ideas and build the worlds they want to see come to life.”
THE NEXT DESIGNER TO LOOK OUT FOR: PUTRI ADIF
Fashion designer and stylist Putri Adif (far right) gets our vote for her sophisticated graduate collection Eka एक, which reinterpreted her multi‑cultural ancestry in an utterly modern way. She credits her close friends for being not only her supporters, but also her creative collaborators: (from far left) photographer Hana Mhdnr, painter Israfil Ridhwan and multi‑disciplinary artist Erwinshah Hastings. Others in her posse who were not able to make this shoot: photographer Aetll and artist Akashdeep Bal.
Anyone who attended Lasalle College of the Arts’ BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles graduate show this year would probably have been struck by this 26‑year‑old’s evocative and highly sophisticated six‑piece collection. Titled Eka एक (which means “one” in Javanese), it was a deeply personal dive into her multi‑cultural ancestry rendered in an utterly contemporary manner. Think traditional Javanese heirloom jewellery reinterpreted into spiky, 3D‑printed body armour‑esque hoops – made possible through a collaboration with tech art studio Baelf Design – or how she added a slinky edge to the traditional kebaya by tweaking its length, fit and structure, fluidifying the silhouette with silky drapes and adding subtle cut‑outs. Hands down one of the best graduate collections this industry has seen in years, if you ask us.
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR HER “I’d say my graduation collection, Eka एक, was the project I’m proudest of this year. It might be the first and last time I have complete freedom to build a six‑look collection with no expectations other than my own. And I pushed myself as much as I could within the time I had to create something that would help me grow as a designer. I feel this is just the beginning for me – the start of finding my design identity – and it’s satisfying because I’m excited to see how I’ll evolve from here.”
ON HER SUPPORT SYSTEM “Hana Mhdnr, a photographer and videographer with a real gift for capturing softness, has been my best friend since childhood. We’ve been in the creative scene together for as long as I can remember and her steady support is something I’ll never be able to replace. My fashion sister Erwinshah Hastings is a multi‑disciplinary artist whose work spans photography, image‑making, visual art, styling and even modelling – a true multi‑faceted queen. Creatively, we just lock in. No one sees me fashion‑wise the way Erwin does. And then there’s Israfil Ridhwan – a painter who works like a poet. His canvases move me in the same way good writing does. We’ve spent endless days and nights in his studio talking, creating and sometimes crying. Each of these people have shaped my year in ways I can’t even measure.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR HER “My label, Putri Adif, is currently focused on bespoke pieces. For anyone who’s interested (you can reach out to her via her Instagram account @putriadif), each piece will be custom‑tailored. This also means you can request specific design details to ensure the piece fits and complements you perfectly … I’m working on some creative direction projects as well. Since graduating, I’ve been trying to figure out my next steps, and I believe in constantly learning and exploring different aspects of creative work.”
THE HORTICULTURE INNOVATORS AT FAWN WORLD
Meet the members of the Fawn World fam, official or otherwise: (clockwise from far left) photographer and visual lead Isabell Hansen, freelance floral designer Julxy Lim, co‑founder and operations manager Tommy Ng, ceramic artist and regular collaborator Hans Chew, freelance floral designer Rachel Ng, and co‑founder and creative head Dennis Ng. Together, this posse has gained a reputation for twisting and testing the boundaries of not only botanical design, but also art through its various partnerships within the past year
Botanical design studio Fawn World started only last year, but of late, it has been inescapable. From its installations across Aesop stores here to its collaborations with cult local labels such as Rye and Tanchen Studio, those in the know have been lapping up its delightfully chaotic creations, which can often feel more like playful sculptures than traditional floral arrangements. Co‑founded by brothers Dennis and Tommy Ng, with the addition of artist Isabell Hansen in its core team, Fawn World has also been branching into the arts. Within the past year alone, it has teamed up with Hansen and emerging ceramicist Hans Chew for two projects: PORTAL_S, an installation exhibited at I_S_L_A_N_D_S that combined natural and man‑made motifs to spotlight hidden patterns in our everyday environment, and The Latex Lobby for Singapore Night Festival 2025 – a surreal reimagining of the often overlooked history of our rubber plantations through ceramics, botanicals, photography and shadow play. All we have to say: Water and watch this small studio grow.
WHAT MADE 2025 SPECIAL FOR THEM
Dennis Ng (DN): “This year marks Fawn World’s first full year of operations since starting last May. We spent it really pushing our capacity, providing design services for events and weddings while also pursuing our own self‑initiated outputs and clarifying our perspectives and approach … All our projects bring different forms of satisfaction, but I particularly enjoyed the ongoing conversations with the team behind Rye to convey the message and mood it wants for its products. We also loved the opportunities to work with the Aesop Singapore team, the workshop we did with the private home‑dining experience Salt Salon, and the collaborative work with our friends Hans Chew and Isabell Hansen.”
ADVICE THEY WOULD GIVE TO THEIR YOUNGER SELVES
DN: “Make mistakes – it’s the quickest way to learn.”
HOW THEIR COMMUNITY HAS SHAPED THEIR WORK
DN: “I always try to consider the perspectives of everyone who contributes, and that has definitely pushed Fawn World in many internal directions and helped shape the process of figuring ourselves out as a young creative studio.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THEM
DN: “Next year, we’ll probably cut down on the number of projects we take on and focus on the ones that make the most sense to follow through with. We’re also looking to explore mediums outside of plants and flowers while still using them as our main HAIR & MAKEUP source of inspiration.”
ALL INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN EDITED FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY.
This article first appeared in Volume 5 of F ZINE.
TEXT, COORDINATION & ART DIRECTION KENG YANG SHUEN PHOTOGRAPHY ANGELA GUO, ATHIRAH ANNISSA, ISABELLE SEAH & LAWRENCE TEO HAIR & MAKEUP SARAH TAN MAKEUP FOR CHENG CHAI HONG & HIS COMMUNITY, BENEDICT CHOO