Frederick Lee lets us into his world of couture storytelling
How did you start your journey into fashion. What sparked your entry and what continues to drive your work today?
My inspiration comes from everywhere: personal stories, emotions, multicultural roots. I'm drawn to nature, history and even the darker sides of the human experience. Over time, that has shaped a distinct language of wearable art. Each garment I design is personal. Couture is storytelling through form, silhouette and texture, and every seam adds to the script. For me, fashion has always been about expression: bold, theatrical and unapologetically layered.
What are the biggest challenges you've faced as a designer in Singapore and how have they shaped your creative direction?
Balancing creativity with commercial viability has been a core challenge. But staying true to my ethos—fusing art, culture and craftsmanship—has helped me push through. The market may be small and fast-changing, but I've learnt that the only way forward is to build a brand identity so distinct it can't be ignored. It's not about pleasing everyone. It's about being unforgettable.
'For me, fashion has always been about expression: bold, theatrical and unapologetically layered.'
How does Singaporean culture shape your designs and how has your work evolved over the years?
I blend futuristic couture with Asian heritage. Whether it's Chinese opera masks, mythical creatures or intricate traditional techniques, my work is rooted in symbols and stories from our region. That's what makes it different from European couture—mine is avant-garde with an Asian soul. It's theatrical, but grounded in the textures and richness of where I come from. A sculptural silhouette that channels Lee's belief in couture as performance—moody, emotional, and unapologetically theatrical, like an opera brought to life in fabric and form. Courtesy of Frederick Lee Couture
How has your design aesthetic evolved over the years?
Every show, every collection is a milestone because they don't just showcase clothing, they unfold entire narratives. My aesthetic has grown more layered and experimental, but the core remains: couture as performance, as poetry. My evolution isn't about chasing trends; it's about refining the story I want to tell. Couture is culture, history, pride. It's the story you choose to wear.
What does 'home' mean to you and how does that feeling manifest in your creative process?
Home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams. It's where I can take a casual, human approach to life. That may have 'cost' me millions in income, but I consider it a small price for living a safe, creative, joyful life.
Having time to create is essential to joy and Singapore, with all its contradictions, gives me both structure and space. The magic of home is that it feels good to leave and even better to return. This intricate look reflects Lee's signature fusion of tradition and modernity—where cultural history shapes innovation, and every seam speaks of identity, pride, and personal narrative. Courtesy of Frederick Lee Couture
Where do you see homegrown fashion on the global stage and what makes it distinct in your eyes?
Singapore is young, fast-changing—but that's its power. See my work as a contribution to our evolving design heritage. I honour tradition, but never stay stuck in it. I use it as a springboard, not a boundary. Heritage gives me structure, modernity gives me movement. They're not in conflict; they're dance partners.
Legacy, to me, is creating garments that transcend time and remain beloved. I want to be remembered as a meticulous designer who honoured tradition while boldly pushing it forward.
If your design ethos were a Singaporean dish, what would it be and why?
Ayam buah keluak—rich, aromatic, soulful, dramatic. Just like my creations. Couture, to me, is opera: moody, emotional, theatrical. Every runway show is a scene, every seam speaks. That's the language I've built: bold, intricate and unforgettable.
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Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sorry, not sorry: How China's nationalistic netizens played into Malaysian rapper Namewee's hands
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Namewee is boycotted on the mainland for his 'anti-China stance', after his songs mocked the country's leader and nationalistic netizens. HONG KONG – If a picture speaks a thousand words, a removed picture shouts out even more. Controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee on July 21 took down photos he had earlier posted on Facebook of himself with actor Eric Tsang and singer Kenny Bee. This came after the two veteran Hong Kong celebrities issued formal apologies for their appearance alongside the rapper, for which they caught flak from Chinese netizens. Namewee is boycotted on the mainland for his 'anti-China stance', after his songs mocked the country's leader and nationalistic netizens. In a fresh Facebook post on the same day the pictures were taken down, Namewee shared his latest song, Letter of Apology . He cited the lyrics: 'I'm now ready to admit my mistakes/ Although it's just a small issue/ I'm willing to bow down and admit that I'm weak/ And reflect on all my foolish mistakes.' It was a master stroke: In an instant, he generated free, large-scale publicity for his most recent work, simultaneously putting on display the absurdity of the nationalistic outcry over the photos and the motivation for the artistes' apologies as implied in his new song. Namewee's initial post on July 19 had seemed innocuous enough. It was just pictures of the celebrities smiling for the camera, with his message in Chinese stating merely 'wishing you a successful performance tonight', ahead of a concert taking place that night in Genting, Malaysia. It looked and read like an innocent post from any other delighted supporter of Tsang and Bee who had been lucky enough to meet their idols in person. But it was the Chinese netizens' outrage over the post, and the pandering apologies it immediately elicited from the Hong Kong artistes who quickly sought to distance themselves from the rapper, that made it news. And Namewee cleverly capitalised on that to draw attention to his latest song, which – coincidentally or not – touches on a similar topic and had until now gone largely unnoticed elsewhere, especially on the mainland where his works are banned. With one innocuous post, and then its removal, the singer channelled outcry against him into publicity for his latest satire. The official music video for Letter of Apology shows the rapper at a press conference –speaking in mainland-accented Chinese – stating his desire to 'clarify matters' before breaking down in mock tears, bowing in apparent repentance, and crooning his 'apology' to his audience. A description – in Chinese – of the song on his official YouTube channel reads: 'After (issuing) the letter of apology, you will be propelled to fame and riches, arriving at the zenith of your lifetime… Only after writing my letter of apology, will I achieve prosperity! ' The song satirises the self-criticism and self-censorship demanded by China's hypersensitive, ultranationalistic keyboard warriors from those public figures who inadvertently offend the lucrative mainland market they cater to. Its lyrics also hint at the sense of self that some celebrities sacrifice to stay on the right side of their Chinese audiences, with one stanza stating: 'Can you accept/ That I can now only voicelessly await my fate/ No more need to wonder/ If I can still call this life my own.' Taiwan-based Hong Kong political commentator Sang Pu said he found Namewee's self-censorship of the photos and his subsequent post sharing his music video a 'brilliant' move. 'Namewee's deletion of the pictures caused them to be more widely circulated,' Mr Sang told The Straits Times. 'The photos resulted in the apologies from Eric Tsang and Kenny Bee, which then allowed Namewee to publicly juxtapose the two artistes' letters of repentance against the scenario depicted in his song.' 'From this, we can see how sharp-witted and humorous Namewee is,' he added. Muar-born Namewee, 42, also known as Wee Meng Chee or Huang Mingzhi, made his name producing songs that poke fun at sensitive political issues . He has been blacklisted in China since 2021, after the release of his ballad single Fragile, which contains barbed references to President Xi Jinping and issues including the country's tight censorship . In 2023, Namewee revealed that he was banned from performing in Hong Kong as well. Tsang's July 21 apology on Weibo, while not directly naming Namewee, expressed regret over the 'unintentional mistake' of having taken a photo with 'a certain person' whose background he had been 'unaware of'. 'As a Chinese citizen, I've always been committed to safeguarding our country's dignity and national sentiment,' Tsang wrote in Chinese. 'If I had known (his background), I would never have had any contact with him.' Bee issued an almost-identical apology on his own Weibo account. Tsang, 72, who has been in the show business since the 1980s, is general manager of Hong Kong's biggest television broadcaster TVB, which is expanding significantly in mainland China. Bee, also 72, was lead vocalist of Hong Kong 1970s pop group The Wynners and has in recent years taken on several minor acting gigs produced in mainland China. The two artistes' grovelling apologies are just the latest illustration of the pressures that celebrities can face even when they are not major players in the mainland market. But their eagerness to clarify the matter could also be linked in part to the additional spectre of a national security law over Hong Kong society. Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after mass anti-government protests in 2019 and early 2020. Hong Kong subsequently introduced its own such legislation in 2024. The emphasis on national security in the city since then has resulted in its people increasingly policing their opinions made in public. Under Hong Kong law, sedition can also cover anything that incites 'hatred, contempt, dissatisfaction or disaffection' with the authorities. While it is clear that Tsang and Bee have not contravened any law, appearing to be aligned with Namewee whose work mocks China – however tenuous the link – could still potentially cause a rift not just with their mainland business partners and supporters, but also among those in Hong Kong. Ultimately, though, the artistes' main motivation for their apology is essentially 'greed', according to Mr Sang. 'The reason (Tsang and Bee) allowed themselves to be controlled by their entertainment companies and to publish the formal apologies scripted for them, is because of the money they still hope to make off their mainland audiences,' he said. 'This is a choice they must make: Would they prefer to eat standing (by their own principles), or do they want to eat on their knees (at the mercy of others).'
Straits Times
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The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers July 26
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Straits Times
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Pics or it didn't happen: Why young couples in Singapore are hiring wedding content creators
SINGAPORE – Weddings in Singapore are not cheap. Often, these blowout celebrations consist of a standard litany of extravagances: hotel ballroom, garden solemnisation, rose-gold flower arch, thousand-dollar gown, dual-wielding photographer alternating between two cameras. But wait. Those soft-light, low-saturation photographs will take months to arrive. And the video, filmed over the course of the day by a professional? Too landscape, too lon g and too formal. Enter the wedding content creator. He or she sticks to you like another bridesmaid or groomsman, films almost exclusively on the iPhone and, most importantly, gets everything to you within 24 hours. After all, if it did not happen online, did it really happen at all? The extra service will set you back by around $600 to over $1,000, though for Singaporean bride Elisha Beston, it was money well spent. The 29-year-old theatre practitioner, who got married at Wheeler's Tropikana restaurant in May, hired Cloud Nine Stories to provide four hours' worth of coverage for $600. To her, the feeling of reliving her big day the next morning was priceless. 'There is a special, indescribable feeling that is strongest right after you are married. It's not the same looking at those photos and videos a month later, when – though you're obviously still happ y, smiling and crying – the high has kind of dissipated,' says the founder of Freddo Children's Theatre. Even her husband, who works in sales and was initially ambivalent about the extra expense, could not stop watching the videos and agreed that it was the right decision. Ms Gwyneth Lim and Mr Derrick Zou hired a content creator so her friends could enjoy the wedding without playing paparazzi. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GWYNETH LIM She describes herself as someone who enjoys creating content casually , and over the course of her engagement, she accumulated a spreadsheet of 30 TikTok videos she wanted to reference for h er w edding. So far, the 500 clips shot by her content creator have yielded 15 self-edited TikTok videos, a couple of which have racked up tens of thousands of views. In one, which has been viewed more than 65,000 times, footage of her 67-year-old father hugging and walking her down the aisl e is interspersed with childhood videos of the two of them. The only child says that the virality, though unexpected, was a nice surprise. 'It's special to acknowledge him in that way because my dad means a lot to me. And for people to comment things like, 'You can tell how much he loves her', was sweet.' But she held back from sharing some personal moments. 'The internet doesn't need to see me crying while saying my vows,' she says. The duty of capturing intimate, homespun videos has traditionally fallen to the bridal party. But Ms Gwyneth Lim, a 27-year-old investment associate who got married at Capella Hotel Singapore in March, wanted her family and friends to enjoy the day without worrying about playing paparazzi. So, she hired Highest Kite Weddings to do all three – photography, videography and content creation. Her husband Derrick Zou, a 29-year-old management consultant, says: 'We'v e heard our fair share of horror stories, in which the couple expects the bridal party to do something, but they're so stressed, they just peace ou t.' The content creator, for whom they forked out $1,000, spent eight hours with the couple and captured moments such as the bride and her mother enjoying a quiet moment in a room before the ceremony, as well as the groom and his buddies lining up for the gatecrash. Bride Gwyneth Lim's quiet moment with her mother before her wedding was captured by her content creator. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GWYNETH LIM Candid camera It is the ability to capture these raw vignettes – a fit of giggles during a family photo session or the bride and groom practising their first dance – that content creators say sets them apart from traditional lensmen, who might be too busy with the main eve nt. As Highest Kite Weddings founder Christopher Lim, 33, notes: 'Everything is captured using an iPhone instead of traditional cameras, whic h c ompletely shifts the tone and texture of the footage. It feels more immediate, more personal and closer to how guests experience the day.' Besides, the ready-to-post photos and videos might come in handy for couples who do not have the time no r know-how to edit their own reels, says Cloud Nine Stories co-founder Joy Wang, 32. For now, Mr Lim's company, whose business mainstay is still wedding photography and videography, averages one content creation job a month. 'It's a relatively new offering, so we understand why some couples might not be fully on board yet. But we believe that, in time, especially with where social media is headed, it'll be an indispensable service.' Already, some content creators have noticed a growing demand. Ms Ayuni Ismail, the 30-year-old behind Diarium Story, has doubled her bookings since launching her company in September 2024 . Her team of three now handles up to two jobs every weekend. Cloud Nine Stories has similarly enjoyed booming business, with inquiries trickling in throughout the year. June alone yielded 10 sign-ups. Even Ms Zoe, a 27-year-old who runs The Social Bride Instagram account as a side hustle, now gets one booking a mont h. In the past , she would have to wait five or six months before securing a client. She declined to provide her last name due to the sensitivities of her day job. This is far from a local anomaly. Across the globe, couples are turning to quicker, more unvarnished ways of documenting the most Instagrammable day of their lives. Britain- based wedding planning website Hitched reports a 586 per cent increase in searches for wedding content creators in 2025. Ms Wang observes: ' It s tarted gaining more traction only in the past eight months due to so many other content creators around South-east Asia popping up, especially for luxury destination weddings. As these wedding content videos become more popula r on social media, they're likely hitting the social media feed of Singaporeans, which is why more are starting to notice and become interested in the service. ' Although yet to solidify its status as a staple of the local wedding circuit, wedding content creation seems here to stay, thanks to social media and the ever-growing appetite for diaristic sharing. To Ms Lelian Chew, founder of luxury event and wedding planning company The Atelier & Co, the gravitation towards the casual and candid is reflective of another shift: the growing desire for storytelling and emotional resonance. 'Today's couples are not simply commissioning beautiful weddings. They are commissioning stories. And those stories are multi-layered – from a custom-designed monogram carried through invitations , signage and menus, to music performances tailored to their love story, to drone shows choreographed to personal soundtracks. Every detail becomes a chapter in a narrative worth preserving,' she says. Not everyone is doing it to go viral. 'Interestingly, while our clientele are top families in the region who deeply value discretion and privacy, we have observed a growing openness to working with content creators. For these couples, it's not about oversharing. It's about capturing meaningful moments with intimacy and honesty,' she adds. Some of Ms Ayuni's clients do no t post the videos she films for them, opting instead to store them as personal keepsakes. Ms Ayuni Ismail started offering wedding content creation services towards the end of 2024. PHOTO: DIARIUM STORY Substitute or supplement As most content creators are quick to clarify, their services are meant to supplement, and not replace, traditional photography and videography. According to Ms Chew, they serve two different purposes: one timeless and cinematic, the other immediate and immersive. Besides, adds The Wedding Concepteur founder Cheryl Tan , not everyone is willing to fork out a few hundred extra dollars and is instead content to leave it to his or her friends to supply the extra footage. Online, tension has been brewing between traditional vendors and iPhone-bearing interlopers. One Reddit thread, for instance, reads like a laundry list of complaints about having to jostle for space and the best vantage point. However, Singapore-based creators s ay they try to proceed respectfully and not step on anyone's toes. To Ms Zoe, the hierarchy is clear: 'Photographers always take the main spot. I tell them to go wherever they need. I'll be behind or on the side.' Ms Ayuni, likewise, tries to hang back, stepping to the front only when the videographer is not there. So far, this deference has helped to keep the peace. ' The photographers and videographers are usually really nice. They'll tell me, 'It's okay, you can take this angle,' ' says Ms Zoe. Ms Wang, who partners photographers, advises clients to brief all vendors in advance for smoother coordination. 'All in al l, we complement one another perfectly. All three types of vendors can coexist in this ecosystem.' But some content creators like wedding photographer Annabel Law, 33, cannot afford to play second fiddle . She requires at least a couple of hours to film the choreographed TikTok videos that clients often request. Because of their brevity, they appear deceptively easy, but in reality, require hours of planning and teamwork to pull off. Many of her clients veer young and unorthodox , and are comfortable trimming tradition. 'They don't need to visit each other's houses, so we have about one to two hours in the middle of the wedding day to film TikTok videos,' says Ms Law. She can squeeze two to three videos out of that intermission, but if the couple is pressed for time, she sometimes films on another day. A smattering of millennials , too, have caught on to this trend. Ms Asheta Thurairajah, 36, for example, hired Ms Law to capture her after-party in March 2024. They distilled the night into six reels. Most were around 10 seconds long and referenced TikTok trends that were popular at the time – like a crisply edited compilation of guests wearing the same pair of shades, and a day-to-night transition of the couple 'jumping' into their wedding gear. Rounding up their guests, most of whom were in their late 30s, to star in these videos made for some happy chaos. 'It's definitely going to be cringe in the future, but it's funny. Looking back, we'll remember what we had to do to make the reels, and all the fun we had,' she says. Reinventing the guest book An other feature that is slowly but surely becoming a fixture in modern nuptials is the video guest book. To Ms Belicia Tan, 33, founder of wedding planner Manna Weddings, it is another consequence of the rise and rule of social media. 'Couples today, especially Gen Z, are deeply influenced by what they consume online,' she says. 'These formats resonate with a generation that values raw, meaningful content over overly curated visuals.' The idea is this: that standing in front of a camera should compel guests to reveal the truest form of themselves, divulging the appropriate sentiment with genuine emotion and unfiltered personality. It is, after all, how vendors explain the surge of interest in their products. At least seven companies now offer such services, which tend to cost upwards of $200. Mr Ierfan Raushan, owner of Teletales, a company that rents out video guest books and mirro rs, attributes it to a deeper emotional need. 'People are craving more than just photos. They want t he voices, laughter and raw emotions of their loved ones. Audio and video guest books offer that exact kind of sentimental keepsake,' says the 26-year-old. A couple listening to messages left by guests on their video guest book. PHOTO: LOVEWAVES 'Couples today want to capture real, unscripted emotions,' echoes Ms Joemin Kok, 33, founder of Lovewave s. 'Being able to hear a loved one's voice or see his or her message years down the road creates an experience that's deeply personal and lasting.' So, too, with Ms Jessica Tay, 27, who started Leave Your Message in 2023 as a way to reimagine the guest book. 'I noticed that these books were often underutilised and guests typically left only a signature or a brief note, which rarely created a lasting impression for the couple. ' Of course, reality rarely cleaves to expectation, and scattered among these heartfelt avowals of love are jokes and gaffes. A video uploaded by Singaporean live streamer Denise Teo (or supercatkei as she is known online) that has been viewed more than a million times on TikTok exemplifies what happens when you give friends and family open access to a recording device. 'Hello, this is DBS bank calling,' deadpans one guest with a face steeled for business. 'Merry Christmas!' cheers another. One woman tries to eat the phone, two others try to lick it. There are several a cappella covers of pop songs. All this, her husband Tim Koh, 32, says he will cherish in the years to come. 'What we liked best was how our friends and family were being themselves, joking around and not taking it so seriously.' While not every couple sets out to go viral, Ms Tan notes that many are inspired by viral trends and want their wedding to be m emorable and shareable. 'In that sense, virality becomes an aspirational by-product of crafting unique, content-worthy experiences that reflect who they are.' But such authenticity does not come cheap. Leave Your Message's video guest book packages start at $360 for two hours, inclusive of decor and signage, while Teletales rents its phone-shaped devices out for upwards of $270 for the entire event. The price of a physical guest book, even if gilded, rarely exceeds double digits. Guests using a video guest book by Teletales. PHOTO: TELETALES Ms Zoe and Ms Law are a ware that content creation might not be for everyone. Ms Zoe says: 'It's not going to appeal to couples on a budget and that's fine. We appeal mainly to couples with more disposable income .' Her services begin at $1,000 for six hours, while Ms Law charges $980 for two hours. For most couples, Ms Law knows optimisation is paramount. They seek not just a way to make their big day memorable, but also to do it with as few resources – be it mental, emotional or financial – as possible. So, alongside an expanded suite of options, she has rolled out an energy-saving guide, which claims to save couples more than 400 hours of wedding planning. Reserved for clients who take on her venue-inclusive packages, it consists of a wedding timeline, video tutorials, a comprehensive rundown of what is included in the packa ge and more. Ms Law, wh o got married in 2023, can empathise. 'It's very stressful to get married and plan a wedding. On top of that, many couples have just started work and have to settle their home .' Lightening the load It was for that same reason that Ms Grace Lim channelled her two decades of corporate experience in operation and process improvement into Weddingserv, a portal intended to simplify the wedding-planning process and protect couples from unreliable vendors. The goal is to become Singapore's firs t a ll-in-one digital wedding mall, a silver bullet that expunge s industry ills – endless back and forth, scattered information, wasted time, unresponsive vendors – once and for all. It works only with vetted vendors with transparent pricing and a clear cancellation policy, whom couples can boo k on this platform. Once a deal has been made and details ironed out, deposits are held until services are delivered. Soft-launched in May, it has amassed 20 vendors – a few had to be turned away as they did not meet Ms Lim's standards of quality, reliability and trust – and 100 couple s. The former consultant, who is in her early 50s, remains optimistic. She says: 'It takes time to build trust in a new platform, especially in a traditional industry. Some vendors are cautious, unsure if Weddingserv is here to stay o r a nother short-term trend. Others prefer to partner only big, established names or are hesitant to adapt to systems outside their own.' Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore's wedding butler assists with everything from final outfit changes to liaising with hotel departments on the couple's behalf. PHOTO: GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT HOTEL SINGAPORE Some hotels are also trying to alleviate part of the mental load. While most venues provide couples with a fixed coordinator for their big day, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore takes things a step further by throwing a butler into the mix. The butler's assistance begins three days before the couple arrives. He or she confirms final details and preferences, acts as a touchpoint throughout the even t a nd steps in whenever required – fo r example, if the bride requires a pair of extra hands to help with he r outfit changes . 'This hands-on role goes beyond traditional wedding coordination by focusing on anticipating needs, resolving last-minute issues, and adding thoughtful, personal touches,' says the hotel's associate director of sales (events) Stephanie Chua, 5 2. Ultimately, she adds, it is these human touches that couples remember. The pair of hands helping with the last few buttons on the back of a gown. The bonus 'bridesmaid' with her iPhone at the ready, capturing the calm before the storm in the bride's bedroom. The three seconds of silent panic as an aged relative works out how to leave a message on a newfangled video guest book. Rawness. Candour. The minutiae reminding frazzled couples that, at the end of the day, the most elaborate party of their lives is really a priceless assembly of their nearest and dearest, toasting to their new beginning and all the love that brought them to this moment.
