The Fashionable Crowd At The Opening Of Salon 35A Tell Us What They're Wearing
Real style on the streets.
Singapore-based hair virtuoso Junz Loke is known for his editorial (read: they are like works you'd find in a magazine) and futuristic-leaning hairdos (clock the cyberpunk-inspired tresses he did for creative and long-time client Mae Tan at Fashion Week recently). So you'd expect the same conceptual approach for his debut store: Salon 35A.
Located at 35A Kampong Bahru Road, the mid-century, contemporary-inspired store spans two floors of a shophouse unit in the charming Outram district. Loke, who has been in the business for more than a decade, co-founded the salon with fellow hairstylist Peter Lee (both also serve as creative directors).
The first floor of the pared-down salon features a communal salon area with huge metal-rimmed floor-to-ceiling mirrors, while the upper floor is a more sequestered space for clients to sit and get their hair worked on. Adorning the walls are headshots of the community of models parading the salon's most recent project: hair clip-ons that you can change out depending on the look you're going for, each distinctively different from the next.
Present at the opening night earlier this month was a voguish gathering of young models, creatives, and other industry insiders like hair and makeup artists – including a performance by the self-taught DJ Fvder that had the crowd dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Scroll on to see them all captured on camera.
Who: Sherinn (she prefers to go by her first name only), model
What she is wearing: Poster Girl top and gloves; skirt and bag from Shein; and Aldo boots
Her style philosophy: "Clothes are made to fit, so just have as much fun as you want and serve camp."
Who: Lila Tan, model and national footballer
What she is wearing: Dress and leg warmers from Taobao; Mango bag; and thrifted shoes
About her piercings: "I got the lip piercing a few months ago and it's my favourite piercing out of all the ones I have."
Who: Nathaniel Fong, content creator
What he is wearing: Uniqlo top; Muji jeans; By Invite Only necklace; Soma Folk bag; and Undercover shoes
Why he loves shopping in the women's section: "Oftentimes, I just think the fit is better."
Who: Zarer Lim, illustration artist
What he is wearing: Thrifted sunglasses, vest, top, belt, pants and bandana; and Dr. Martens boots
About the thrifting scene in Berlin: "My entire outfit is thrifted in Berlin, Germany... I think the scene there is much more interesting compared to Singapore's because they have a wider selection of winterwear."
Who: Relle Lai, content creator and model
What she is wearing: Top from Taobao; thrifted skirt; Charles & Keith bag; and Vagabond boots
Where she goes to get her nails done: "Far East Plaza – it's the best place to go for affordable manicures."
Who: JL (she prefers to go by her alias), illustration artist
What she is wearing: Scrapsville corset top; pants and shoes from Taobao; and thrifted Fendi bag
Where she usually shops: "I usually find my clothes online."
Who: Gladys Ng, fashion media student
What she is wearing: Top, arm warmers, skirt, stockings and shoes from Taobao; and thrifted Guess bag
Her everyday look: "I normally don't dress up as much as this for school – but I do at times just to feel a little better about myself."
Who: Phoebe Song, model and student
What she is wearing: Gentle Monster sunglasses; thrifted tube top and shirt; Ghostboy skirt; Balenciaga bag; leg warmers from Shopee; and Lamoda boots
How she describes her style: "Basic, comfortable and confident – this outfit is an elevated version of my everyday wear."
Who: Megan Vanessa Tan Su Lin, model
What she is wearing: Thrifted dress, boots and scarf; stockings and socks from Taobao; necklace from Aliexpress; and Saint Laurent bag
About her tattoo: "I'm a big fan of Sanrio and the Kuromi, My Melody and Hello Kitty characters."
Who: Aetll (she prefers to go by her alias), photographer and founder of accessory brand Visualjargon
What she is wearing: Thrifted top; Daniel Yam skirt; Gentle Monster sunglasses; Steve Madden boots; thrifted Prada bag; and Visualjargon necklace
What she looks forward to seeing in the fashion industry in 2023: "I'm looking forward to seeing smaller independent businesses or brands becoming bigger in the coming year."
Who: Justin Neo, freelance stylist
What he is wearing: By Walid top; See You At One pants; Gentle Monster sunglasses; handmade bag; and Devoa shoes
His thought process when styling: "It's all about the colours, proportions and concept of the shoot."
Who: Alley T, model and brand strategist
What she is wearing: H&M top; skirt gifted from a friend; vintage Burberry glasses; Longchamp pouch; and Zara boots
An interesting fact about the skirt: "It's a super fun skirt that was gifted by a friend who got it while thrift shopping in Bangkok."
Photography, videography and video editing Danessa Tong