CATEGORIES
gong Melon creating ed le arand becoming nghion's favoure new artist
In the past year or so, the Shanghai-born, Singapore-based creative behind the platform Who Eats Art has been chalking up commissions from some of the biggest names in fashion and lifestyle: Beyond The Vines, The Paper Bunny, the independent salon 35A. And these are just the ones here. Her work might be best described as an intriguing blend of installation, Sculpture, interactive art and photography. Her materials: familiar foods and ingredients that, under her vision, become strangely abstract and very, very cool. Ahead of her collaboration with us on the following pages, she tells Noelle Loh about who really eats art.
asmine koh on making dining a real mood
Every one of this 34-year-old's F&B projects has been off the beaten track and on the small side. There's the now-defunct (and sorely missed) natural wine bar Nothing Fancy, which was located in a back alley on Hamilton Road; the aptly named natural wine distributor and occasional party organiser The Smallest Wine Fair; and -her latest the hole-in-the-wall Hideout Coffee Bar a 269-sqft space tucked away in yet another alley, this time on Geylang Road. Every one, however, has been big on vibes, drawing throngs of young, cool and creative types. Here, she tells Keng Yang Shuen all about the beauty of marching to her own beat in the highly competitive world of F&B.
hannah swee on making food look aesthetic
She's the founder, chef and unofficial creative director behind Ugli Sabi, the cult home-based food business born during the Covid-19 pandemic that's as known for its eye-catching vintage-tinged graphic design and photography as it is for the heavenly grub captured in them. This is the first time she's being featured in the media, so what better way to whet your appetite than by pairing the article with a visual spread styled by this accidental culinary artist that showcases some of her favourite ingredients alongside the most playful fashion accessories?
narellekheng on why F&B joints are the ultimate Social spaces NESS DEVELOPMENT SUNDAY MARKET
Seven years ago, when she was on the rise as a musician, and fashion and lifestyle personality, she and some friends started the quirky, now-defunct rooftop dive bar 21 Moonstone primarily to - in her own words - \"hang out\", with anyone welcome to join in. These days, F&B is her main gig. Her latest baby? The five-month-old Middle Child Wine Bar on Middle Road that's far less grungy, but runs on the same philosophy of how a bar or restaurant should also be a safe and thoroughly fun space to connect with art and new people. Here, she tells Noelle Loh about how she's navigating the scene and using food to redefine the phrase \"see and be seen\".
sophie and anna du toit on the art of the serve
A dinner at the home of these Gen Z sisters is the stuff of cool girl Instagram dumps with mood lighting and eclectic table settings that feature anything from vintage cutlery to random objects picked up on their travels. Perhaps it's to do with their artistic backgrounds: The 22-year-old Sophie is a university student majoring in global studies and a mini social media sensation for her effortless style and slice-of-life content (her Tik Tok account @soapyduuutwahhh, for example, has clocked some 1.8 million Likes), while Anna, 23, is an artist and an assistant curator at home-grown art platform GOFY, which focuses on Southeast Asian art. No, you can't join in the party (the elaborate meals they host are private affairs), but you could hold one like it. Keng Yang Shuen gets them to spill some tips on tablescaping and more.
sarah and sonia tan tan on the chicest new supper club series in town
It's called Salt Salon, and it's run by this pair of fashion- and art-loving sisters who have taught themselves everything they know about food and making it delight the eye as much as the taste buds. Just don't call it a private home-dining experience. Keng Yang Shuen reports.
guardians of the sea
For decades, Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion Rili Djohani has been committed to protecting the vibrant marine world around her Balinese home. Now, she's getting even more support from the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative to help locals restore the coral reefs in the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area that they depend on while conserving the area's iconic underwater landscapes.
The Party Edit
Club-appropriate hits from the Resort 2025 collections
She Calls The Shots
Since The 2000s, Rihanna Has Been Making Dance Floors Work, Work, Work With Her Infectious Electronic And R&b-inflected Pop Hits. For Another Side To Her "Queen Of The Night" Persona, There's Her Role As The Latest Face Of Dior's J'adore Perfume And Its Accompanying Campaign Film. Shot By Her Long-time Friend Steven Klein, It Features The Barbadian Baddie Striding Through The Gilded Halls Of The Palace Of Versailles Dripping In Gold. Here, She Shares More About How The Famously Feminine Fragrance Embodies Celebration.
GOOD VIBES
EVERY YEAR, CHANEL PICKS A PLACE ON THE WORLD MAP NOT ONLY TO INSPIRE, BUT ALSO TO SHOWCASE ITS ANNUAL CRUISE COLLECTION (IT’S A TRADITION THAT’S ROOTED IN THE MAISON’S EARLY YEARS WHEN COCO CHANEL PRESENTED A LINE OUTSIDE OF THE USUAL FASHION CALENDAR TO INCITE WANDERLUST FOR TOASTIER, MORE PICTURE-PERFECT CLIMES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS). THE LATEST DESTINATION: VIBRANT MARSEILLE – THE FRENCH CITY THAT RECEIVES THE MOST SUNSHINE; HOME TO AN ECLECTIC REPERTOIRE OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND LANDMARKS; AND A MAGNET FOR EMERGING CREATIVES WITH ITS MIX OF GRIT AND GLAMOUR, LAND AND SEA, AND YOUTHFUL BOHEMIAN ENERGY. THE RESULTS? A COLLECTION THAT MAKES US WANT TO LET LOOSE AND DANCE. NOELLE LOH REPORTS FROM THE PHOCAEAN CITY.
THE VIPS
SOME OF THE 17 PEOPLE SPOTLIGHTED ACROSS THE NEXT 26 PAGES HAVE BEEN IN THE NIGHTLIFE BUSINESS WAY BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DECADES EVEN. OTHERS LESS, BUT HAVE BEEN FOR MUCH OF THEIR LIVES DEEP INTO MUSIC, VIBING IT OUT ON DANCE FLOORS AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE AROUND HAS A HELLUVA GOOD TIME. THEIR ENDEAVOURS RANGE FROM A MODEST NEIGHBOURHOOD BAR TO CONGLOMERATE-BACKED, MULTI-CONCEPT SPACES AND A MULTIFARIOUS NETWORK OF POP-UP PARTIES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN MAKING AN EXTRA-LOUD SPLASH IN THE PAST YEAR. WHAT ELSE THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON: THEY'RE RETHINKING AND RESHAPING PARTY CULTURE FOR THE FUTURE - OR, TO PARAPHRASE CHARLI XCX, THEY'RE BUMPIN' IT. KENG YANG SHUEN AND NOELLE LOH PUT THE CAMERA FLASH ON.
THE NIGHTS
ROUGHLY TWO YEARS ON SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FOLKS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE STILL TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES TO THROW THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT PARTIES WITH MORE EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS, AND MORE INTENTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES THAT INJECT A ROUSING UNDERGROUND ENERGY TO SINGAPORE NIGHTLIFE. KENG YANG SHUEN TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT ON FOUR OF THE NEWEST ORGANISERS ON THE SCENE AND TELLS YOU WHY YOU SHOULD HIT THEIR PARTIES.
THE SOUNDS
THEY'RE ALL UNDER 30, MOSTLY SELF-TAUGHT AND EMERGED PROFESSIONALLY ONLY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. MOST DON'T EVEN HAVE A REGULAR GIG (YOU'D HAVE TO CHECK THEIR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FIND OUT WHEN NEXT THEY'LL BE PERFORMING), BUT DON'T YOU DARE CALL THEM BEDROOM DJS. KENG YANG SHUEN SPOTLIGHTS SEVEN EMERGING SINGAPORE-BASED MUSIC SELECTORS AND MIX MASTERS WHO'VE BEEN TEARING UP DANCE FLOORS IN THE PAST YEAR AND SHOULD BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
A Not So Common Scent
For the first time, the singular house of Hermes has launched a chypre perfume fragrance type known for its complexity and dualistic nature a that comes in a first-of-its-kind bottle, no less. Keng Yang Shuen finds out more about Barenia, Hermes's latest scent that hit stores recently, from the brand's in-house perfumer Christine Nagel.
Strange Love
The six names in this story create wildly different works that tend to blur the boundaries among disparate disciplines. All have little in common except one thing: a certain wondrousness and sense of curiosity that inspire audiences to look at familiar things anew. Keng Yang Shuen reports.
The artist
Johnny Depp is certainly far from the conventional leading man: the iconically quirky on-screen roles, the rock musician persona (he was a guitarist before becoming an actor), the unexpected neoexpressionist portraits in 2022 (these paintings of cultural heroes ranging from AI Pacino to Elizabeth Taylor sold out in a day), and of course the title of being Dior's long-standing poster boy for its wilderness-inspired flagship men's perfume Sauvage for nine years and counting.
spirited away
Collaborations with the art world have become a trusted way of injecting novelty into fashion.
Showtime
Shaggy, floor-sweeping, candy-coloured faux fur coats. A tuxedo suit with exaggerated proportions that's a nod to Marlene Dietrich. Bondage-inspired evening gowns. One would think that a collaboration fronted by a contemporary label would mean tempering down on the drama, but the Bimba Y Palomo collection, a tie-up between the fun-loving Bimba Y Lola and the red-carpet provocateur Palomo Spain, more than doubles down on it. Here, the latter's creative director Alejandro Gomez Palomo gives an exclusive interview on keeping the dream of dressing up alive.
Glam Rocks
Lying At The Heart Of Celine Beaute, The First Cosmetics Line From The House Of Celine, Is A Decidedly Romantic Notion: That Makeup Should Be A Luxurious Ritual.
mother!
FOR AN EDITION CENTRED AROUND NOSTALGIA, HOW COULD WE NOT HEAR FROM THE ONES WHO'VE SEEN THEIR RESPECTIVE INDUSTRIES CHANGE OVER TIME? SIX RENOWNED AND BELOVED CULTURAL AUTHORITIES IN FASHION, DESIGN AND CULTURE IN SINGAPORE SHARE WHAT THEY'VE LEARNT, WHAT THEY MISS AND WHAT WHAT KEEPS THEM GOING.
the art of reflection
DICTIONARY.COM DEFINES NOSTALGIA AS \"A WISTFUL DESIRE TO RETURN IN THOUGHT OR IN FACT TO A FORMER TIME IN ONE'S LIFE, TO ONE'S HOME OR HOMELAND, OR TO ONE'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS\". KENG YANG SHUEN ZEROES IN ON FIVE SINGAPORE ARTISTS INTERPRETING THIS OFTEN-INTANGIBLE QUALITY AS WELL AS THE NOTION OF TIME AND MEMORY ONLY TO EVOKE POIGNANCY, CURIOSITY AND EVEN PLENTY OF LAUGHS.
thank you for the memories
GEN Z IS OFTEN SAID TO BE A NOSTALGIA-INFATUATED BUNCH. THE SIX DIGITAL NATIVES FEATURED HERE LIVE UP TO THAT REPUTATION WITH THEIR COLLECTION OF CLOTHES, ACCESSORIES, TOYS, OBJECTS AND MORE THAT DATE BACK TO A TIME IN WHICH THEY WERE GROWING UP OR IN SOME CASES HAVE NEVER EVEN LIVED THROUGH. PAIGE BOON GETS THEM TO OPEN UP THEIR ARCHIVES AND ABOUT THEIR LOVE OF YESTERYEAR.
Super Natural
Who Better To Tell Us More About The N°1 De Chanel Revitalising Eye Serum - The Latest Addition To Chanel's N°1 De Chanel Skincare Collection That Promises To Give Peepers A Fresh, "Wide Awake" Look-than The Maison's Doe-eyed Ambassador And Face Of The Line, Minji Of Newjeans?
THE INITIATIVE: new bahru
EVEN BEFORE IT'S SET TO OPEN OFFICIALLY NEXT YEAR, NEW BAHRU HAS BECOME THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT AND VISITED NEW LIFESTYLE DESTINATION WE'VE HAD IN DECADES FOR ITS AMBITIOUS CONCEPT: A SOPHISTICATED CULTURAL PLAYGROUND TO DISCOVER AND SUPPORT MADE-IN-SINGAPORE CREATIVE BUSINESSES SPANNING F&B TO FASHION. HERE'S WHY ITS SUCCESS MEANS A WIN FOR ALL.
THE INITIATIVE: proud spaces
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY IN SINGAPORE HAS A PERMANENT, PHYSICAL SPACE WHERE ITS MEMBERS CAN HEAD TO ANYTIME OF THE YEAR TO SEEK BOTH ADVICE AND SOLACE, NETWORK, ATTEND ACTIVITIES THAT EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THEM, AND EVEN STAGE THEIR OWN.
THE INITIATIVE: lucky hall
FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS OR SO, THIS UNUSUAL SET-UP HAS BEEN GIVING YOUNG CREATIVES A LEG UP IN ORGANISING THEIR OWN EVENTS (INDUSTRY ADVICE, SERVICES AT CONCESSION RATES, ZERO RENT). SOON, THE CURTAINS WILL COME DOWN ON IT. HERE'S WHY IT REMAINS THE MAIN EVENT.
THE INITIATIVE: alt-gps
ZACHARY DESKER BELIEVES THAT SINGAPORE'S UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE SHOULD BE A TOURIST ATTRACTION. HE TELLS US WHY AND HOW HE'S MAKING THIS HAPPEN ON HIS OWN TIME AND DIME.
THE INITIATIVE: the fruit basket
DRAG AS AN ART FORM HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A CULTURAL RENAISSANCE IN SINGAPORE RECENTLY.
THE INITIATIVE:Shrub
THE CULT GEN Z-OWNED INDIE DESIGN STORE HAS EMBARKED ON A REBOOT IN THE HOPES OF BECOMING MORE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE. WHAT WON'T CHANGE: ITS SUPPORT OF LOCAL INDEPENDENT ARTISTS.
THE INITIATIVE: hear me up
ENTERING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ON YOUR OWN CAN BE INTIMIDATING, SAYS HOME-GROWN SINGER-SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER SHYE.