Unabashed

What’s changed since we last caught up with you two years ago?
I’ve been running a TikTok account, @chinchilla.vintage, where I post content about sustainable fashion and thrifting. When I was last featured in 2021, my following was still relatively small, so it’s been very fun taking on more projects and watching my audience grow.

What about your style, how has that changed?
For the first five to six years of working, my dressing was very formal and minimal to blend in to the corporate setting. The furthest I’d go was colour-coordinating.

But when the pandemic hit and I started working from home, I found that I could step out of my comfort zone and rediscover the ways I liked to dress as a kid—with many accessories, different hair styles, colourful makeup, and clothes with alternative vibes.

Now, I’m much more comfortable dressing differently to how I would say the average Singaporean dresses. If I want to dress like I’m going to Coachella for the day, I’ll wear a freaking cowboy hat (laughs)! So apart from my personal style evolving over the years, I would say I’ve also grown in a sense that I no longer care what others think about me and the way that I dress.

What sparked the idea to share your fashion and thrifting adventures with others?
I’ve been documenting my outfits for the last 12 years, starting with OOTDs back when lookbooks were popular. From there, I was taken by the concept of sharing style inspirations and outfit details.

When I started using TikTok during COVID, I noticed the struggle that many people face when trying to thrift in Singapore, as they have the misconception that there aren’t many thrift shops around, or that vintage items are expensive. That’s how I decided to tailor my content to provide more information about sustainable fashion.

My best thrifted find is:
My very first oversized Hawaiian shirt from MINDS Shop at Rosyth. When I thrift, I look for pieces that I know I’ll wear often, and I’ve worn that shirt to death! It was also the clothing item that fuelled my transition into dressing more boldly. Plus, proceeds from the shop go to support intellectually disabled individuals, which is very good cause.

Share with us the most memorable exhibition that you’ve seen recently.
I visited Paris last year and went for a haute couture exhibition at Maison Schiaparelli, a well-known design house that has dressed celebrities like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Bella Hadid. There were many dresses on display, and it was super cool to see the intricate details like beading up close.

Fashion at this level is not something we really see in Singapore’s art scene, so this was the perfect combination of my interests in fashion and art!

What’s something you’re hoping to achieve this year?
I want to bring more awareness to sustainable fashion beyond thrifting. There are many other aspects involved, like providing workers with adequate pay and sourcing for sustainable materials, and many nuanced conversations to be had.

I haven’t spoken much about these topics because I don’t feel very qualified to—I’m not an activist or anything—but that’s definitely something I want to learn more about and shine a light on.

Nicole was last seen here and here.