There is no one way people dress here on our sunny island, with much of what we wear inevitably shaped by the realities of tropical weather, while the rest comes from a mix of references we pick up from everywhere else. Some of that naturally comes from around Southeast Asia, but our fashion references have long stretched further afield too. One of the more visible has been South Korea, particularly with the rise of Hallyu, as K-pop turned idol wardrobes and street style into reference points for a generation of fashion aficinados. Seoul isn’t exactly hot all year, but its summers are humid enough for some of the same lightweight layers and breathable fabrics to make sense there too. So there is something quite apt about 18 local brands heading in the other direction this weekend, when Singapore: Selects takes over Zzon in Seongsu from 4 to 7 September.
Created by Singapore Fashion Council, curated by DORS at Design Orchard and supported by Enterprise Singapore, the debut puts local fashion and lifestyle brands in one of Seoul’s buzziest fashion and creative neighbourhoods. The timing also lands them in the city during an especially packed few days, with Seoul Fashion Week spring/summer 2027 and Frieze Seoul happening across the city, giving the showcase a fitting backdrop for its first outing outside Singapore.
The range of brands also show just how varied the local fashion and design scene is, spanning utility wear, pared-back staples, more feminine womenswear, accessories and homeware. Dirty Manners brings technical utility wear, while Graye, Layerplan, Rymh Studios, Sabrinagoh, Atlas Kind and Sensibilities sit across more pared-back wardrobe territory.
Modparade, Our Second Nature, Arcade, Silk Stories and Young Hungry Free take the womenswear in more feminine and trend-led directions, with Our Second Nature’s signature prints and Young Hungry Free’s staples showing just how far apart that can stretch. There is also a good selection of accessory brands, with Commune Wear’s handcrafted leather shoes, Sunnysde’s jewellery and Wūhaūs’s and Pebl’s bags. Meanwhile, Plook Plook and Stillgoods take the selection into homeware and design objects.
And alongside what is on the racks, local artist Jont has worked with creative agency Spaces to Think on the visual world of this debut edition, while the accompanying multi-label campaign was produced with creatives across styling, photography and production. Future editions are expected to head to other cities with different local artists involved each time, but this time round, Seongsu gives the project a buzzworthy stepping stone, with a very mixed slice of Singapore fashion and design.
For more information, visit Singapore: Selects.
