As the English poet John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island, Entire of itself”, and this also rings true for a clutch of highly respected, burgeoning beauty and wellness destinations in Singapore.
While the pursuit of beauty is often regarded as an individualistic endeavour, it’s an authentic desire to connect with their communities that has enabled businesses such as boundary-pushing hair salon 35A, brand new wellness retreat Hideaway: Massage & Bathhouse and female-founded Romi Beauty to build their devoted followings.
Conversing with the founders of these young brands, which were all launched from 2022 onwards, it’s evident that this means more than having a customer base. Rather, they’ve created their loyal beauty collectives by standing for their sub-cultures and who their communities are.
“[Our clients] desire more than a transaction,” says Junz Loke, co-founder and creative director of 35A. “They seek an experience that resonates with their lifestyle and values.”
Situated at opposite ends of the self-care arena they may be, but it’s this personal, heartfelt approach to their people that unites these distinct beauty collectives—ones to watch, indeed. Read on for more of Vogue Singapore’s conversations with the community-focused founders of 35A, Hideaway: Massage & Bathhouse and Romi Beauty.
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35A: More than a salon, a movement
Founded in 2022, 35A’s five-man team sets the tone for avant-garde hair styling looks from its Kampong Bahru headquarters. With a diverse and ever-growing group of approximately 6,000 loyal clients as regulars, Junz Loke, creative director and co-founder of 35A, attributes this to “positive word of mouth and our commitment to delivering exceptional service”. Its weekend markets showcasing all things cult, indie and eclectic cement this.
What is 35A best known for and how did it come about?
Loke: 35A is best known for its innovative and personalised approach to hair styling. We specialise in custom cuts and colours that reflect each client’s unique personality and tastes. Our team is dedicated to staying ahead of the latest trends, using top-quality products and techniques to deliver exceptional results. 35A was founded in 2022 by my partner Peter [Lee, also serving as creative director] and myself. We wanted to create a place where creativity and individuality in hair design could shine. We both have a decade of experience in the hair industry and saw a gap in the market for a salon that offered both cutting-edge styles and a uniquely tailored, luxurious hairdressing experience.
Your brand has built a cult following that transcends ‘transactional’ relationships. What is the ethos that keeps drawing clients back?
Loke: It’s all about creating a lifestyle, not just offering haircuts and colours. A visit to our salon is more than a routine appointment. Each client steps into a space where their individuality is celebrated, and every visit is transformed into a moment of self-care and inspiration which blends high-end hair styling with a sense of personal connection.
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Tell us about the 35A community and what brings it together.
Loke: Our community is made up of individuals who see style as an extension of their personality, a way to express who they are and how they move through the world. They range from students to professionals, creatives to trendsetters, who appreciate the finer details in life and are brought together by their shared passion for self-expression and authenticity. Our salon is where they can connect with like-minded individuals, share ideas and feel inspired. It’s a vibrant, supportive network that influences trends and uplifts everybody involved. Our community is the heartbeat of 35A, driving us to continuously innovate and push the boundaries of what a hair salon can be.
How do you keep this community flourishing?
Loke: Through consistent engagement and by creating shared experiences that resonate with our values. We host regular events where clients and team members can come together to celebrate their passions for creativity and style. Ultimately, we foster a sense of belonging by creating an inclusive, welcoming environment where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.
What does kinship look and feel like for your brand?
Loke: Kinship within our brand is all about fostering deep, genuine connections built on mutual respect and trust. It looks like clients who’ve been with us from the beginning, celebrating each other’s milestones and treating our salon as a second home. It’s expressed in the little things, like the way our team greets clients by name and takes the time to understand and remember each of their distinct preferences. And it feels like walking into a space where you’re not just another appointment, but a valued member of a close-knit community.
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Hideaway: New Bahru’s hottest wellness destination
Wellness has always been a part of entrepreneur Grant Wee’s life, but it took a personal health setback to instigate the founding of The Trapeze Group and fitness- and recovery-focused Trapeze Rec. Club (TRC) in 2021. This year, it adds to its chic portfolio of wellness brands with Hideaway: Massage & Bathhouse.
What led to the launch of Hideaway?
Wee: Building on The Trapeze Group’s mission to see a world in which people are truly well, Hideaway extends as a new concept focusing on healing and recovery, providing massage treatments and a bathhouse featuring semi-private and private infrared saunas as well as cold plunges. It is nestled in Singapore’s latest creative hub, New Bahru.
Unpack The Trapeze Group’s DNA for us. What’s the distinct edge behind what you do?
Wee: The heart of our brand is about helping our members to achieve a playful balance across interconnected dimensions of wellness, beyond the physical. With Hideaway, we’re keeping close to our creative-forward roots so our guests can integrate restorative massages and bathhouse recovery in a beautifully and intentionally designed space.
Tell us more about the loyal collective that The Trapeze Group has created around itself.
Wee: Having celebrated TRC’s third birthday this August, it’s been a particularly reflective time for us. We’re thankful for the tight-knit and supportive community we’ve grown together. We take our wellness journeys seriously, yet we don’t always take ourselves too seriously. It helps to create a less intimidating and more open environment, welcoming people from diverse walks of life whom we can stay dedicated and committed with while also having fun together.
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So how do you keep your community alive as well as connected?
Wee: At TRC, we offer small classes to foster connections. Social wellness is a great enabler. Past events have included Trapeze Ruck Club, where members ventured on a 10km guided hike together, and our Cold Plunge Brunch. Conceptually, Hideaway is focused on the connection within, but we will also explore programmes that are social in nature. We’re excited to be part of the creative cluster in New Bahru and are looking forward to collaborating with our neighbours.
What does kinship look and feel like for your brand?
Wee: We’ve been focused on how else we can be better for our community. It doesn’t scare us to admit that we might not always get it right from the start. It’s important for us to seek and listen to continuous feedback so we can create a space where everyone feels invested to grow our community together; one that is right for us. Kinship looks and feels more human to us beyond being a brand. We thrive better when we’re not alone.
As a founder, what have you discovered about the community you’ve built in the process? What has been your proudest moment?
Wee: I’ve always been inspired by the many homegrown brands that Singapore has to offer. In building our community, I get to appreciate this even more while discovering many local talents who continue to add to the space. It’s why partnerships and collaborations mean a lot, not only in achieving shared goals together but also sparking new ideas and inspirations for living a well-balanced and fulfilling life. At the end of the day, I’m most proud of my team, who have been and always will be the crowning achievement of my entrepreneurial journey. To have been able to find such a diverse group of people who are passionate about wellness and hospitality, nothing can compare.
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Romi Beauty: Where self-love and skin shine through
Romi Beauty founders Arissa Cheo, Lin Ting and Yoyo Cao may be synonymous with high-octane glamour thanks to their lauded careers in fashion and the public eye, but it is principles of simplicity and ease that distinguish their multitasking make-up and skincare line. Its loyal base of customers, or Romies, have grown rapidly since its 2022 launch, with values of self-love and functionality remaining at the brand’s core.
Where did the creation of Romi Beauty stem from?
Cheo: Our foray into the beauty industry began with our personal needs. I have sensitive skin while Yoyo, a serial jetsetter, faces extreme weather changes. Conversely, Lin Ting is a busy mother of two. We were looking for fuss-free products that would work as well as cater to our skin types and hectic schedules.
Tell us about Romi’s philosophy.
Cheo: Romi’s philosophy is to create multitasking skincare and make-up hybrids for diverse lifestyles, inspired by real people, real skin and real routines. We take an uncompromising approach to product development, focusing on high-performing ingredients, functional design and optimal efficacy. Our ‘quality over quantity’ mindset is reflected in our carefully curated, limited range of products.
What does your community value?
Lin: Our diverse community values authenticity, self-care and an unwavering commitment to quality. Our products reflect this and that’s why we believe we’ve built their trust.
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Are there any standout heartfelt experiences that showcase the bonds in the collective you’ve built?
Lin: We are committed to promoting self-confidence and empowering self-love. Our products include skin-loving, active ingredients so you can be kind to your skin while enhancing a natural-looking glow or flush to your complexion. So it is rewarding to read reviews and testimonials from our community, especially those saying our products have impacted their lives positively and boosted their confidence.
How do you further strong connections with your community?
Cao: We organise social media activities like Self-Care Week, inviting our community to share their experiences. Our new Super Romies programme strengthens this connection by offering exclusive perks and experiences to our members. We also conduct focus groups with selected customers, gaining insights that help us to shape and develop new products.
What does kinship look and feel like for your brand?
Cao: As we create solutions through our products, we realise that many women seek the same values in beauty products that we do. The positive feedback and compliments we receive let us know that we’re on the right path and inspire us to keep improving.
What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your journey as brand founders?
Cheo: From conceptualising and visualising the brand to seeing each product come to fruition, it has all been satisfying for us. Every milestone, such as recently stocking our products within physical stores in Hong Kong and Japan, has made us proud. We’ve built a strong following since our launch in 2022 and, notably, we have a high rate of customers who choose Romi for their beauty needs repeatedly. This accomplishment makes us proud as it reflects both our commitment to quality and the trust our customers place in us. Romi means ‘dew of the sea’. And like the boundless seas, we believe there is no end to what you can do. We’ve found this to be true not only for ourselves, but also for our Romi community.
Beauty director: Alli Sim
Associate beauty editor: Emily Heng
Additional reporting: Dominique Yohanes
Photographer: Aaditya Sundar
Hair and make-up: Rolana Lim
Beauty assistant: Nathalia Kelana
Special thanks to: Roy Tan/35A; Peter Lee/35A; Junz Loke/35A; Grant Wee/Hideaway; Kenneth Seow/Hideaway; Myra Ng/Hideaway; Arissa Cheo/Romi; Ting Lin/Romi; Yoyo Cao/Romi
