Local brands by young creatives to keep on your radar
PHOTO: Her World Online
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 01, 2022 9:30 AMByKHONG YAWEN
In a fashion industry that's saturated with designer brands and online sites pushing hundreds of styles a week, finding a label that strays from the silhouettes and designs we've grown accustomed to is truly refreshing.
These independent labels were started by young entrepreneurs who have a dream of creating eclectic, one-of-a-kind closet must-haves.
With an emphasis on creative expression and sustainability, most of these labels create their pieces by hand, with some incorporating natural elements such as leaves into their products (yes, leaves).
What seems to be a common thread amongst these homegrown labels is the way they appeal to a growing group of Gen Z shoppers - eschewing traditional instant fashion (an era that many of us were born into) and supporting various social causes and communities. Plus, most of these labels make their pieces gender-neutral.
Get to know these Gen Z-founded, under-the-radar labels that we're loving and why you should cop their pieces, from loungewear to hand-dyed bags, ASAP.
Extroverted Introvert
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CWpGLFMP_Gc/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=67a24f9e-8e4d-4407-8d58-31573d53c37d[/embed]
This Singapore-based brand is more than just a streetwear and lifestyle label – they are strong advocates for mental health awareness with the mission to de-stigmatise mental health issues with their apparel.
Just take a look at their Instagram and you'll see posts on how to manage your anxiety and daily mindfulness tips, along with their very aesthetic T-shirts and tote bags. They've even collaborated with homegrown food chain, Two Men Bagel House.
These serotonin-boosting pieces do more than just spruce up your wardrobe, with eight per cent of their profits going towards various mental health causes such as the Singapore Association for Mental Health.
Their apparel range from $49 to $56, with the lifestyle products starting from $13.
Stilnook
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CYtbBLnlQng/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=587861c6-cca4-4098-8aaf-87c5bf9e10a9[/embed]
If this homegrown brand is foreign to you, it's about time you familiarise yourself with them and their unconventional methods of production.
Making use of leaves and food waste, founder Fiona Ng has been offering one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces like key rings, pouches and coasters since 2020.
Because of their natural dyeing method, and how natural dye derivatives create different hues based on the environment it's exposed to, no two pieces are the same.
The next time you throw away onion peel or spot flowers along the pavement, know that they might have gone into these handmade creations.
Spades
Spades is not an unfamiliar name amongst the Gen Z folk, and it's one you should know too. You won't find big-name designer brands here. Instead, you'll discover a kaleidoscope of labels like Cherub, Kuala Lumpur-based GHOSTBOY, Flipside and many more.
Their constant expansion of brands are all in the efforts to create a comfortable community where youths are able to creatively express themselves, discover a style they love, and interact with one another in a safe space.
A common thread amongst the labels brought into Spades Room is the focus on providing creative freedom to the burgeoning creative scene in Singapore and internationally, with many youths at the forefront.
Besides housing these labels, Spades also has its own in-house apparel, ranging from $45 to $100 that includes hoodies, logo tees and shorts.
EPIC
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3hTdfL-xa/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=782c035c-26c0-4ddb-aecb-e7dc11535984[/embed]
Calling out to the free-spirited youths of today, EPIC was started in 2020 as a way for its founder to create the clothes she'd always wanted.
Using spray paints and airbrushing techniques, each piece is painstakingly created to express the team's artistic vision, and even their views on mental illness.
Their latest collection, Genesis, is their gateway of introducing another layer of styles, concepts and mediums.
The Genesis collection's key pieces include the REVERIE Mesh, the INKED hoodie (featuring the founder's hand-drawn design of an abstract butterfly) and PSYCHOSIS hoodie that visually illustrates the artists' view on how mental illness influences one's anger and disorientation.
If you're into bold, eccentric visual designs, EPIC is one brand to keep an eye on.
Feudal Crafts
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CVh0wxShHmn/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=7bb805fe-a8b6-4874-a22a-8baff36b0076[/embed]
With sustainability at its core, Feudal Crafts' pieces are entirely handmade with plant-derived materials, a rarity amongst the sea of fast fashion brands.
They go above and beyond when it comes to ensuring their practices result in as little environmental damage as possible, opting to use low-water dyeing techniques such as painting and blotting their handmade pieces.
Their tote bags, sling bags are all made with a mixture of Japanese cotton, denim and Irish linen, chosen for their durability and ability to take on the natural dye beautifully. Prices range from $20 to $110.
The Mori Club
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CYtTjHQrQc3/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=ba11e731-e4b0-43fd-9574-1099c284308e[/embed]
You've probably heard the saying, "It's what's on the inside that matters". Well, we couldn't agree more.
Enter The Mori Club, a fashion line of sustainable intimates and loungewear, which is the brainchild of Singaporean Kimberly Tan who studied fashion marketing and international fashion business.
The brand started out as her graduation project where she was tasked to come up with anything that leads back to the topic of sustainability.
With a Bali-based factory and a small team of sewers, Mori produces their intimates such as the Fiji Thong and Jun Bra using organic bamboo.
Besides undergarments, they also produce swim shorts, cropped T-shirts and scrunchies (made with their leftover materials).
One of their most interesting creations is the Mono Painter's Pouch, a transformative pouch that allows you to carry your essentials with ease, as you can loop it through your belt loops or turn it into a sling bag.
This repurposing of garments is part of their RE/MORI programme that allows them to develop exclusive pieces such as the Mono Painter's Pouch and reduce landfill waste.
Bare
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/COIgVNZHF3z/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=56d074c4-a2b5-4e01-a248-922f88340e3b[/embed]
Every closet needs timeless, easy-to-style pieces that work for any occasion. Homegrown label Bare is our go-to with their simple, minimalist colour palette.
Their pieces are made with longevity in mind, with the belief that when done right, clothes can become investment pieces that are highly versatile and resilient. Bare adopts sustainable practices at every step of their production to ensure minimal waste.
Much like their name, most of their pieces are sleeveless or loose-fitting, essential for Singapore's heat and humidity. All their clothes are made-to-order and designed in Singapore, with prices ranging from $59 to $119.
Kiholo Club
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CX-RY9WF2yF/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=04622630-7007-4aae-bcbb-c8c79bb030c9[/embed]
We love the summer vibe that Kiholo Club gives off. Their take-it-easy energy towards life is clearly represented in their pieces.
Founded in 2021, the label offers beach essentials like tank tops, caps and beach towels, all of which are unisex and super Instagrammable. All this was conceived in the spirit of injecting summer into everyday objects.
Besides apparel, they've also got a beach ball, water bottle and a beer bottle opener (that comes with a handy carabiner) for that all-important cold one on an especially hot beach day.
Kiholo Club is definitely one for all you beach-goers, with their products ranging from $5 to $38.
What's Love Co.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CYI8XQzv8G-/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3bbe0047-57bb-4371-bcdd-f7ed84f137d1[/embed]
Founded by besties Karisa Sukamto and Chantel Bay, What's Love Co. is an apparel label that offers easy-to-style, pastel-coloured sweatshirts, shorts and jewellery.
You can feel the love and good vibes with each of their pieces, leading back to the founder's desire to build a brand that uplifts in a world that sometimes makes it difficult to smile.
They describe their pieces as a representation of "fleeting thoughts, pick-me-ups and love notes that relate to various states of our heart", and we dig that.
All their clothes are unisex, with key pieces such as their Morning Mantra Boxers and Good Juju Sweatshirt, with prices starting from $36. Definitely bookmark this label for your next gifting session with your bestie or beau.
Krispy Klub
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CQK-k5qjVIb/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=d02c926d-cb02-4672-9ed4-4165f86f65d2[/embed]
Have you ever looked at a colour and instantly connected it with a memory or emotion? Well, the folks at Krispy Klub totally get it. The lifestyle brand carries tie-dye T-shirts, scrunchies, bucket hats and socks that are all hand-dyed and sewn right here in Singapore.
Scroll through their Instagram feed to catch a glimpse of these sight-for-sore-eyes goods, all of which are carefully treated with non-toxic, low-impact dyes (so it's safe for the kids too).
Their wish is to build a creative and inclusive community that empowers people by letting them express themselves through handmade tie-dye apparel. Prices start from $9 to $50, and they ship internationally.
This article was first published in Her World Online.