36 Local Labels Mastering Effortless Style
Ranging from summery dresses to bespoke suits, check out these local brands.
Rye is one Singaporean label that has perfected the formula for breezy, chic styles.
Singaporean fashion brands have garnered recognition for their skill in blending effortless style with contemporary chic in everyday wear. While they excel in crafting essential and staple pieces, local designers also exhibit a flair for experimenting with textures, prints, and silhouettes. Ahead, we spotlight some labels that are getting it just right.
ABARA
Abara creates stylish everyday bags for carrying your essentials, making them a perfect, long-lasting gift for any woman in your life. Customers can customise the style, colour, lining, and leather finish of their bag, and even emboss their name on it. The brand emphasises sustainability through its restoration service, which professionally repairs, restores, and cleans your Abara bag.
ANS.EIN
Art is at the heart of all creation at Ans.Ein, a Singaporean fashion brand that incorporates art into everyday wear. Brush strokes and motifs abound in the Ans.Ein collections, offering a touch of tradition and culture in modern silhouettes. They also provide matching pieces for mum, dad, and the kids – perfect for families.
AVVE CLOTHING
Ranging from edgy to more approachable pieces, Avve Clothing creates luxury-inspired designs that offer a sexy and flattering silhouette. Their edgy formal pieces are perfect for a night out with friends or a date night and have been spotted on model Aimee-Cheng Bradshaw.
BENJAMIN BARKER
While many may know Benjamin Barker for its suits, did you know it also offers casual clothing? As a bespoke brand, it focuses on developing and exploring different fabrics with modern details to reflect each customer’s personality and individuality. For a classic and timeless suit (or business formal attire for the office), this brand will make you look like a character from The Kingsman films.
BEYOND THE VINES
Known for its dumpling bags and playful colours, Beyond The Vines is Singapore’s very own multidisciplinary design studio, offering everything from bags to accessories and apparel. Established in 2015, this Singapore-based studio collaborates with creatives and designers to produce unique products that reflect contemporary culture, ideal for trend enthusiasts who enjoy a pop of colour and a youthful everyday look.
DUXTON
At Duxton, the silhouettes are daring, and so are the prints. Its menswear line features tropical patterns ideal for the Singaporean crowd. In addition, Duxton offers flowy looks for women that are also size-inclusive. The tropical print shirts and flowy dresses are perfect for a day at the beach and pair well with sunglasses and a hat.
ESSE
Slow and sustainable wins the race, as exemplified by Esse, with clothes purposefully designed for everyday wear and made sustainably. Whether it's a day at the office or a brunch date with friends, the pieces at Esse can be reworn and repurposed for almost any occasion, thanks to the brand’s muted colour palette. Those looking to embrace the slow fashion movement can find classic, timeless pieces to add to their wardrobe.
FROM THERE ON
Previously known as Runway Bandits, the brand now reinvents everyday staples with versatile products. Their monochromatic pastel shades are suitable for multiple occasions and are great for minimalists who prefer easy-to-match pieces. As the brand states on its website, “Let us be a part of your life with thoughtfully designed pieces that will be with you from there on.”
GINLEE
The designers at Ginlee, equipped with both fashion and industrial design knowledge, incorporate 3D elements such as pleats in various geometric shapes into their clothing designs. Familiar silhouettes, like maxi dresses, are paired with intriguing textures to create statement pieces.
GOOD ADDITION
Andrea Chong and Joan Chang started Good Addition in 2022, and the brand has since expanded to include a wide variety of elevated and buildable basics. Chong designs each piece with great intention. Browse the brand’s online store, and you'll notice the unique cuts and necklines she focuses on, offering a slightly more elevated and chic take on basics.
GRAYE
Graye is for the OG cool kids who have grown up, blending office wear with coquette-core and offering jackets that can be worn as skirts. Their unisex and transformative designs are your cheat codes to being the most fashionable in your circle.
HER VELVET VASE
Her Velvet Vase was launched in 2007 and has since expanded to include stores across Singapore, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The label is known for elegant pieces that are also casual enough for everyday wear. It caters to women who prefer feminine items suitable for both work and brunch, as well as pieces that are well-suited to the summer heat.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Guided by its signature blend of clean, modern tailoring and artful drapework, the designs crafted by In Good Company offer effortless wear. The flowy yet intricate pieces are perfect for those who prefer loose-fitting looks while still adding an artsy touch to their outfit.
KLARRA
Klarra’s clothing line combines sophistication with comfort, featuring linen trousers and dresses that offer a professional yet relaxed look. If you appreciate understated elegance in pastel or neutral colours and are looking to build your wardrobe with versatile and feminine pieces, Klarra is the brand for you.
LOVE AND BRAVERY
The home-grown brand specialises in crafting trendy, everyday pieces for the modern woman. Its range includes chic suede jackets and more feminine items such as ruffle-sleeved tops and dresses.
LOVE, BONITO
Designed to offer both comfort and style throughout the day, Love, Bonito’s outfits feature elements such as bloat-friendliness and crease-ease to ensure they look and feel good. From crisp blazers to belted rompers, Love, Bonito’s collections cover nearly everything, providing you with both staples and statement pieces that, as per the brand’s motto, aren’t just ‘ready-to-live’ but ‘ready-to-wear’.
LOVET
Chic workwear meets frilly femininity in Lovet’s effortlessly sophisticated collections. Known primarily for casual, everyday wear and fresh, energising silhouettes, the fashion label has recently expanded to include business casual pieces and even mother-daughter matching outfits.
MODPARADE
Fernnice Wong, founder of Modparade, launched the brand in 2007 to fund her university tuition fees, but it has since grown into something much larger. The brand embraces the coquette-core trend and flowery patterns, offering options for modest wear as well. The unique patterns are perfect for those seeking modest, feminine outfits.
ONG SHUNMUGAM AND OM
While Ong Shunmugam is already well known for its quality tailoring, its diffusion line, OM, is also noteworthy. OM is the brand's ready-to-wear line, featuring relaxed jumpsuits and dresses that blend traditional Asian iconography and colours with contemporary silhouettes. With a focus on celebrating diversity in both present and past Asian cultures, Ong Shunmugam and OM add a splash of colour to their customers’ lives through timelessly stylish pieces.
OUR SECOND NATURE
Our Second Nature offers comfortable and stylish pieces, with each collection telling a story through in-house designed prints. The Men’s and Kids’ collections also feature prints from the Women’s line, creating charming pieces for the whole family to mix and match.
PLAYHOOD
Playhood is a unisex label that blends streetwear with a unique flower motif. The pieces are fun and wearable artworks, featuring ‘90s-inspired knitwear, trendy layering items, and jackets hand-painted by founder Sarah Lai.
PLAYDRESS
The pieces at Playdress are designed to add flair and fun to any occasion or event. With items ranging from business casual to everyday staples, Playdress’s collection embodies a casual yet stylish spirit, reflecting its commitment to keeping up with the latest fashion trends with a unique twist.
RECKLESS ERICKA
With its one-of-a-kind floral prints and bright colours layered onto silky chiffon, Reckless Erika’s pieces exude a unique, gracefully feminine charm. Designed to be both functional and boldly stylish, its collections make looking good seem effortless.
RYE
Founded in 2016, Rye offers timeless, classic pieces that endure across trends and seasons, from boxy, menswear-inspired fits to slim-fitting styles. Former Asia’s Next Top Model participant and professional model Layla Ong often represents the brand’s outfits.
SABRINAGOH
Since 2009, SabrinaGoh has championed a unique style with its boldly unapologetic pieces. Known for its simple yet elegant silhouettes, the clothes are not only a work of art but also environmentally friendly. By using natural fibres and upcycling old materials, SabrinaGoh ensures that all its pieces are biodegradable, breathable, and comfortable.
SALIENT LABEL
Salient Label strikes a thoughtful balance between understated minimalism and vivacious dynamism with its versatile range of designs. Its dresses, made from environmentally friendly repurposed materials and biodegradable fabrics, assure customers that these are looks they can both look good in and feel good about.
SANS FAFF
Founded in 2020, this certified waste-neutral fashion brand is known for its chic monochromatic palette and sleek, tailored silhouettes. Their collection includes bodysuits, lace pantsuits, and blazers with strong padded shoulders and a cinched waist.
STOLEN
Stolen was established in 2007, drawing inspiration from Brutalist architecture and installation art. Founded by Elyn Wong, Stolen elevates simple clothing styles with unusual and sophisticated cutouts and drapery, creating pieces that ensure you stand out in a sea of cookie-cutter fashion.
THE CLOSET LOVER
The Closet Lover offers a wide range of basics, ideal for mixing and matching. The brand also features vibrant dresses that are perfect for a European summer or a tropical holiday.
THE EDITOR'S MARKET
Looking for a fashion-forward yet understated outfit? Look no further than The Editor’s Market. The brand offers pieces that are classy, effortless, and well-priced. With multiple stores across the country, this brand provides essentials that embrace a minimalist aesthetic. They even use lower-impact fabrics in many of their clothes as part of their commitment to sustainability.
THE FORM
Designed for the corporate women on the hunt for exquisitely crafted, quality office wear, The Form showcases a wide variety of chic and classy tops, trousers, and dresses, alongside boardroom-ready blazers.
THE STYLE SOIREE
The Style Soiree offers outfits for those who want to adopt the soft girl aesthetic or channel their inner preppy persona. With a diverse catalogue of dresses, tops, and bottoms, you're bound to find something to add to your cart.
THE TINSEL RACK
Whether you're looking for something to wear to brunch or a concert, The Tinsel Rack has you covered with stylish casual tops, as well as date-ready trousers and skirts.
THE WILLOW LABEL
Perfect for mixing and matching, the brand offers versatile basics that help you create your own personal style for years to come.
WEEKEND SUNDRIES
Weekend Sundries strives to create pieces suited to Singapore’s weather while using eco-friendly fabrics to ensure quality clothing. The brand sources its materials from select mills in Japan and Southeast Asia, incorporating sustainable elements to reflect Singapore’s rich and vibrant culture. Their clothes feature lively patterns, perfect for anyone seeking a splash of colour in their wardrobe.
YOUNG HUNGRY FREE
Young Hungry Free began as a brand intent on challenging prevailing stereotypes in the local fashion scene. Focusing on creating edgy and style-conscious pieces, it caters to the fashionista who wants to stand out. If you’re looking for something outside the norm or a unique Instagrammable item, this brand might be the perfect choice for you.
YACHT 21
As its name suggests, Yacht 21 offers pieces designed to create the perfect vacation outfit. Founded in 2009 by Jarenis Ho, the brand aims to capture luxury lifestyles and youthful energy. Influenced by Scandinavian designs, Yacht 21 showcases minimalist pieces with a summer flair, ideal for your next yacht adventure.
This story first appeared in Harper's Bazaar Singapore