What started as a coffee project in Myanmar has since turned into a sartorial escapade for sustainable Singaporean fashion brand, Barehands. Friends: turned co-founders Germaine Lye, Chanel Go and Mitchell Hong shelved plans for conventional careers and banded together over a common passion for producing products with a positive impact on society.
After dabbling in the traditional manufacturing of bags and shoes, the trio stumbled upon a refugee tailor community in Malaysia at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There, they met a master tailor who impressed them with his skills and decided to collaborate with him on a sample collection. It was then that the trio recognised the potential of starting a business that could transform the lives of artisans by connecting them with a network of opportunities and resources.
Motivated by the importance of shedding light on the faces and stories of the people working behind the scenes, Barehands was born in 2019. The brand has since expanded its reach to 10 different communities consisting of 144 partner artisans in Colombia, Venezuela, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Led by the Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise Singapore, Barehands is one of the Made With Passion brands, an initiative which celebrates and encourages local brands to follow, grow and live their passions.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Vogue Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Vogue Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Safe Space
For queer people in Singapore, community is hard-earned. Jesslyn Lye takes a tender look at how far we have come in terms of the spaces we have built and where we can go from here.
Gone Glow
To most, the crux of self-improvement lies in a drastic makeover montage, but is the desire to better oneself as innocuous as it appears? Vogue Singapore examines the growing phenomenon that is the glow down; a movement trumpeting the purposeful diminishing of conventional attractiveness.
Fashion's AIEVOLUTION
Vogue Singapore speaks to the founders of Maison Meta, the pioneering generative AI agency, about how this technology is pushing creative boundaries and what's next for fashion in the digital age.
A Tapestry Of Evolving Threads
From the utilitarian origins of tank tops to the eclectic styles of today, Singapore’s fashion scene has undergone a remarkable shift. At the heart of this evolution lies a thriving fashion community, where designers, artisans and creatives collaborate to blend local influences with contemporary styles.
VITAL VEGETATION
Green in every sense of the word. Follow Vogue Singapore's associate beauty editor to Bangkok to discover Aesop's Virere, a beguiling scent brimming with verve and vivacity.
ATASTE of HOME
Three of Singapore's newest modern Asian restaurants Hayop, Club Rangoon and Odem reveal what it means to explore heritage and connect a community through food.
Promised LAND
On a week-long immersion in Bhutan, the world's first carbon-negative country, a lifelong city-dweller catches a glimpse of a more enlightened way of life.
HEART EVANGELISTA
Donning some of the season's most glamorous looks and lensed by photographer Ilyes Griyeb, the multi-hyphenate, fashion darling and philanthropist speaks to Vogue Singapore about community, presence and what it truly means to have heart.
THE COMMUNITY LIBRARY
In an ambitious social experiment, a dreamlike new literary space is taking root in a heartland Singaporean neighbourhood.
Sporting GLORY
Patrice Leguéreau, the director of Chanel’ jewellery creation studio, lets Vogue Singapore in on the story behind the house’s athletic Haute Joaillerie Sport collection.
