We Asked Folks At Singapore Design Week 2022: 'What Are You Wearing?'
Real style on the streets.
After a two-year hiatus brought about by Miss Rona, Singapore Design Week returned to our social calendar in Sep with more than 50 events taking place over the course of 10 days. To fete its comeback, the organisers held an opening party at the National Design Centre on Middle Road on Sep 16. The spot was also the home of one of SDW's flagship showcases: the N*thing is Possible exhibition, a zero-waste showcase which was the brainchild of the Potato Head group and architecture practice OMA.
All that meant a confluence of some of the design industry's chicest practitioners and insiders under one roof. Armed with a photography and video crew, the FEMALE team captured individualistic style – whether seen on a DIY-obsessed digital interaction designer or an aspiring architect with a penchant for gender-blurring style – on camera. Scroll on for more.
Who: Ka Yan, student
What she is wearing: Dress thrifted from @littleredbandit; Charles & Keith shoes; bag from @jeanadraws; bag trinkets from Sanrio and a gift from her friend; rings from various small businesses; and necklace that she made herself
Her sense of style: "Colourful, fun and cute. When my twin and I were younger, our parents loved to dress us up in similar outfits. I'm always in pink and she's always in blue – that's how they differentiated us. I was the first one to break out of that mould when I started experimenting more with my style during secondary school."
Who: Ka Mun, student
What she is wearing: Thrifted cropped top; Minga London skirt, Charles & Keith shoes; and bag sourced from Carousell
Her sense of style: "Casual and neutral."
Who: Helena Daher, architect
What she is wearing: Osklen dress and Na-kd sandals
The architect's uniform: "Black. We don't have to think too much about it – and everyone looks good in the colour."
Who: Lee Yik Heng, architecture undergraduate
What he is wearing: Jean Paul Gaultier jacket; Max Tan pants; Zara crossbody bag; and Maison Margiela x Reebok sneakers
An interesting piece of clothing he owns: "A shorter version of this pair of pants that I also got from Max Tan. It flares out so much that it looks like I'm wearing a skirt. My friends would joke that I look like a typical schoolgirl when I'm in it. "
Who: Clarence Marulius Ng, digital interaction designer
What he is wearing: Vest that he customised; Dio band T-shirt he bought from a shop in Peninsula Plaza; brandless jeans; and Dr. Martens boots
How long he took to customise his vest: "The piece took me two to six weeks to complete because I procrastinated quite a bit. A lot of the time was spent waiting for the layers of paint to dry before I could laminate the jacket. I also didn't buy a lot of spikes so I had to wait for new shipment from Aliexpress to come in the mail."
Who: Syafiq Jubri, architect
What she is wearing: Monochrome suit; Muji T-shirt; and Hijack Sandals shoes
What inspired his getup: "I wanted the outfit to say 'architect'. [I wanted to look] sharp, relaxed and approachable."
Who: Rafiq Mohamad, creative director
What he is wearing: Secondhand Issey Miyake shirt; N.Hoolywood pants; Grenson x Nick Wooster shoes; and Hender Scheme tote bag
Pro-Tip to score a good pre-loved item: "In Singapore, it's best if you know someone from the fashion or design industry who are willing to sell you their offcast items – that was how I got this shirt I'm wearing now."
Who: Karyn Lim, industrial designer
What she is wearing: Uniqlo dress; Kate Spade New York bag; Onitsuka Tiger sneakers; and earrings that she made
Last thing she did before the event: "I just got a haircut two hours before coming here. I went to my regular salon at B+Lim with shoulder-length hair and told my hairstylist Oba to cut it short and do whatever he wanted to it."
Photography Lawrence Teo Videography Alicia Chong