There is always a certain consideration that Carolyn applies when she designs; she doesn’t take the most obvious route towards referencing ‘local flavour’, and generally designs first from a point of genuine interest and love for the things that make Singapore special. She also has a quirky sense of humour.
Carolyn is basically the nicest person in the world too. #justsaying
The new Modern Heirloom fine jewellery collection has been inspired by Singapore’s Peranakan heritage, in particular the colourful traditional tiles. But unlike just about every fashion student I’ve ever had the misfortune to critique, Carolyn didn’t just go with over-wrought patterns of teal, fuschia and lemon.
The Modern Heirloom fine jewellery collection. Image: Carrie K.
Although the designs were based on the stylised plants and animals of the traditional tiles that can be found across Singapore from Chinatown to Little India and Geylang Serai, when you look at the geometric and streamlined jewellery pieces the connection does not smack you in the face.
“The Modern Heirloom Collection was designed to create relevant interpretations of important elements of our Singapore Heritage in the hope that these meaningful reminders will be handed down to future generations,” says Carolyn.
There is a very Art Deco feel to the designs overall, including the sharp lines, the pearls and the fact that Carolyn chose to use white gold instead of yellow for the settings. The colours come from rubies, emeralds, blue sapphires and diamonds and well as semi-precious stones such as amethyst, peridot, topaz, and jade.
The Modern Heirloom fine jewellery collection. Image: Carrie K.
As well as the refined, pared-back aesthetic, Carolyn has continued her penchant for mechanical things by fiddling with the designs to include multiple functions. There’s an ‘over ring’ that you wear with the core Heritage Rings; this creates an impressive cocktail ring that you can breakdown into a smaller everyday piece. As with all Carrie K. pieces, the designs come in a number of price points. Starting from only SG$288 for the silver version of the Heritage Outer Ring with topaz, that you pair with a silver and ruby, blue sapphire or emerald Heritage Ring for SG$388. You can also splash out on a luxe version that is made of 9 karat gold with a great emerald for SG$1,288.
The Modern Heirloom fine jewellery collection Heritage Ring. Image: Carrie K.
Another inspiration for Carolyn for the Modern Heirloom collection was Si Dian Jin – usually connected to weddings but actually based on the Chinese concept of ‘four generations under one roof’. You can also see echos of this concept in the architecture of the traditional Chinese four-pointed roof. That concept is where the overall design of the rings comes from – the outer ring with four ‘points’ and the inner ring with four stones that represent the four generations.
The Modern Heirloom fine jewellery collection Heritage Ear Drops. Image: Carrie K.
The rings are obviously my favourite pieces, but the earrings are damn nice too. Like the rings, the earrings are also multifunctional – the Heritage Ear Drops can be worn either as simple studs or with the additional ‘drops’ which you can buy separately. Prices range from $368 to $588 depending on the type of stones you choose. Top of the line is the pair that comes in 9 karat gold with amethyst and London blue topaz or white topaz which cost $1,488. I’m also loving the studs in rhodalite garnet or dark tarvorite garnet for $1,188.
Basically I’m impressed with the whole collection – as if that’s not obvious. I just have to work out how to pay for all the pieces I want.
The Carrie K. Heritage fine jewellery collection is available from the new Carrie K. Fine Jewellery Atelier located at #02-02 National Design Centre. The atelier will feature the custom and bespoke services, and you can shop for the ready-to-wear Carrie K. collection at the Keepers PlayShop at #01-01 National Design Centre.
There is a tendency in small communities to rave about any local brand or designer simply because they ARE local.
While it is important to support local talent, it is just as important to give praise where due, and to not simply celebrate the ‘localness’ for its own sake.
This is what has happened over the last 6 years in the Singapore fashion industry. Local brands with little to no true originality have been patted on the back and given media coverage simply because they exist. It’s like giving all the kids in a race a certificate and no medals for first, second or third.
When you don’t appear to get anything more for standing out from the crowd and being better than others, what’s the point of trying?
Conversely, just because you have a lot of friends in the local media, it shouldn’t mean that your work is placed higher on the tent pole of adulation.
In Singapore there has been a general creep towards admiration for retail brands that have successful social media accounts, rather than support for labels that do their own thing and focus on creating original work.
Yes, we should be proud of the brands that have continued to be economically viable in the current difficult retail environment – and indeed, they deserve praise simply for surviving. However, retail-successful brands are not going to be cutting edge fashion design in a trend-focused, shopping-driven country like Singapore.
Over the last 9 years in Singapore I have seen so many fashion brands come and go. Some deserved to disappear from our fashion radar, but others succumbed due to the lack of media attention, the lack of fashion education for shoppers – also media-led – and a general oversupply of any, and every, fashion brand in the world. Not to mention, of course, the increasing rise of online shopping.
Out of this complicated mess of being ignored in favour of someone’s friend’s new blogshop sourced from Dongdaemun Market; fighting for sales against global retail giants; and forever being forgotten by the fashion media except for the annual ‘Singapore issue’, there have risen a few fashion and accessories brands worth talking about.
These are my personal picks for Singapore fashion brands that actually work from a creative base of originality; no, they’re not all perfect (no brand is) but they have worked to ensure that they have a brand identity that doesn’t depend on ripping off other brands.
DEPRESSION
Image: Depression
Yes, I admit that I am personal friends with the designers behind Singapore streetwear unisex brand Depression. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t objectively appreciate what Kenny Lim and Andrew Loh have done over the last 10 years. Yes, Depression is 10 years old.
A brand that began as t-shirts for the impoverished junior industry creatives and hairstylists of Singapore, has grown into a brand that has a distinct DNA, is stocked globally and has shown at Berlin Fashion Week.
Depression is not a brand for everyone. It’s mostly black, drapey, oversized, punk-influenced streetwear for guys who work in the creative industries and girls who don’t like wearing pink lace dresses. But this doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Depression has a particular point-of-view and a targeted customer. And these are the reasons why it has survived Singapore’s ‘retail apocalypse’.
Image: Depression
Depression does have some issues. Over the years the brand has had hiccups in fabrication and fitting, but the team of designers tend not to make the same mistakes twice. As the brand owners have branched out into a multilabel store – Sects Shop – and a number of in-house brands, their ‘learnings’ have been incorporated into improving the Depression label.
Despite, or in fact, because of this, Depression is a Singapore fashion brand worth celebrating, whether or not you love an all black wardrobe.
Depression is available from Sects Shop located at Orchard Gateway #04-14, Singapore, and online at www.depression.com.sg.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Image: In Good Company
Designed and owned by the creative team behind now-defunct original Singapore brand Alldressedup, In Good Company is a tight collaboration between two designers who have their own specialties, and who know exactly who they are designing for. I’ve always said that the team, who worked together for about 10 years, made all their mistakes with someone else’s label, which is why they have grown from strength to strength since the brand launched in 2015.
Image: In Good Company
Jaclyn Teo, Sven Tan, Kane Tan – no relation – and Juliene Aw, are the co-founders of In Good Company, which started out with contemporary womenswear designed specifically for Singapore and the Southeast Asian region’s hot weather in a series of capsule collection ‘drops’, and has now expanded into matching ‘mini me’ collections for kids, and menswear. The brand is stocked in a number of stores in Singapore and the surrounding region, including in Jakarta, and has its own ‘tropical minimalist’ flagship store in ION Orchard on Orchard Road.
Image: In Good Company
The reason I describe the brand as being ‘tropical minimalist’ is that its aesthetic is a mix of Scandinavian minimalist design (yes, there’s a fair bit of COS in the shapes of the clothes) combined with a love of strong colours, ease of wear and machine-washability; perfect for tropical weather.
Image: In Good Company
Cuts tend to be on the smaller, Asian side, however the brand launched first as an online store and has a wide range of global customers. The signature very-fine shoulder and back strap details, and unique fabrics like machine-washable silk and cotton ‘neoprene’ means In Good Company remains modern without being trend-driven. Pieces from early collections can just as easily be worn with the latest launches and also fit nicely into ‘arty’ wardrobes that feature a lot of Comme Des Garçons. Yes, there are a few ‘basics’ that have a tendency to look like COS summer collections, but overall, In Good Company retains its own voice.
Image: In Good Company
The co-founders knew exactly who they were selling to before they launched the brand, and continue to stick to that very defined demographic despite the brand’s increasing profile as original Singapore design. They’ve been offered opportunities internationally – in countries that are definitely NOT tropical – but have stuck to their guns when it comes to designing for the region, not being beholden to global weather and not sticking to arbitrary fashion seasons.
It’s the combination of sticking to their preferred business model, knowing their customers and always exploring technology to create new, more comfortable fabrics, that has seen In Good Company continue to grow and establish itself as a strong independent Singapore fashion brand. This is not a brand that wants to become a global behemoth, the founders are all about staying true to their personal aesthetic and likewise living a life that allows for family and friends.
In Good Company is located at ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #B1-06, Singapore. Open daily: 10am – 9:30pm, Tel: +65 6509 4786. You can shop the brand online at www.ingoodcompany.asia, and the store is also home to a cool cafe, Plain Vanilla Bakery.
CARRIE K. ARTISAN JEWELLERY
Image: Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery
Once again I have to own up to being personal friends with the team behind Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery, but hey, Singapore is a small place.
Carolyn Kan, the founder and designer of the brand is the perfect example of a Singapore creative just doing her thing, being excellent at what she does, and ignoring the shallow, wider world of globally focused trends and social media ra-ra.
Image: Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery
Carolyn launched the label way back in 2009 as a way to ‘tell stories’ after changing her career. Almost immediately the brand took off as an international jewellery exporter; her quirky designs based on everything from nuts & bolts to paint splatters and morse code, struck a cord with people looking for ‘wearable art’ that was not only affordable but also unique and told a personal story. Carolyn has always done commission work, creating very personal pieces for customers who want something that tells their own story.
Image: Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery
The retail side of the business has grown over the years to encompass pieces in silver for less than a $100, to fine jewellery versions that can go for thousands. Every collection starts from Carolyn’s odd-but-interesting brain and continue to tell fun and unique tales about her world and the fans who have bought into it.
Image: Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery
On top of all this, Carolyn has been the backbone of the creative design scene in Singapore. Her creation of the Keepers Studio concept from pop-up weekends and stores, to a permanent retail space at Singapore’s National Design Centre, has seen her become the most important person in the national design scene. Without her, there would not be successful Singapore brands – a bold claim but one I’m ready to defend.
The Carrie K. Artisan Jewellery atelier is located at National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road. #02-03 (Annex building along Queen Street), Singapore. Open: Monday to Saturday, 12:00 – 7pm, Tel: +65 6352 2559. You can also shop the brand online at www.carriekrocks.com, and at the Keepers store. For a full list of stockists including international, go to www.carriekrocks.com/stores.
These are my current best Singapore designer fashion and accessories brands. I’ll continue to update and add to the list.
Singapore, while being a geographically small country that punches above its weight in any number of industries, has had some difficulty in producing fashion brands and designers that have been able to go on to worldwide success. It’s not been impossible; accessories label Charles & Keith is a prime example and brands like In Good Company – which won the inaugural Designer of the Year – is currently making waves with its affordable fashion with a ‘designer’ sensibility. However, there have been a number of Singaporean brands that have recently downsized or closed – not just ‘designer’, in fact, previously solid contemporary and high-street brands have disappeared too.
Thankfully, however, there’s been some new blood to fill in the blanks and some brands who have been plugging away for years, have finally been recognised.
THE SINGAPORE DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR …
Image: Dzojchen
I was particularly excited that Chelsea Scott-Blackhall of contemporary luxury brand, Dzojchen, won Designer of the Year. Chelsea has been growing her label since 2013 and over the years has shown on runways in Paris, New York and Seoul. It’s also being stocked in major multi-label stores and showrooms. I actually sat front row at Seoul Fashion Week for Chelsea’s first show there, and I’ve been supporting her strong, personal take on luxury mixed with a sense of ease and nostalgia ever since I saw her first collection. A well deserved winner. Yay Chelsea!
Image: Marilyn Tan
Another well-deserved winner was jewellery designer Marilyn Tan. Marilyn has been creating artisan jewellery pieces for 20 years; the brand shows in Paris twice a year, and is stocked at the Museum of Contemporary Art Store in Chicago, plus at designer stores in New York, Miami, Toronto, and London. Marilyn is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met; she’s always stayed true to her unique design sense that mixes precious metals and stones with a Singapore aesthetic and the organic shapes of nature.
The winner of the Emerging Designer of the Year, Elizabeth Soon of Ametsubi, may be a relative newcomer to the Singapore fashion world, but her win was loudly applauded by the fashionista crowd at the awards.
Ametsubi is an interesting mix of Japanese aesthetics and contemporary womenswear. These are clothes made for women who love fashion but aren’t necessarily into following trends. Although based and produced in Japan, the brand does have a more practical bent that shows its Singaporean roots. This is definitely a brand to watch. You will eventually be able to shop Ametsubi on its website (although it seems to be still under construction), but you can check out the new collection and then stalk the site. That’s what I plan to do – I really want this whole outfit.
Image: Ametsubi
The Emerging Accessories Designer of the Year award went to the team of Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin behind fine jewellery label State Property. The brand has a very modern aesthetic, quite geometrical and minimal, mixed with a Singaporean’s love of colour; it’s very easy to see that this is a label that can become international. There is also an artistic quality to the pieces; an interesting sense of balance between the materials, the skin of the wearer and the spaces between. The earrings are particularly clever – they look both current and timeless, something that’s very difficult to do. I personally like the Coda earrings.
Image: State Property
THE CHAMPION OF THEM ALL … CAROLYN KAN
Image: Carrie K.
First up I have to declare that I’m great friends with this individual who I feel has done more for the Singapore fashion and design industry in the last 10 years than anyone else.
The designer and founder of artisan jewellery label Carrie K., Carolyn Kan, is someone who has been a tireless worker for Singapore’s design scene. Her jewellery brand is international, but what’s more important is that Carolyn has created numerous environments for Singapore designers to come together and make money; all on her own initiative.
Her positive personality, energy and genuine care for creatives in Singapore led to the Singapore Fashion Awards committee creating a special award just for her; the Champion for Creatives and Designers Award. Carolyn was behind the Multiply: A Majestic Playground event by Keepers Singapore and The Straits Clan – featuring over 50 Singaporean artists, designers, makers and craftspeople – and more than 6,000 visitors. Carolyn was also the driving force behind Keepers, a platform for Singapore’s creative businesses that has gone from pop-up weekends in the Carrie K studio, to a pop-up store on Orchard Road and now has a permanent space at the National Design Centre.
Carrie K. also won the inaugural Bespoke Award for a unique ring designed for a wedding anniversary that managed to combine not only the client’s many personal requests, but still held onto the Carrie K. design aesthetic. And, she won the Best Collaboration of the Year Award for the Carrie K. and Disney Beauty and the Beast Collection (another personal favourite – I’ve got two of the rings).
We all love and adore Carolyn.
THE SINGAPORE FASHION AWARDS EVENT …
I have to say something about the actual event for 2017. This year it was held at W Singapore and the organisers went all out on creating an environment that was an eclectic mix of Singapore, luxury and dare-I-say, fun. The was a real sense of occasion created by Singapore’s ‘Godfather of Fashion’ and author, Daniel Boey … towering flowers, fabric, Singaporean models, crazy lighting, an actual triumphal arch on the stage and lots, and lots of Singapore fashionistas in their best Singapore designer threads. Congrats darling! It was definitely ‘fashion’.
niki bruce 