The Way We Wear

Asian fashion's history will shape future tastes - and one man is determined to display it all.

- RACHEL GENEVIEVE CHIA

Kennie Ting dresses sharp. A Ted Baker floral tie, a rose-patterned changshan (a traditional Chinese robe), or a floaty scarf from Jaipur-based studio Anokhi: Whatever the occasion, the director of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) can be counted on to turn up in style.

No surprise, then, that his favourite among the institute’s thousands of decorative pieces is a gold embroidered robe with a ship’s wheel motif, gifted to a Danish navy admiral by Thai king Chulalongkorn in 1902. Its silhouette is equal parts Napoleonic suit and IndoPersian jacket; the latter later finds its way into Malay baju, Ting outlines in a running commentary that never peters out during our interview.

His unflagging narrative about the historic lineage of attire reflects the ardour with which Ting has driven ACM’s fashion-forward momentum since taking its helm in 2016. Leveraging the vault’s massive stash of style artefacts, he wants to go big on garments, presenting heritage designs and modern labels as living history.