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Vogue Singapore
10-07-2025
- Business
- Vogue Singapore
A fashion legacy: Sabrinagoh's evolving Singaporean narrative
Founded in 2009, Sabrinagoh grew from Sabrina Goh's early fascination with fashion's power to shape identity, sparked by icons like Alexander McQueen and honed through years of working with local labels. The brand is known for minimalist, architectural silhouettes that balance strength with softness, designed for real life. With an upcoming renovated flagship at Raffles City, plus a recent activation in Paris. Goh continues to design with intention. Goh's work often bridges tradition and modernity, seen here in a contemporary silhouette reinterpreting classic textile techniques. Courtesy of Sabrinagoh How did you start your journey into fashion? What sparked your entry and what continues to drive your work today? My journey began in secondary school, inspired by icons like Alexander McQueen. That admiration sparked a quiet curiosity—a desire to understand how garments shape identity and emotion. I went on to study fashion design, then spent four years working with local companies, immersing myself in the entire process from design to production. Design felt like a natural language to me, where feeling becomes form. I was drawn to architecture and minimalism, but also wanted to explore emotional depth within simplicity. We believe strength lives in silence. What are the biggest challenges you've faced as a designer in Singapore and how have they shaped your creative direction? One of the biggest challenges has been maintaining a conscious, sustainable approach while growing the business. As an independent label, every decision matters, from materials to production scale. Achieving B Corp certification was a major milestone that affirmed our commitment to fashion as a force for good. We've also had to adapt to shifts in retail and consumer behaviour. That has meant deepening our digital presence while creating physical spaces that invite connection, like our new store at Great World, and soon, our renovated flagship at Raffles City. Being part of an international activation in Paris this year has also reminded us how meaningful it is to represent Singapore's voice globally. From fabric selection to final fitting, every detail in Sabrinagoh's process is a reflection of intentional, grounded design. Courtesy of Sabrinagoh How does Singapore—its culture, textures or rhythms—show up in your design language? Living in Singapore means moving through a space where tradition and modernity are always in dialogue, and that naturally shapes our design approach. Our silhouettes are clean, adaptable and made for the pace of everyday life. We also express our cultural roots through collaborations, like our project with artist Ashley Yeo, or our work in the Singapore Stories initiative exploring themes like Kebaya Reimagined. Whether it's traditional tailoring or modular layering, our work reflects the fluidity of Singapore's identity—always grounded, but always evolving. What does 'home' mean to you and how does that feeling manifest in your creative process? Home feels like our own backyard: familiar, grounding and full of quiet promise. While we've always designed with a global perspective, we stay rooted in where we began. One moment that shaped this was during Singapore Fashion Week 2015, when I spoke with Diane von Furstenberg. She reminded me that while it's easy to look outward, we must tend to our own backyard first. That shifted how I saw my role, as someone building something meaningful from within. Home continues to shape our creative process—guiding us to design with intention and for real life. From studio to showcase, Sabrinagoh's design process is anchored in clarity, collaboration, and quiet confidence. Courtesy of Sabrinagoh Where do you see homegrown fashion on the global stage and what makes it distinct in your eyes? Singaporean fashion is still forming, but that's what makes it exciting. It's diverse, layered and subtly bold. We're blending multicultural influence with urban pragmatism and slowly finding our collective voice. To me, design is also cultural storytelling. I hope our work contributes by offering a contemporary expression of Singaporean identity—one rooted in minimalism, function and nuance. If our designs can preserve tradition while moving it forward, and stay emotionally relevant beyond trends, that's the legacy I hope to build. If your design ethos or brand was a Singaporean dish, what would it be and why? I'd say tau huay (soy beancurd). Much like our design philosophy, it's minimalist at first glance—soft, clean and understated—but layered with quiet depth. It evokes comfort and nostalgia, yet remains timeless and adaptable. Tau huay doesn't need bold flavours to leave a lasting impression. That, to me, mirrors the essence of Sabrinagoh: subtle, refined and resonant. Vogue Singapore's July/August 'Home' issue will be out on newsstands from 13 July and available to preorder online.
CNA
30-06-2025
- CNA
No train services between Napier and Great World stations on Thomson-East Coast Line due to signalling fault
SINGAPORE: A signalling fault has disrupted peak-hour commute on the Thomson-East Coast Line on Tuesday morning (Jul 1), as train services between Napier and Great World stations came to a halt. Train operator SMRT posted an alert on its Facebook page at 6.40am to expect an additional 30 minutes of travel time. "Free regular bus services are available between Caldecott and Gardens by the Bay stations. We are sorry for affecting your morning commute," it added. SMRT said in an update at 6.55am that the signalling fault occurred at Orchard Boulevard station and that its engineers are working to rectify the fault.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
In Singapore's crowded supermarket scene, gourmet grocers find room to grow
SINGAPORE: On a Friday morning earlier this month, Ryan's Grocery founder Wendy Foo gestures to a video of free-roaming pigs at the store's entrance. 'My animals are happy animals, very happy animals,' she said. 'Even the killing is non-suffering.' That ethos underpins Ryan's Grocery's focus on organic meat and allergen-free products – an approach that has earned it a loyal following at its Great World outlet. 'A lot of regulars and those who are experts in eating good quality meat, they know what they want,' Ms Foo said. Ryan's Grocery is part of a growing number of gourmet grocers carving out a niche in Singapore's competitive supermarket scene. These stores cater to a rising demographic of consumers seeking premium, carefully curated offerings – an appetite that has grown amid major shifts in the broader retail landscape. In March, DFI Retail Group announced the S$125 million (US$97 million) sale of its Cold Storage and Giant outlets to Malaysian retailer Macrovalue. The deal included 48 Cold Storage and 41 Giant stores, along with two distribution centres. But the sale is not a sign of a shrinking supermarket industry in Singapore. Instead, it reflects a shift in strategy to connect with a changing customer base, said Professor Lawrence Loh from the National University of Singapore. With an ageing population, supermarkets are now targeting younger consumers, said the professor of strategy and policy. 'These are the people that are now beginning to have a career, beginning to form families, so the new demand will have to come (from) them,' he added. A HEALTH-CONSCIOUS GENERATION When Little Farms launched its first outlet in 2016, the emphasis on 'fresh and healthy' was still emerging, CEO Joe Stevens told CNA. 'As people get more educated, as people get kind of more affluent, they increasingly make that connection between what they're eating today and their long-term health,' he said. Today, Little Farms operates seven outlets, with an eighth set to open in July. Its fastest-growing customer segment? Young, affluent Singaporeans. When CNA visited a Little Farms outlet at Valley Point on a Friday evening, a mix of expatriates and young locals browsed the aisles. Among them was Ms Charlene Zhu, a 35-year-old researcher in the food industry. She shops there almost daily, often picking up specialty dips and cheeses. 'The first thing I would do is look at the labels and then price, of course,' Ms Zhu said. But ultimately, the healthiness and taste of the product still play a bigger factor, she added. This attention to quality is central to Little Farms' identity. Sometimes it takes 'as little as 24 hours between the time of harvest and when the produce is sitting on the shelves for customers', said Mr Stevens. MORE "SUPER" THAN "MARKET" Other gourmet grocers have chosen even narrower niches to stand out. In 2022, Ms Anna Jaeger rebranded Eastern European grocer Bublik to Anna's Gourmet, with a focus on Central and Eastern European products not found elsewhere in Singapore. She didn't want to 'compete with the bigger guys in the market', said the 46-year-old Azerbaijan native. 'That niche makes it much more exciting for everyone, of course, for Eastern, Central European people because it's coming from their home,' she said. 'But for locals, it's even more so because they explore and find something new.' That strategy appears to be working. Her cold-smoked Atlantic mackerel went viral on TikTok after a few local customers posted about it, and Singaporeans now make up 40 per cent of her customers – up from just 10 per cent when she first started. On whether the convenience of online shopping poses a threat to gourmet grocers, Prof Loh said many still prefer the tactile experience of in-person browsing, especially at gourmet stores. The "touch and feel" element of grocery shopping cannot be replaced, he said. 'The whole industry now … it's actually more about the 'super' than about the 'marketing'.' At Ryan's Grocery, customers can sample products and consult store assistants. One regular, Mrs Chan, praised the butchers for giving good advice. She also likes the cut of the meat – "thick enough for grilling". The addition of in-store dining, like Ryan's Kitchen, has helped broaden appeal. Customers can select their meat and have it freshly prepared on-site. 'Increasingly, you must offer an all-in-one total experience,' said Prof Loh. 'If you have F&B along with the supermarket, that will bring in a new group altogether.' NOT ALL PEACHES AND CREAM Still, not all gourmet grocers thrive. Brands like PasarBella and Bootle's have quietly exited the market in recent years. Bootle's co-founder Ben Scott told CNA Luxury in 2021 that the closure was partly due to rising costs. 'The business has become a boutique grocer and this has the same cost model as any other boutique business. Continuing this would mean Bootle's becoming the same as every other boutique store – expensive," he said. More recently, East Coast Grocers shuttered when rising rents became unsustainable and more consumers began dining out in the post-pandemic era, founder Sean Lim told CNA. 'I honestly don't think small, standalone grocery stores can do very well, simply because you need scale,' said Mr Lim, who launched the store specialising in fresh produce along East Coast Road in 2020. It was difficult to rely on a walk-in crowd for business, despite being located in a neighbourhood where the crowd was thought to be "more discerning and affluent", said the 35-year-old, who now works in corporate workspace solutions. CHALLENGES IN A TIGHT MARKET Even successful players are not having an easy time. At Ryan's Grocery, rental costs have jumped 16 to 17 per cent, Ms Foo said. It is trying not to pass on the cost to customers, but margins are tight. 'Now it's not about profit,' the 58-year-old said. 'It's about trying to maintain the business and seeing what's next.' Customer retention is another challenge. 'My customers are well-travelled, more knowledgeable on the food they want to consume,' said Ms Foo. 'Because they're well-travelled, they're hardly in Singapore.' Anna's Gourmet faces similar issues. 'Singapore is a place where expats come and go … so they buy a certain time from you, but then they leave. And then the challenge is to get those new customers again,' Ms Jaeger said, adding that her priority is to attract more local shoppers. Global disruptions also pose a challenge to logistics. The Israel-Gaza conflict recently delayed shipments from Europe, forcing Anna's Gourmet to switch to costly air freight. As Little Farms grows, it has gained 'a bit more purchasing power', Mr Stevens said. 'We've been able to negotiate better buy prices from our suppliers ... and we share some of those benefits with our customers.' The brand has also evolved beyond premium-only pricing, with a tiered price approach of 'good, better, best'. Mr Steven said the company is confident that demand for natural and organic food will continue to rise. "We see ourselves doubling our footprint over the next five years,' he said. Associate Professor David Gomulya of Singapore Management University said the key for gourmet grocers is differentiation. If their offerings are too similar to traditional supermarkets, they lose their edge, he said. But if they can carve out a clear niche, customers would be willing to pay more. 'What is the alternative? (Customers) cannot import by themselves,' said Assoc Prof Gomulya, who teaches strategy and entrepreneurship at the university. In a retail landscape defined by change, gourmet grocers that adapt smartly may well endure. If they disappear, "people will feel a loss ... more than say, the disappearance of a generic supermarket", said Assoc Prof Gomulya. 'People will miss them.'
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Food Picks: Return to PS.Cafe for its refreshed brunch menu
SINGAPORE – The cafe scene here has evolved beyond serving a basic brunch. These days, you also need to have a (preferably pet-friendly) cool ambience, social media presence and – if possible – some kind of meaningful mission to champion. But, above all, it is the solid food, drinks and service that get return customers. And there is one home-grown cafe chain that still delivers on that. It has been many years since I dined at but stepping into its Dempsey outlet feels familiar . And the reason for my return is its biggest brunch-menu refresh to date – yes, this 26-year-old establishment still needs to stay relevant. The new brunch items are also available at its Great World, i12 Katong and East Coast Park outlets, with plans to launch across the other six branches by the third quarter of 2025. Cow & Egg ($26) is the star of the show, with creamy French-style scrambled eggs on sourdough and a thick-cut 48-hour slow-cooked glazed beef brisket. The chicken version, Chicken & Egg ($22), comes with crispy fried chicken pieces and sweet soya maple syrup. My other pick is the Smoked Brisket Bunwich ($19), a seeded bun stuffed with smoked beef brisket, creamy herb mayonnaise, crispy bacon and a fried egg with runny yolk. Here, the brisket is in thin slices and lightly pan-fried. I would happily replace my usual order of the PS. Big Breakfast with the improved PS. Full Breakfast ($29), which has roasted oyster and shimeji mushrooms and lightly sauteed spinach. They replace the baked beans and salad from the original dish, which includes two eggs of choice, bacon, toast, sausage and cherry tomatoes. For dessert, try the Honey Crust Brioche ($16) , which lives up to its name for its beautifully burnished crisp crust . It is topped with a generous scoop of coconut ricotta and gula melaka drizzle. Stuffed to the gills, I eyeball someone's order of a Pancake Stack ($24) – four cornmeal pancakes topped with berry coulis, fresh berries and brown sugar ricotta. Guess that is what I am having for my next visit. Where: 01-155 Great World, 1 Kim Seng Promenade; 28B Harding Road; 1110 East Coast Parkway; and 01-01/02/03 i12 Katong, 112 East Coast Road MRT: Great World/Napier/Siglap/Marine Parade Open: 8 to 11am (weekdays), 8am to 4pm (weekends and public holidays); i12 Katong outlet: 8.30 to 11am (weekdays), 8.30am to 4pm (weekends and public holidays) Tel: 6708-9288 Info: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
