When people say first impressions count, some might argue that they tend to count harder here in Singapore. In a conservative sartorial landscape, what someone wears can read like a social cue, especially when style runs up against all the things people are expected to manage: looking acceptable, dressing for the room, staying ‘flattering’, softening what feels too different. The pressure usually goes unsaid. Still, it has a way of making itself known. It surfaces in the natural instinct to fit in, and in the way anything too expressive can be treated like it is asking for attention.
For Qilah Rose, Gladys Ng, Khairul Ameer and Von, clothing becomes a way to push back against that. Their references come from film, the internet, tattoos, thrift culture and the slow work of expressing themselves as authentically as possible. Each of them dresses with their own kind of audacity: a refusal to let the usual rules decide what fits.
Qilah Rose
Actor and content creator
I’m Qilah, better known as Qilah Rose, an actor and content creator. Before people knew me for my humour-led videos, fashion had already been part of my life, and acting has opened up another side of that instinct to play with character. After making my recent theatre debut, I’m currently auditioning, sending out showreels and creating more acting videos online. I’m also writing a screenplay, with the hope of writing and acting in my own short film.
The muse
My relationship with fashion started before I even knew what fashion meant. I grew up with a very fashionable mother who lived in high heels and always carried her iconic Louis Vuitton Speedy bag. I remember playing dress-up with her clothes whenever she left for work, and I broke too many heels and make-up palettes along the way. Pop culture and movies inspired me early on, and my style still shifts with the characters and worlds I am drawn to. I started experimenting with fashion when I was 14, trying to dress like all my fashion inspirations, and at 16, I even had a YouTube channel where I did thrift hauls and styling videos because I so badly wanted to be a fashion YouTuber.
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The style code
I would describe my style as vintage, mismatched and eclectic, though a lot of the pushback I had to do was with myself. I used to be very critical about how my body looked in certain pieces, and growing up with the word ‘flattering’ around me was a major struggle. There were so many clothes I loved but gave away because I thought they were not flattering on me. It took a lot of rewiring to remember that fashion does not always have to be flattering. I’m not dressing up for anyone but myself. Dressing up helps me romanticise my life too. When I put on a funky outfit, I feel like I’m Parker Posey in Party Girl. A plaid beret look I wore recently made so much sense to me because it did not feel like my prettiest outfit, but it felt authentic and I was proud that I felt confident enough to step outside in it.
The dream
I hope we see more diversity in fashion spaces here. As a brown girl, it can feel disheartening when there are not more brown creatives being uplifted in the Singapore fashion world, especially when there are so many of us. Seeing that shift would be such a positive change. I also want to see more size inclusivity. Fashion is not one size fits all and I would love to see more body types being represented.
Gladys Ng
Fashion and beauty content creator
Hi, I’m Gladys, a fashion and beauty content creator. Right now, I’m focused on building my career in the fashion industry as a stylist. I have also picked up DJ-ing as a hobby, coming from my love of raves and the music scene. I released a short mix this year and it has been fun exploring that side of myself creatively.
The muse
My love for fashion started in my teenage years, when Tumblr and Instagram were at their peak. I was inspired by the different aesthetics and communities online, and I loved how fashion could be used to express oneself. I used to spend hours dressing up, experimenting with make-up and taking photos on the Photo Booth app on my MacBook. The grunge era of 2014 to 2016 left the biggest impression on me and played a huge part in shaping my style today.
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The style code
My style has changed a lot over the years, and a lot of it was trial and error that helped me figure out what I like. I would describe it now as dark, subversive and sensual. I did go through a phase where I dressed softer and leaned into the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, but it never felt like me. I remember looking in the mirror and feeling disconnected from the person I was seeing. Once I stopped forcing myself into what was trendy and started dressing in a way that felt natural, fashion became fun again. Dressing in an alt-leaning way gives me an alter ego and armour, and my tattoos are part of my styling language too. They are already a part of me, so they naturally become part of the overall look. In December last year, I styled myself in a full black gothic, ethereal look in front of Cologne Cathedral, and something about that moment clicked. I remember feeling powerful, especially with the silhouette and layering.
The dream
When I was younger, I did think about toning myself down so I would not stand out as much or get judged so quickly. Over time, I realised I would rather be myself than fit into something I am not. For Singapore’s style landscape, I would love to see more room for individuality. It would be nice to see more people dressing in ways that feel experimental, expressive or unconventional without feeling like they are standing out in the wrong way.
Khairul Ameer
Model and content creator
Hello, I’m Khairul Ameer, a social media marketing specialist. I occasionally dabble in the Singapore film industry as a writer and art director, as well as the fashion industry as an independent commercial and runway model. Having walked during KLFW (Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week) and worked across modelling, content creation and film, I’ve come to understand clothes through different bodies, settings and creative spaces.
The muse
My first relationship with fashion started in secondary school, when I focused on fashion design for my art ‘O’ levels. The research for my final work exposed me to a deeper understanding of fashion globally and locally. Entering polytechnic gave me room to experiment and those uniform-less years were when I discovered what I liked or did not like on my body. Younger me was less experimental and more practical. I mostly wore jeans and any long-sleeved shirt I could grab before leaving the house, but as I have gotten older, strangers’ voices have become smaller because I figured no one is thinking about me that much.
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The style code
I would describe my style as versatile, graceful and free. It opened up when I began modelling for friends who were studying fashion, where the recurring theme was challenging gender norms. That was the beginning of me feeling comfortable in skirts, dresses and flowy fabrics. Oddly enough, long flowy fabrics somehow get read as a lack of masculine traits, but I embraced it. Maybe a part of me also likes to push people’s buttons, half in jest. There is something funny about how subtle skin-revealing, feminine-energy-embracing choices can unsettle people because the discomfort says more about them than it does about me. For me, expressive dressing makes my internal dialogue tangible and fashion is an external mask I get to control. Recently, a friend thrifted a $15 floral dress for me. I cut the black mesh layer into a tank, tucked it into jeans and wore it with a friend’s cap to a Diesel event. It brought together a few things I stand for: sustainable fashion, being seen and uplifting friendships.
The dream
Living in Singapore, where multiculturalism is always present, I have grown into a fashion chameleon. There are moments when I have to understand the space I am entering before planning an outfit and the question becomes: how do I dress respectfully while keeping my self-expression intact? I hope there is more room for curiosity and more encouragement in being different. I understand that Singapore is hot and humid, and comfortable basics are often the preferred outlet. On the flipside, comfort can also be fun and whimsical. I hope people will play with colour and find joy in thrifting unique pieces instead of choosing only what is convenient.
Von
Model and content creator
I’m Von, a model, content creator, artist and psychology student based in Singapore. I’m interested in continuing to explore the relationship between creativity, identity and self-expression, whether through modelling, content creation, fashion, visual storytelling or future projects. I want to keep creating work that encourages curiosity, challenges expectations and reminds people that there are many ways to exist in the world.
The muse
Growing up, I was very shy and was bullied quite a bit for the way I looked and presented myself. While other girls were wearing dresses, I was usually stealing my brother’s clothes or throwing on my father’s oversized button-up shirts. Before I started modelling, fashion was something I explored privately. I would style friends based on their personalities and experiment with different looks whenever I could. I come from a STEM background and was not able to pursue formal arts education, so fashion became the one place where I could openly express myself. Just as musicians have music and writers have words, fashion became that medium for me.
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The style code
My style has gone through a lot of phases. At 16, I dressed almost entirely goth. At 18, I was heavily into streetwear. By 21, I started mixing formalwear with streetwear and experimenting with tailoring. The biggest difference now is that I am no longer afraid of colour. For years, my wardrobe was almost entirely black because it felt safe, but I have become more comfortable experimenting and trusting my instincts. My style often leans towards androgyny, but for me, it’s about possibility. I love tailoring with lace, structured silhouettes with softer details and pieces that traditionally do not belong together. It was not one outfit that made me feel like myself, but the gradual realisation that I kept returning to tailoring, layers, draping, statement jewellery and pieces that created contrast. At some point, I realised I had built a visual language that felt natural to me. As both a model and content creator, I have also become aware of how much people project onto appearances, and how easily confidence and clear boundaries can be mistaken for distance.
The dream
Singapore’s style culture often leans towards dressing that feels neat and easy to place. I have always felt slightly out of place and for a long time I tried very hard not to. I would buy clothes other people wore because I thought it would help me fit in, until it became exhausting. One day I walked into a shop, bought the clothes I genuinely liked, changed into them immediately and walked out feeling happier than I had in a long time. People looked at me, but I realised I did not mind. I would rather be remembered for being myself than spend my life trying to blend in. I would love to see more room for individuality in Singapore, with more people feeling comfortable expressing themselves without needing permission.
Get your copy of the July/August ‘Audacity’ issue of Vogue Singapore online.
