Fashion Misfits, Super Freak’s Final Art Market Needs You
The cult multi-label store bows out with one last art market – featuring a wild collab between Mash-Up and Liz Zhu.
Since opening its doors in 2019, Super Freak has stood as a rare beacon of self-expression in Singapore's Stamford Court – a haven where Club Kids and fashion rebels found community through colour, chaos, and couture. The multi-label boutique has long been home to outre brands like Pleaser and Bernhard Willhelm, proudly billing itself as a “queerdo store” rooted in misfit culture. But this July, Super Freak will close its doors for good as its lease comes to an end.
Before the lights go out, however, the store is throwing one final art market – a parting celebration of the wild, weird, and wonderful spirit it has always championed. Happening on 11 May from 1pm to 8pm, this final edition marks Super Freak’s seventh market, following past instalments themed around Christmas, Halloween, and two nocturnal art parties held during the Singapore Night Festival.
The final Art Market at Super Freak will take place on May 11, celebrating the multi-label store’s bold legacy.
This last hurrah will spotlight a special collaboration between two names in the fashion subculture scene: Mash-Up – the now-defunct, always-up-for-a-party local fashion label founded in 2012 – and Singapore-based multi-disciplinary artist Liz Zhu of Dow.d.p, known for her eccentric and wearable art pieces crafted through repurposing.
Zhu has created 35 one-of-a-kind designs using archived Mash-Up garments and offcuts, some dating back to the label’s second collection, Atlanta to Atlantis (2012/2013). “Some were samples that we never produced, or even designs from a collaboration with a corporate company that didn’t materialise,” shares Nathanael Ng, one of Mash-Up’s co-founders and a commercial stylist. “We also gave Liz off-cut fabrics from our production house – it was a great way to give these pieces a second life.”
Liz Zhu of Dowd.d.p is known for her multidisciplinary practice that blends upcycling, remaking, and styling into distinctive, wearable art.
True to Mash-Up's playful, DIY ethos, Zhu reimagined each garment with a narrative twist. One standout design incorporates a bunny doll found at a second-hand market in London, reworked into a wearable piece that mimics a baby carrier – blending kitsch with emotional resonance. Another transforms a dress with a printed backpack motif into a puffer mini skirt and reversible tote, cleverly reusing the original straps as handles. “I wanted it to be multifunctional and versatile,” Liz explains. “The inner lining was made from repurposed fabric I sourced in London, and I added some cute, practical pockets too.”
Mash-Up was founded in 2012 by (from left) Shaf Amis'aabudin, Nathanael Ng, and Daniela Monasterios Tan, and quickly made a name for its eccentric, club-worthy designs.
The collaboration was sparked when Mash-Up's co-founders, Ng and Shaf Amis'aabudin, saw Zhu’s past work with artist Erwin. “It reminded us of our Remix collection, where we repurposed our deadstock into one-off pieces,” recalls Shaf. “That pop-up (held at Tangs) sold out fast, so when we saw what Liz was doing, we reached out – and she said yes!”
The original designs from Mash-Up’s Atlanta to Atlantis 2012/2013 collection
While Mash-Up officially closed during the pandemic, the spirit of the label lives on through collaborative projects like Delulu High at the Singapore Night Festival. “We don’t see ourselves launching a full collection anytime soon,” Shaf says, “but remixing and reimagining is in our DNA – we’re always open to creative collaborations.”
Ng adds: “We’ve grown so much as a label and as individuals. If someone has an exciting idea, we’re game – just contact us!”