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Meet the Singapore Labels Rewriting Local Fashion
From wearable art to quiet-luxury basics, homegrown brands are shedding the 'niche' label.
For years, 'local fashion' in Singapore carried a slightly apologetic connotation something to support rather than genuinely covet.
That's shifted. ANS.EIN, founded in 2017 by architect-turned-designer Anseina Eliza and retail entrepreneur Erlyn Karmelia, treats fashion as wearable art, drawing on brushstroke prints and heritage silhouettes like the cheongsam and kebaya.
Youths In Balaclava has built a following on bold, Western-inspired graphics for a younger, experimental customer, while Saints & Sports founded by Ethel Neo after relocating from Singapore to Sydney defines itself around 'quiet luxury in motion', bridging athleisure and everyday dressing. None of these labels are chasing the same customer, which may be exactly why Singapore's local fashion scene finally feels like it has range rather than a single, dutiful category.
About the author
Olivia Wang
Fashion editor and writer covering design, image-making and the creative networks connecting Southeast Asia.
