Elite Traveler July-August 2016

elite traveler JULY/AUG 2016 113

THE FASHION DESIGNER TOWATCH

WHERE TO SHOP

Quanda Ong, founder and designer at Gnome & Bow, shares Singapore’s best shopping destinations.

If you thought Singaporean fashion began and ended with the Singapore Airlines’ kebaya uniform, you’d be mistaken, albeit forgiven. A new generation of designers are putting Singapore on the international fashion map, and at the forefront are Chelsea Scott-Blackhall and her label, DZOJCHEN (pronounced “doh-jen”). The choice of a Sanskrit-derived word for “wholeness” for the label was an apt one, both for the designer and her label. Scott-Blackhall is Singapore-born of British descent and her designs capture the East-meets-West dichotomies of her heritage, addresses the male-female relationship, and reconciles the paradoxes of fabric and form. A self-confessed nomad, Scott- Blackhall launched DZOJCHEN’s first collection in 2011 in New York – she’d gone to visit a friend, fell in love with the city and decided to stay, and that's when things started falling into place. Since then, her sharp, intelligent designs with a masculine-feel have won over fashion critics at fashion weeks in Singapore, Seoul, Paris and New York. And as if having fashionable celebrities such as Johnny Depp and Lenny and Zoe Kravitz clamoring to parade her looks along the red carpet wasn’t enough, in 2015, Scott-Blackhall won a spot in Fashion Futures, the fashion incubator program allied with the Council for Fashion Designers of America. dzojchen.com

“ The Assembly Store is a modern gentlemen’s shopping haven with stylish, timeless clothes paired with an array of bags, wallets, shoes and accessories.” 2 Handy Road, theassemblystore.com “With a carefully curated selection of established and lesser known labels, I trust menswear boutique Straits Establishment to show me tomorrow’s coolest brands.” 3 Temasek Boulevard, facebook.com/straits-establishment “There’s something for everyone at Naiise . Its extensive range of goods from all over the world – including furniture, art, stationery, local crafts and clothes – makes it a great place to shop for gifts. Their Orchard Gateway store is my favorite.” 277 Orchard Road, naiise.com "The versatile, always-changing display makes shopping at Kapok exciting. The lifestyle brand stocks some of my favorite hard-to-find international brands.” National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, ka-pok.com “ Benjamin Barker is a must-visit for dapper gents. I’ve been a fan of their well-executed clothes for almost 10 years and each collection further establishes its place at the head of the fashion curve. Go to the Wheelock Place store.” 501 Orchard Road, benjaminbarker.co

“Full of gorgeous, colorful gifts, stationery and homeware, Monoyono is a unique gift and lifestyle store that takes me around the world. I love the Plaza Singapura outlet.” 68 Orchard Road, monoyono.com (above)

“I love Carrie K’s creative take on everyday items. Their tasteful, artful accessories are so

full of character and so wearable.” 111 Middle Road, carriekrocks.com

“The beautiful welted shoes at Ed Et Al are everything a gentleman could dream of – plus

When the city buzz and cloying humidity become too much One°15 Marina is the place to go. A modern, luxurious yacht club on Sentosa island, an exquisite suite and fine dining are reason to come here, but you can also berth your boat or charter a yacht. One°15 Marina 11 Cove Drive, Sentosa Cove,

I love their custom patinas.” 9 Raffles Boulevard, edetal.sg

“Womenswear label Ong Shunmugam is a master at creating and matching prints, both subtle and loud. Simply inspirational.” 16 Raffles Quay, ongshunmugam.com

+65 6305 6988, one15marina.com

Photo: Gallery Stock