Braveheart

You run a fashion brand called Closet Children. When did you realise that this was a career path you wanted to go down?
I started making face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, which first made me realise that I could inject my style into something so small.

From there, I knew that I wanted to explore something bigger and eventually transitioned to a different medium, i.e. jewellery, or as I like to call it, armour, because I see fashion as being somewhat of an armour for us all. In fact, I often like to call myself an Armourer as opposed to a Designer.

How did you decide on the name for your brand?
The name Closet Children has actually been with me through different endeavours since I was 16.

In 2010, I wanted to start an online store selling curated clothing pieces. I chose the name because I feel that clothing is special and should be treated preciously like children. A little later, I started a blog that went by the same name to document my outfits.

The blog phased out after I entered university and when I graduated, I decided to call my work account Closet Children. Now, the name is also a tribute to the transformative effect that fashion has had on me over the years.

Describe your personal style in one sentence.
“Innocent village maiden who is also a love cult leader at night that nobody knows about.”

My wardrobe is half girly, frilly and pink, and half black. And in the middle there’s also a bunch of other colours, so my style is pretty multidimensional.

You were also involved in Singapore Art Week 2023. Tell us about your experience.
I run an evolving lifestyle studio called Awkward Party with a friend, where we explore the Singaporean culture with a sense of humour. For Singapore Art Week this year, we we collaborated with Artichoke, a Middle Eastern restaurant to create an interactive dining experience titled Third Wheeling, to look at how we connect with people through communal dining.

It was really great that we got to explore the concept that we tested out a year ago. But to be honest, we had to make so many sculptures in a really short timeline so I wanted to die (laughs).

What’s next for Awkward Party?
Right now, we’re still interested in the themes of communal dining and celebration, as they are relatable to most Singaporeans. Our next project is a wedding-themed event meant to poke fun at the stereotypes of marriage in our country, called Wedding Bells & Awkward Yells.