7 new Singapore brands to shop for an ethical and sustainable festive season
SINGAPORE – Yes, we know that shopping is a bit of a tricky subject at the moment, what with all the issues around sustainability, danger to the environment and climate change. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try to support our local Singapore brands - especially those that are doing something right when it comes to ethical and sustainable consumerism.
READ MORE:
Top 5 tips for a more sustainable Chinese New Year
OPINION: Stop eating steak to help save the environment
Warning: Your new bikini could be cancerous
7 Chinese New Year feasts to usher in the Year of the Rat
This is the place to go to for all your cards, notebooks and other stationary needs for the festive season and beyond. The brand also has wrapping paper, art prints and some home decor items. Their notebooks in particular make great stocking stuffers, or great gifts for Secret Santa. Actseed is a Singapore brand that makes an effort to give back where it can. The brand donates stationary and notebooks to children in need, and also works with Eight for Aid, donating $8 from every sale to various charitable organisations that work with children and young people.
Shop online at actseed.co or go to Design Orchard, 250 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238905.
This Singapore skincare brand creates products that are vegan, gluten free, cruelty free, use botanical ingredients, have been specially formulated to be used in Singapore’s tropical weather and is customised just for your skin. Alche{me} is also focused on reducing its carbon footprint, and only makes enough product as is needed at any one time so as to reduce waste; even their bottles are 100% recyclable.
Shop Alche{me} at alcheme.one, or book an appointment for a skin consultation at alcheme.one/appointments.
Rather than go for throw-away fashion, try buying a fabulous festive outfit from new Singapore fashion brand Ans.Ein. The team behind this very new label work with artists to create one-off prints for their limited selection of garments. You can even have your own artwork turned into a print for a very special piece of clothing. One of the most popular aspects of this brand is where mums have had clothes made from prints drawn by their kids.
Shop Ans.Ein at ans-ein.com or go to Design Orchard, 250 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238905.
A new Singapore womenswear brand named after the father of the designer, David’s Daughter produces small runs of items so as not to over-produce products or create waste, and some of their clothes are only available as pre-order which takes between four and five weeks to make. The designs are limited and sell out relatively quickly, so it is worth checking their website regularly to make sure you don’t miss out.
Shop David’s Daughter at www.davidsdaughter.com or call +65 8779 2775 to make an appointment.
Another sustainability focused womenswear brand, Qlothe not only uses sustainable fabrics to produce its light, floaty feminine dresses, it also gives back to the environment by planting trees. Their Buy A Piece, Plant A Tree programme is tied to their Arbor and Terra collections, but the rest of their clothes are also made sustainably.
Shop Qlothe at qlothe.com or go to Design Orchard, 250 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238905.
Something for the guys, The Shirt Bar is a fully-stocked classic menswear brand that has focused on working only with factories and partners that pay a fair wage and run ethical businesses. Their years of experience mean that they are able to produce quality products at affordable prices, but not so cheap that the people making them are disadvantaged.
Shop The Shirt Bar at www.the-shirt-bar.com or find a location near you.
One of Singapore’s most popular ethical and sustainable fashion brands despite being less than five years old, Esse offers contemporary classics made from sustainable fabrics, in factories that are ethically run, and a business that features transparency in its production system and sourcing. This is a great brand to try for pretty but cool clothes for the festive season.
Shop Esse at https://www.essethelabel.com or you can make a studio appointment to try on the items.
Design Orchard
If you’re looking for more new Singapore brands to support, check out the line-up at Design Orchard. This is a retail space dedicated to supporting Singapore brands and designers, especially in the fashion and lifestyle areas. Some of the brands in this list are also stocked there, but there are a bunch of other interesting labels to discover as well.
Design Orchard is located at 250 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238905.
