Eclectic, would be the first verb that surfaces to mind upon entering the former Nan Chiau High School. A space that is interwoven with meaning for The Lo & Behold Group.
The group founder’s wife, artist, Dawn Ng once had an art studio within the complex, which is now fashioned as a lively lifestyle precinct. Through a careful curation of tasteful tenants, all whilst grappling with the brutalist concrete walls of a public school in Singapore; the group’s creative consultants, Nice Projects, have conceptualized a whimsical, adult playground where modernity meets old school charm, at New Bahru.
Launched progressively since the end of last year, events such as “GREEN-HOUSE 2024” that took place over the weekend, lends testament to a renewed sense of purpose, that represents the group’s largest lifestyle project to date. The lofty 20,156 sqm mixed-used development in River Valley, built in partnership with Sunray Group Holdings, focuses on cultural preservation and environmental stewardship.
Thoughtful planning and cross-cultural references, has brought in a bevvy of homegrown retail, wellness, entertainment, education, arts, culture and lifestyle tenants to New Bahru. CS Fresh, that appeals to residents around the River Valley residential cluster, would first take care of their daily necessities, following which ideally be revitalized by the creative energy, to leave with something out of the norm from what they are unable to get from the surrounding Robertson Quay enclave that is littered with book clubs, coffee joints and Japanese izakayas.
Perhaps walk away with one of Singapore’s most succulent, non-commercial burgers from One Fattened Calf, from their second outlet at New Bahru. The wildly popular burger joint’s flagship outlet is situated at Buona Vista and draws throngs of working professionals during lunch time. Then, swing by the swanky Odem, a dimly lit makgeolli inspired joint, by the same team behind Ajumaa’s that has upped the classy appeal of the space, with gracefully charred walls that bears resemblance to Mark Rothko’s colour field paintings and additionally, brought together a refined selection of Korean bibimbaps. What particularly tantalized our tastebuds was the decadent Abalone Boribap, with crunchy mountain fernbrakes and sauces worked in with decadent Makkoli abalone jus.
If you are into something more laidback; the authentically fresh Mexican tacos from Huevos are certainly not to be missed.
Second and third floors represent the retail zones, whereby homegrown talents, such as the Chinoiserie inspired Lisa Von Tang is still undergoing renovation works, Crafune ready for customizable small leather gifts and Soilboy open for your next zen-inspired garden addition.
Known for its avant-garde fashion design and commitment to sustainability, one of the standouts includes, GINLEE Studio, that values “Slow Fashion”, resonant to what Popspoken practices for slow journalism and synergistic to the broader creative vision of New Bahru. Co-founded by Gin and Tamir Niv, in 2011, it is a contemporary fashion label known for its deep commitment to user functionality and unique design. The brand’s name reflects its founders’ dedication to creating apparel that emphasizes quality over quantity, by utilizing eco-friendly material, to create versatile, functional pieces.
We speak to the makers’ to find out more about what goes into their _/\/\/\ake O collection, where customers get to experience first-hand the off-cuts and upcycling techniques .They also are given the opportunity to unleash their creativity to transform unwanted fabrics into a personalized item, while cultivating an appreciation of design for circularity.
Popspoken: The concept of versatile clothing is central to GINLEE Studio’s philosophy. How do you design pieces that are both stylish and functional for various occasions?
GINLEE: Tamir and I are both designers who are very much connected to the user and functionality. In terms of clothes, our wearer is always in the centre — we think of her daily schedule, her body, her feelings, her movements and even her season in life when she wears that dress. We try our best to make things that are worth being made, that are unique. We also love to juxtapose cultural references in both fashion and product design.
With these in mind, we will engage in extensive research and exploration – sketching, modeling and iterating in our studio – before designs are sent for production.
Popspoken: In what ways does GINLEE Studio contribute to ethical and fair labor practices within the fashion industry?
GINLEE: We don’t mass produce, we work with skilled workshops and focused on achieving the lowest price to make quality, long lasting, uniquely designed garments. With _/\/\/\ake we produce and source most of the components locally.
In a bid for the brand to manage supply and demand, we have introduced the Get Order On Demand (G.O.O.D) initiative where the public can order their pieces to be fulfilled in 3 to 5 weeks. Shoppers who opt for this will get a 15% off their order, as a reward to helping the brand to be more sustainable.
Popspoken: What challenges have you faced in promoting slow fashion and sustainability in a market that often values fast fashion trends?
GINLEE: Being one of the first few studios to promote circularity in Singapore, it is critical to rethink our approach towards apparels to extend the lifespan and preserve the value of our resources, which is especially important in a time of overconsumption.
Today’s consumers tend to pursue fast fashion and impulse buy while fashion brands tend to have inaccurate projections of the fast-changing demand, which means more unsold goods and waste will be generated. This results in a greater urgency to shift from a linear to a circular economy, and build a more sustainable culture where we are mindful of our consumption.
At GINLEE Studio, we are committed to Making Fashion That Matters, and we prioritise thoughtful design processes that slow down the pace of fashion apparels so we can keep materials off the landfills for as long as possible. Our pieces are also designed to be mainstays in one’s wardrobe and are sustainably produced to avoid overproduction and waste.
Popspoken: How do you see the role of sustainable fashion evolving in the coming years, and how does GINLEE Studio plan to stay at the forefront of this movement?
GINLEE: We do not believe that fashion can go any faster or cheaper. In fact, we need to think very carefully, how we design, produce and retail and how we think about the future of the industry in general.
We will continue to work on our sustainability initiatives especially for _/\/\/\ake O, where we will be innovating even more ways to extend lifespan of materials, to keep things off the landfill as much as possible.
Our current focus remains to be identifying gaps of the circularity, and leveraging design processes to stop the leaks of raw materials. Hence, we will continue to expand the offerings of _/\/\/\ake O.
Popspoken: Could you highlight some of the most popular or iconic pieces from GINLEE Studio’s collections and the stories behind their designs?
GINLEE: Most people know us for our pleats, namely the Ivy™ Dress which features our signature Ivy™ pleat.
With nature at the heart of most of our inspirations, we came across X-ray photographs of flora by artist Steven N Meyers which we then deciphered and artistically reinterpreted. The skeletal plant stems birthed our experimental and multi-directional signature we now know as the Ivy™ pleat, which has also made its way to other signature pieces like the Ella Dress, and the _/\/\/\ake Bags.
The Ivy™ pleat is a distinctive multi-directional pleat which features an arrowhead-like shape at the center. It twists diagonally, thus forming a zig zag pleat, followed by a slanted accordion pleat which accentuate the feminine body shape.
Shop GINLEE at the newly opened creative cluster, here. Most shops retail daily, with Alma House, a new-to-market service apartment concept targeted at expatriates, opening soon.
