Shentonista Highlights: January to March 2021

The start of a new year is often compared to the opening of a new book, with fresh pages for us to explore. Yet, for the Shentonista team, this year feels a little like writing over the empty pages of an old book. For many of us, the past year might have felt like we’ve pressed pause on the narrative of life, only to resume it gradually over the course of the past quarter. Something that always remains new for us? The Shentonistas we’ve had the chance to meet. This quarter, we were introduced to people with strong beliefs, both in fashion and in life. Read the highlights of some of their stories below. 

Most Memorable Person: Anita.

While this is her first feature on Shentonista, Anita is no stranger to the screen. She’s no stranger to the world of fashion either, having been in the public eye throughout her career. Her simple, fuss-free outfit—clean, crisp and collected—is a reminder to all of us that fashion need not be extravagant or loud.  Apart from her love for a reliable white shirt and dark pants combination (a nifty fashion trick that she tells us has never let her down), practising wellness is another passion of hers that she shared with us about. Hearing about Anita’s wellness journey was an eye-opening experience for some of us at Shentonista, seeing wellness as part of self-responsibility rather than an occasional fanciful whim to dabble in.

Read about Anita’s wellness journey here. 

Favourite Look: Esther

The secret to pulling off any outfit? Wearing it with conviction. Esther’s ensemble—bold checkered dress, casual denim jacket, combat boots with a metallic edge and a graffiti print bag—is an intimidating fit for most people, and some might even say it sticks out like a sore thumb, but that’s exactly what Esther aspires to be. Her fashion sense revolves around staying unique and unusual, with her experimental aesthetic that defies regular expectations of CBD fashion. In a running list of inspiring outfits that marry comfort with unconventionality, Esther takes the crown this quarter with this Cassey Gan statement piece. 

Esther shares more about her fashion sense here. 

Favourite Quote: Poovan

Since young, Poovan grew up with the desire to never depend on anyone for financial reasons, and this ethos in life has led her down a career path that focuses on empowering independent, strong women towards a financially-free future. Read more from Poovan here. 

Favourite Detail: Natasha & Nia.

Though it exists in varied forms and combinations, modest fashion continues to surprise us with its versatility and elegance. Natasha’s flowing scarf that occasionally caught the mid-day breeze was easily etched into our minds, becoming our favourite detail of this quarter. From the graceful arrangement of the hijab, to the layering of subtle shades of beige, Natasha’s outfit was a work of art in action. Read about Natasha’ style tips here.

We thought our youngest Shentonista this quarter deserved a special mention too—though she might just be seven years old, Nia’s outfit had been specially picked by herself, with the cat headband being a homage to her favourite animal. Apart from being a budding fashionista in the works, Nia tells us that she’s also hoping to become an artist someday. Read more from her here.

Something we’ve learnt:

We usually meet PMEBs during our on-the-ground adventures, and it’s rare that we get an insight into the more technical side of things. Our collaboration with Ministry of Manpower taught the team much about the 3D printing industry and how versatile it is, from its use in commercial industries where it replaces traditional machinery parts, to healthcare where it aids bone regeneration. For Jason and Ammar, their foray into the world of 3D printing was made easier by different programmes offered by MOM that gives a boost to both young graduates and mid-career professionals.

Find out how Jason took his first steps into the working world with the SGUnited Traineeships Programme here and how the Professional Conversion Programme transformed Ammar’s research to reality here. 

SAM x Shentonista: 

An amalgamation of different textures, shapes, and sensations—much like art, fashion is also a celebration of the five senses and how we engage them. In the final phase of our SAM x Shentonista collaboration that commemorated the Time Passes exhibition, we reached out to the four chosen candidates from our #NovelWaysOfDressing open call and featured them in introspective videos that discussed their connection to art, and how it plays a role in their lives. Though the Time Passes exhibition has ended its run, you can still revisit the campaign here.

Shentonista Restyled: 

It’s been a year of new experiences for the Shentonista team, with our first fashion collection being our most ambitious project till date. Having documented a variety of fashion styles for the past decade, we invited some of the Shentonistas we’ve previously featured to curate collections of their pre-loved clothes, as our way to contribute to the circular economy while balancing our love for fashion. Three sustanability advocates–Linda, Nicole and Susannah—created unique collections with their own striking personalities, and the Shentonista team sat down to pick our favourites from each. However,  every piece in the collection comes with its own history—browse through Shentonista Restyled and read all about it at the link here. 

P.S. Keep a lookout for the second collection of Shentonista Restyled, to be launched in the upcoming quarter!