Singapore’s Fashion Scene
Known to be in summer all year round, Singapore’s fashion scene may be riddled with tank tops and sports shorts. The number of people who’ve started to look at more stylish ways to dress have risen over the years. Can you believe that 49% of the population considers shopping their favourite hobby? In addition, our apparel market was valued at a whopping US$2,705 million in 2020.
Then VS Now
In the early 2000s, bedazzled tracksuits, two-in-one layered tops, graphic t-shirts, punk goth accessories and way-too-baggy cargo pants were all the rage in Singapore. We can’t possibly imagine anyone wearing them now. With 2021’s trendiest pieces being cropped cardigans, loungewear inspired bottoms, baguette bags, and tiered dresses, these are some pieces which have come back in trend. Crocs, thong sandals, and low-rise jeans have made their sneaky comeback thanks to the viral video-sharing app, Tiktok.
1. Global and regional influences
Singaporean youths have been drawing inspiration from western influencers on Tiktok and Instagram, such as Emma Chamberlain, Wisdom Kaye and Chriselle Lim, whose closets are made up of the latest season’s most wearable runway-inspired clothing. Shops like Princess Polly, Urban Outfitters, Aritzia, and Zara pick up on these trends quickly and sponsor these influencers, who then feed their massive audiences with the ‘must-have’ pieces for the next few months.
a. Influences on Sustainability in Singapore
However, the fashion industry as a whole has seen sustainability and eco-friendliness becoming more important to customers. Consumers have become increasingly conscious about the items that they purchase. They are made aware of the impact of overconsumption on the environment by the recent spotlight on plastic use and the sustainability movement around it. This has manifested itself in the rise in sustainability plans such as the Singapore Green Plan 2030, shift in materials used to produce new clothing such as recycled cotton instead of new cotton, as well as more eco-friendly packaging – such as honeycomb paper instead of bubble wrap and biodegradable packing peanuts instead of foam ones.
This sustainability trend has also resulted in the popularisation of thrifting, where people buy and sell second-hand or vintage clothing instead of new ones.
b. Regional Influences
The more regional avenues of fashion inspiration for Singaporeans are China and Japan. The overarching theme of Chinese street fashion is maximalism. This translates to mixed patterns, excessive yet curated collections, and saturated colours, which makes for a really loud style.
On the other hand, one of Japan’s most popular styles is based on minimalism. Muted colours, slouchy silhouettes, and basic pieces can virtually be paired with any other piece in a minimalist fashionista’s wardrobe. This makes a drastically different vibe.
We see both regional and global influences at play when it comes to the way that Singaporeans dress, whether the outfit be runway-inspired or straight from the Muji catalogue. Either way, Singaporeans are becoming much more open to trying new styles, even incorporating multiple styles in their ever-expanding wardrobe.
2. What Does This Mean For Local Brands?
a. Brands Can Take More Risks
From what we’ve learned over the years, the local fashion industry can afford to take a lot more risks. We are designing clothes which are a fusion of different styles, stocking more size-inclusive clothing, and using non-traditional marketing methods. Changing times means there is a market for more open-minded exploration, and the market for safer designs will always be there.
This basically means that new or small brands such as JOANNALSM can take advantage of the vastly different style interests of Singaporeans. They can bring in hard-to-find items such as vintage luxury pieces or clothes that are a part of very niche clothing styles! Examples include cottagecore or goth in order to stand out from the intense competition that you’re all facing.
b. Brands Can Sell At A Higher Price
Additionally, local brands don’t have to keep their product offerings affordable. 68 percent of 18- to 35-year-olds said they’d be more likely to buy an item labeled “durable”. This trend shows in their shopping choices. Hence, increasingly, consumers are willing to pay significantly higher for clothes that are of exceptional quality and unique design.
c. Brands Can Make Use Of Non-Traditional Social Channels
Lastly, you can market yourselves using less traditional methods. This include using Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Instagram television (IGTV)/ Instagram Live, and Tiktok.
IGTV/ IG Live allows brands to make use of your existing followers. They give them more interesting and relevant content. Clothing try-ons and sneak peaks of new collections can be shown without asking followers to go on a different platform such as YouTube.
Tiktok is also a great new marketing platform. It is not only addictive for younger consumers but also older consumers alike. There is a growing trend of people opting for short-form videos with interesting concepts that are easy to watch. Brands who market on tiktok don’t have to spend a lot of time or money building an audience. They simply have to create interesting and captivating content, or set up an ad campaign to reach your target audience relatively quickly, often within 24 hours.
3. Learning From Local Name-brands
Some Singaporean brands have done just that. They have become extremely popular both locally and internationally, namely Love, Bonito, Charles & Keith, Kydra, and In Good Company.
Love Bonito
Love Bonito, founded by a group of friends, sells women’s clothing tailored specifically to Asian shoppers. Their sizes and cuts which fit Asian body types. This is unlike the clothes which fashion giants like H&M and Zara retail, since they are international brands. Those naturally which cater to European and American women’s body proportions and preferences. Their customised clothing line is now worth millions of dollars and is adorned by women from Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and even the United States. The founders started out selling their preloved clothes, but saw an opportunity to expand their business by taking advantage of the power of ecommerce.
Charles and Keith
Founded in 1996 by brothers, Charles and Keith has become an internationally-known brand. They designed unique products that allowed them to stand out from their competitors, and kept their price points low. Their success can be attributed to their ability to fill the gap in the “affordable luxury” market. Trend-conscious, low-, medium- to high-income consumers are able to purchase their products in more than one style and in large quantities. Additionally, they evolved from a footwear brand to a lifestyle brand, and produced an average of 1000 new designs annually. These includes bags, belts, shades, tech accessories and bracelets, meaning there’s something for everyone, including kids.
Kydra
Kydra, a sports apparel brand founded by 2 friends, sells activewear with purposeful functionality. They are both trendy and functional in cold and warm climates. They make use of KOLs such as local influencer Saffron Sharpe and their Kydra Ambassador programme. This allows them to leverage on other influencers’ audiences, creating brand awareness and hype for their new launches and sales. The company has been extremely successful in terms of growth. especially since they only recently launched and chose an extremely saturated market to delve into.
In Good Company
As for In Good Company, a ready-to-wear brand offering carefully designed modern yet functional pieces, they launched in 2013 and now have several outlets across the island. Their pieces comprise timeless wardrobe essentials and classic silhouettes with a twist. They are made to withstand microtrends for the modern fashionista. Though less affordable than other local brands, their customers are more than happy to pay for the quality of their pieces.
Up-and-coming local brands
Our local fashion market is only growing faster each year and there are tons of new brands launching every week. Some brands are especially garnering more traction because of their products’ unique selling points.
Urbanized Co
Urbanized Co provides quality sportswear that won’t break the bank. They want customers to feel good in their own body. They aim to transform the way customers think and feel about being active, and their #withurbnzd community encourages supportive and affirmative practices in order to achieve the perfect balance of self-acceptance and self-improvement.
Modelle
Modelle sells accessories for anyone who enjoys a basic earring or hair clip, but also for those who love earrings but have sensitive ears or don’t have their ears pierced at all. They offer clip-on versions of certain earring styles, and most of their jewellery is hypoallergenic. This caters to a huge part of the market now that consumers are buying less costume jewellery. People are more interested in cuter, quirkier styles to vamp up their outfits. The young (and young-at-heart) enjoy each new collection from them for good reason, because their product offerings come at an affordable price too!
Our Daily Avenue
An up-and-coming shoe brand is Our Daily Avenue. Their carefully curated shoe collections are picked with the Singaporean woman in mind – women who demand high-quality, comfortable and stylish footwear that are affordable. Additionally, they have a variety of different styles that will suit women of all ages and preferences. Their belief is that we wear different pieces of clothing to celebrate the good times and tide us through tough times. They want to bring meaning to what we wear on our feet during those journeys.
Anya Active
Anya Active is one of Singapore’s first size-inclusive fitness apparel brands. They place a lot of emphasis on making fitness accessible to women of all shapes and sizes, by creating activewear that comes in sizes ranging from 2 to 12. They also promise to never airbrush or alter product images. Customers know exactly what they’re getting and have a good idea of what it will look like on their specific body type.
So, What’s In It For Brands In The Future?
Overall, our local fashion community is learning to be more inclusive and creative, which helps both consumers and businesses thrive. Brands have always picked up on new trends quickly, but local ones are now choosing to produce pieces which are of higher quality and will last longer. The fashion scene in Singapore is a lot more sustainable. However, as consumers become increasingly aware of the shortfalls in the industry and demand better fits, quality and more inclusive styles and sizes, brands need to be more aware of their target audience and do better on all fronts in order to be successful.