Celyn Pan, the co-owner of multi-label store L’armoire, turns heads with her non-conformist flair for fashion, and that’s the way she likes it.
Celyn Pan is a citizen of the world, and she often dresses the part too, mixing and matching different style influences. The China-born co‑owner of indie multi-label boutique L’armoire in Mandarin Gallery credits her eclectic taste to her extensive travels—she’s out of the country at least once a month. The French capital, she enthuses, is her favourite city. “Paris gets all the latest collections first, but I also love how the Japanese embrace their local designers, and it’s not just about the typical luxury brands.
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“I’ve seen how people in different countries perceive fashion. For example, in Europe or Japan, people spend a lot of time on their clothes to show off their personalities,” the 29-year-old explains, adding that her husband and boutique co-owner Rocco Wu has provided her with a deeper insight into the world of fashion. Meeting Wu was the turning point in both her personal life and her wardrobe. She credits the lover of all things avant-garde as the person who has encouraged her to be more creative. “I used to wear only mainstream high‑fashion brands until he showed me that there was more to fashion,” she remembers. “And then, I went through a phase wearing only clothes from indie designers such as Rick Owens and Uma Wang. Today, I mix it up by pairing luxury pieces with independent labels.”
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In 2015, the couple moved from Shanghai to Singapore to start a family and discovered that their experiences abroad could be what the local fashion industry needed. “We wanted to bring in fresh blood and independent labels,” Celyn explains. “In Singapore, shoppers tend to be more conservative and practical. We want to encourage them to dare to dress differently.” That same year, they opened L’armoire (or French for closet), with brands so niche, such as Delada, Ottolinger and Alyx, that Rick Owens is the most commercial and mainstream label.
Scroll through the gallery below to see some of the items in Celyn's closet...
