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.
Adopting a made‑to‑order production cycle, Barehands remains environmentally responsible by curbing overproduction and utilising off‑cut fabrics for limited‑edition collections. A harmonious blend of minimalism and colour inspires the design process and some of its bestsellers include the Leona Long Pants and the reversible Portland panel top. The versatility of the fabrics and silhouettes of these pieces are well‑loved by customers for their comfort as well as their ability to flatter all body types. Here, Lye and Go speak to Vogue Singapore about sustainable communities and the transformative power of fashion.
What was the inspiration behind Barehands?
The three of us were involved in a sustainable coffee project in Myanmar. Through this experience, we witnessed how businesses could transform lives by providing people with livelihood and dignity. Despite encountering many talented craft artisans, they often lacked essential resources, platforms, or markets to generate income. The primary mission behind Barehands is to spotlight artisans from all over the world.
Sustainable communities are often an overlooked aspect of the fashion and design industries. Can you tell us more about this and what it means for Barehands?
The one thing that comes to mind is the word ‘equitable’. Sustainable communities are built on equality in partnerships because at the end of the day, when a product is being created, many different hands and voices go into it. I think a lot of times in the fashion industry, only certain people get the spotlight and the rest get overlooked, financially as well. We are intentional in making sure that every hand that goes into making each piece gets support and that their voices are also heard.
What is your brand mission?
It is to build strong and sustainable communities or at least play a part in doing so. A lot of the time we work with like‑minded partners to build sustainable livelihoods for various communities. We also want to deliver and provide excellent products to our customers while making sure that they know where each item is coming from and that the money that they put into it is going to people who matter.
Tell us more about how you choose which artisans to work with.
What we look for is really good artistry. The second would be commitment. We aim to invest long‑term with each other.
“Sustainable communities are built on equality in partnerships because at the end of the day, when a product is being created, many different hands and voices go into it.”
What are some steps you take to practise sustainability in the design process?
Our artisans always tell us when they have off‑cut fabrics. From that, we visualise what they can create. This may result in accessories or a limited‑edition upcycled piece. Many of the artisans we work with operate on a small scale, so we invest in this to grow alongside them even as the business grows.
How would you describe your aesthetic?
In terms of product development, we always try to make sure we hit these three elements of having good design, good quality income. The primary mission behind Barehands is to spotlight artisans from all over the world.
How does Barehands hope to make an impact in the local fashion scene?
We are still quite small, but with the little that we do, we hope that people can be inspired to explore sustainability as well as a holistic mentality around intentionality.
How can people start being more conscious about their fashion purchases?
We try to train our staff in‑store to have conversations with customers so that it’s a unique shopping experience. And so customers will be curious about why each product is the way it is. You just have to have that curiosity and do what you can to find out about what you’re purchasing.
Stylist Jasmine Ashvinkumar
Hair and make-up Lydia Thong using Keune Haircosmetics and Gucci Beauty
Order your copy of the March ‘Dualism’ issue of Vogue Singapore online or pick it up on newsstands.
