Since its launch, Vogue Singapore has aimed to push the boundaries of fashion with innovation, while championing regional talent through representation. Propelled by meaningful storytelling, we have always been intent on driving change for good—across industries and borders.
2023 marked a year of firsts for the publication. A series of disruptive covers—from AI-generated cover stars to a heat-reactive cover that transforms according to temperature—were paired with exciting stories platforming key Asian voices making waves around the world. In line with our mission, we continued to identify the best talent in our city and region, catapulting Southeast Asia to a global stage.
But that’s not all. This year, we brought our community together in grand fashion at the landmark event Next in Vogue, held in conjunction with Vogue Singapore’s third anniversary. Spread across three days, the event was a celebration of fashion, innovation and culture—melding informative panels, exclusive fashion showcases, beauty masterclasses and an extravagant gala for an experience unlike another.
As 2023 comes to a close, we look back on the year through 15 stories and covers, published across nine issues. While these are by no means the only important stories to read from the year, they have each made an impact worth celebrating, with a combination of striking visuals, cutting-edge innovation and meaningful spirit.
Call this a highlight reel of sorts—and use it as a jumping-off point to dive into the work we have poured our hearts into this year. Until we see you in 2024, happy reading.
1 / 15
Suzi de Givenchy on the cover of the January 'Renewal' issue
“Life is a constant renewal.” We kicked off the year with the wise words of our ‘Renewal’ issue cover star, Hong Kong-born Parisian model Suzi de Givenchy. Photographed by Andrea Urbez, this edition marked a significant milestone as de Givenchy became our first mature print cover star. In this story, we narrow in on age representation in the fashion industry, highlighting the beauty of pursuing your passion, even if it takes the form of a second act.
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AI-generated models on the cover of the March 'Roots' issue
For our March ‘Roots‘ issue, we tapped on artificial intelligence to create three cover stars, in collaboration with Mumbai-based artist and creative director Varun Gupta. Using imaging tools like MidJourney and Dall-E, our covers were envisioned in an ever-morphing Southeast Asian landscape—one that merges fashion’s seasonal offerings, sacred emblems of tradition and the emerging innovations of the future in our very own altiverse.
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3 / 15
NIKI on the cover of the April 'Pop' issue
Who better to front our exuberant April ‘Pop’ issue than Indonesian songstress NIKI? Encapsulating the tenderness and vitality of youth, love and coming-of-age in her songs, Nicole Zefanya reigns as one of the leading voices in our region. With this cover, Vogue Singapore celebrates her for broadening the representation of Southeast Asian talent on the global stage.
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Shin Hyun-ji on the heat-reactive cover of the September 'Feel the Heat' issue
Our kaleidoscopic September fashion issue brought with it another Vogue Singapore-first: a limited-edition heat-reactive cover that responds to heat—33 degrees, to be exact. Born as an ode to the woman of the season—a muse celebrating her sexuality, strength and most importantly, inner fire—this cover fuses innovation and fashion to sizzling effect. The result? A scorching hot Hyun-ji decked in Gucci’s most trailblazing pieces of the season.
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Rizal Rama and Vanizha Vasantha Nathan on the cover of the October 'Voices' issue
Themed ‘Voices’, our October issue celebrated Southeast excellence, led by a constellation of diverse voices in the region—from fashion designers to poets. On the cover, you see Indonesian model Rizal Rama and Malaysian model Vanizha Vasantha Nathan styled with a gender-neutral approach in the season’s most striking offerings. Inside the book, Singaporean creative director Yah-Leng Yu takes on the task of giving Vogue Singapore a design refresh, putting her own distinctive spin on our pages. Last, but certainly not least, an immersive soundscape is embedded right into the cover itself through an NFC-enabled Continuity™ Chip—bringing together the voices of preeminent Singaporean poet Alfian Sa’at and local award-winning artist Jeremy Sharma.
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'Medicine Women' in the March 'Roots' issue
Age-old practices passed down from our ancestors are traced in a sensorial shoot that draws from the ancient roots of our local Southeast Asian healers. Diving deep into the Malay healing art of bengkung, jamu, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, we honour the heritage and wise traditions that have endured the test of time.
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'Origin Story' in the March 'Roots' issue
Food has long been Singapore’s greatest art form. In the ‘Roots’ issue, Vogue Singapore puts the spotlight on three of the city’s brightest Asian chefs, each of whom are reinterpreting the ingredients, techniques and dishes that tie them closest to their heritage. As Zor Tan of Born, MJ Teoh of Native and Kevin Wong of Seroja open up about their culinary journeys, we put their favourite dishes on display with a conceptual shoot.
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'New Voice' in the May/June 'Guardians' issue
10 months into being diagnosed with oral cancer and having a portion of her tongue removed, Singaporean actress Janice Koh opens up about the journey to recovery. In this powerful Vogue Viewpoint, a singular local talent shares—in her own words—her tumultuous experience with cancer, the trauma of losing her superpower, and the gift of beginning a new chapter.
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'Phantasmagoria' in the September 'Feel the Heat' issue
This shoot spotlights Chanel’s spring/summer haute couture collection—undoubtedly a key fashion moment of the year. Lensed in Singapore by photographer Zantz Han and modelled by Rui and Sua, it keeps with the carnivalesque spirit of the collection, leaning into the spectacle of the circus with the Chanel woman as sophisticate and ringmaster.
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'Technicolour Vision' in the September 'Feel the Heat' issue
While supporting local and emerging designers is an intrinsic part of every issue, our March and September books are an opportune time to elevate this further. Inspired by the individuality of turn-of-the-millennium Japanese fashion, this shoot and feature spotlight the collections of noteworthy designers from Singapore’s top fashion institutions. It serves as a reiteration of our dedication to championing talent at all stages of their journey.
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'What I’ve learnt from dressing a bigger body' in the September 'Feel The Heat' issue
This story chronicles a decade-long journey with clothes and body image as one Vogue editor navigates her sartorial identity as a plus-sized woman. Touching on aesthetic intuition and self-forgiveness, this article serves as a letter to the reader embarking on a journey of self-discovery and aims to inspire others to explore their values related to identity.
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Alia Bhatt on the digital cover of the October 'Voices' issue
In October, Alia Bhatt was revealed as Vogue Singapore’s inaugural Bollywood cover star. Captured in Mumbai by Ashish Shah and styled exclusively in Gucci by Nikhil Mansata, the digital cover shoot draws inspiration from Bollywood starlets of the past. Bhatt delves into topics such as South Asian representation, breaking barriers in the fashion industry and collaborations with renowned directors like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Karan Johar.
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'Coming of Age' in the October 'Voices' issue
This empowering beauty shoot proffers a deeper acceptance of one’s changing body and embracing being in your own skin, revealing a new outlook on the hallmarks of ageing—fine lines, wrinkles and pesky greys—while drawing from two individuals in their 40s who share their own experiences against the clock.
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'Dreamscape' in the October 'Voices' issue
Since its conception, Vogue Singapore has made it our mission to nurture and spotlight local talent. For that reason, the Vogue Singapore Talent Prize was created—to scour our city for young, inspiring creators in the fashion space and give them resources and a platform to expand on their endeavours. For the second iteration of the Vogue Singapore Talent Prize this year, winner Danial Mirza presented an image series titled ‘The Land of Otherworldly Pleasures’, which eaned him a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Farfetch, along with a Vogue Singapore internship and complimentary one-year U30 membership at Mandala Club.
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'North Star' in the November 'Play' issue
In an exclusive interview with Vogue Singapore, Shou Zi Chew, the Singaporean CEO of TikTok, talks about his unintended rise to virality, the newest member in his family, and what it takes to lead the behemoth digital platform shaping global culture. This profile marks the start of a new series, Vogue Voices, which will spotlight prominent personalities making change around the world.
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