Coolie Fashion is gaining popularity around the world hah?

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Why 'made in Singapore' clothes are increasingly becoming a fashionable option at home and abroad​

In an industry dominated by international labels, Singaporean fashion and beauty brands are competing with global giants by finding a clear identity in a small domestic market, but they say that expanding overseas is often critical to survival.

"Support local" has become a familiar refrain, but observers say that this does not extend equally across product categories because fashion and beauty brands are still nascent contributors to Singapore's economy. (Illustration: CNA/Nurjannah…see more


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Nikki Yeo
26 Dec 2025 09:30PM (Updated: 27 Dec 2025 07:52AM)
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FAST
In the narrow alleys of fabric shops in Tokyo and the sprawling exhibition halls of Shanghai, 26-year-old Singaporean Chan Jing is realising her primary school dream of working in fashion.

In these spaces, she examines bolts of organic cotton and studies the latest developments in textiles and eco-friendly innovations as she sources fabric for Sensibilities, the womenswear label she founded in late 2024.

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The results of her explorations can be seen on the label's Instagram page, where she posts photos of models wearing her designs, which are mainly wardrobe staples in cotton, denim and sun-shielding jersey fabrics.

Ms Chan also shares on this Instagram page the less glamorous parts of the design and sewing process. For example, one post is all about the multiple iterations of pockets she has experimented with, showing how construction has improved over time, in a deliberate effort to provide her customers with better finishes than those commonly found in fast fashion.

Her intentional approach to fashion comes by way of a background in the industry. Ms Chan initially set fashion design aside in favour of a more "practical" undergraduate degree in business.

But she found her way back to her passion during an internship at local brand Love, Bonito, before becoming a fashion designer at homegrown apparel label Love and Bravery while completing a fashion diploma part-time.

Despite being just one year old, Sensibilities has gained early traction through e-commerce and pop-up events, including an ongoing one at creative cluster New Bahru.

Its entry into the scene is part of a broader movement in Singapore's fashion scene, which is increasingly being populated by local designers who are investing heavily in quality construction and clear points of view, designing specifically for Asian body types and tropical climates.