From indie films to the craft movement, a new wave of independents are redefining the arts, culture and lifestyle scenes in Singapore. In the final installment of this three-part series, we speak to six individuals changing the face of the game.
Kenny Leck, BooksActually
“I cannot keep selling the same old books or books that everybody else is selling. I should have a few titles that make you excited or uncomfortable, so that your experience will be memorable.” That is the business motto of Kenny Leck, owner of BooksActually.
The atypical bookstore was established in 2005 as a manifestation of Kenny’s love for such books, which explains the unique mix of non-commercial fiction and literary titles—on disparate topics from aesthetics to history—that line the shelves in its two-storey space at Yong Siak Street.
For the enterprising Kenny, who also worked at now-defunct Tower Books before entering the army and then at Borders after, setting up his own bookstore was a logical decision. Today, BooksActually plays a major role in organising events that inject vibrancy into the local book scene. This ranges from book launches and meet-and-greet sessions with key authors through Math Paper Press, its publishing arm, to bringing major art book enthusiasts together with its Singapore Art Book Fair.
Defying the growing trend of digital publishing, BooksActually celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and Kenny is also on the lookout for a larger home to fill with good reads, thanks to a continuously growing crowd of book-crazy customers.
Ethan Leslie Leong, Maison Ikkoku
With any conversation on the local cocktail scene comes one name: Ethan Leslie Leong. The executive director and resident master mixologist of Maison Ikkoku in Kandahar Street, Ethan is widely credited as a pioneer in Singapore’s cocktail culture—giving drinks lists a good shake-up with radically new creations and off-the-menu bespoke drinks.
Ethan first started as a chef but switched to bartending in 1996. He garnered numerous awards over the years and has since become a sought-after consultant who has had a hand in conceptualising the cocktail menus at numerous dining spots and events for the likes of Häagen-Dazs, Montblanc and Pangaea Singapore. Most recently, he was named the local cocktail ambassador by Singapore Tourism Board and was commissioned by Atmosphere Kanifushi resort in the Maldives to oversee the development of its cocktail menu and training.
The reason behind his celebrity is his creative concoctions—one could say he’s responsible for how “craft” is now used in the same sentence as “cocktails”. Unlike your usual cranberry vodkas, his mixes are personalised to his customers’ individual personalities and preferences, which he discovers over casual conversations.
While this bespoke concept didn’t immediately gain traction, it was Ethan’s persistence in promoting the unconventional that has elevated and popularised cocktail culture here. “It wouldn’t have made sense to serve what other bars were serving, so from my first cocktail bar, I took the risk by introducing the fully bespoke cocktail concept. Now, local palates have evolved and the interest is in the craftsmanship, flavour delivery and presentation.”
Tan Sheau Yun, Tong Tong Friendship Store
The cheongsam may call to mind femininity and Chinese tradition more readily than cheeky graphic prints and cross-cultural infusions, but Tan Sheau Yun has been having fun with the Chinese garment through the quirky Tong Tong Friendship Store since 2008—though with an underlying aim of promoting Chinese culture in a fun and engaging way.
Her fascination with Chinese culture and history started in kindergarten when her father, “with his wicked sense of humour”, picked a lengthy Chinese poem and offered her $20 to memorise it. “The nuances were very poetic and it painted a lot of pictures in my mind. I think that planted the seed in me.”
After university, she immersed herself in a world she calls the “Asian decorative arts”, first volunteering at the Asian Civilisations Museum for close to seven years, then pursuing a postgraduate diploma at London’s British Museum in the field. The former broadcast journalist later translated her interest into a fashion career. Icons, symbols, crafts and materials of her Chinese heritage are incorporated into apparel and accessories.
She has also published It’s New Year! Tong Tong
& Xiao Xiao’s Chinese New Year Handbook, a children’s book supported by the National Heritage Board that highlights Chinese traditions, and started a reading club at her Shaw Towers boutique to encourage children to learn Mandarin.
Arnault Castel, Kapok | Colin Chen, The General Company | Dennis Tay, Naiise.com
Arnault castel, colin chen and dennis tay are three men fighting—in their own ways—for the same cause: to push the local design industry to its full potential. Aware of the hardship that comes with starting from the bottom of the industry, the entrepreneurs behind Kapok, The General Company and Naiise.com respectively have set out to give indie product designers a retail stage.
Arnault Castel
Frenchman Arnault opened the Singapore outpost of his Hong Kong-based multi-label fashion and lifestyle store Kapok at the National Design Centre last year, in the hope of revolutionising the lifestyle scene here by garnering local support for smaller, lesser-known brands. “If you choose to shop and support creative and emerging brands, you can help build communities and foster great careers.”
Colin Chen
The General Company provides a common space for creatives to gather and work together, easing restrictions caused by the lack of resources, says Colin, one of three co‑founders. It also promotes traditional crafts like leatherworking and pottery by tapping on its Rolodex of artisans and craftsmen for interactive demonstrations at private events, and runs Tyrwhitt General Company, a creative retail space above popular hipster coffee joint Chye Seng Huat Hardware in Tyrwhitt Road, selling crafted goods and items with a nostalgic Singapore flavour, as well as organising craft workshops.
Dennis Tay
Online store Naiise stocks a holistic range of lifestyle goods—including a good number of local brands—from beautiful teak furniture and eclectic functional home accessories, to books, fashion and even organic and artisanal foods that hipsters would embrace. Dennis, a former managing director of a creative agency, hopes to one day develop a design-centric society, where design becomes a daily essential and “everyday part of life”.
Commonly, the three men hope to match the competitiveness of the local design industry with that of the international. As Colin explains, “With everyone doing their own thing, we need a bigger connecting network. Having a proper system and community can help us reach out to regional players. That’s the true power of design.”
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