Merchants of the Thousand Rivers

Design Orchard

This terraced 3-storey structure with an open rooftop amphitheater plays the dual role of being an incubation and retail space for up-and-coming creatives looking to break into the fashion industry. With exclusive capsule collections such as athleisure-wear by Finix, sustainable and ecofriendly garments by Little Match Girl, luxury silk items by Martha WHO, elegant dresses sporting traditional motifs from Kanzi by Liza Yahya, just to note a few, you need to stop by and revel in the colours and styles on display. Even Carol Chen, the victor of the national fashion design competition – Singapore Stories 2020 – who won the honour of having her collection debut during Paris Fashion Week, has items available here. Top Tip: Send them a DM on Instagram and they can set up a virtual shopping session for you! •• 250 Orchard Road, Singapore 238905 Open daily: 10:30am – 9:30pm IG: @shopdesignorchard FB: Shopdesignorchard www.designorchard.sg

Adidas MakerLab @ VivoCity

Syiok! You got to visit the Maker Lab? Bojio! More than just local jargon, these terms, among other unique and colourful designs showcasing Singapore’s collective identity, can now be imprinted onto your outfits too. They can take the form of embroidery, patches and badges, and heat pressed vinyl’s, resulting in unique, customisable casual sporting apparel. This 3-storey Adidas Brand Store highlights the championing of athletic pursuits and an active lifestyle, to include championing creativity. A living sculpture made of the iconic 3 stripes pulsates to the rhythm of music in the building, while surrounded by the country’s namesake written in 4 languages promoting unity. A recreation of the geographical outline of Singapore made from 180 steel trefoils that are miniaturised versions of the logo hang from the ceiling. A mural – upon closer inspection – reveals designs for sneakers and an assortment of local kueh. So if ‘All Day I Dream About Shopping’, why settle for a plain retail store when you can visit one that doubles up as a modern contemporary art space too. •• 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-73/87, Singapore 098585 Open daily: 10am – 10pm IG: @adidassg http://www.adidas.com.sg/

snapshot

Marked out by their distinct wide brimmed rattan headwear, a group of merchant women gather together on their boats forming a sea star configuration on the Martapura River, ahead of their trip to the Lok Baintan Floating Market. Open from 6am to 9pm every day of the week, these traders look to peddle wares comprised of fruits, vegetables, and other delicacies that make up typical Kal-Sel food, as well as garden products and handicrafts in order to make a living. A fairly busy market for most of the week, it quietens down on Sunday as traders tend to head to the floating marketplace within the city of Banjarmasin to conduct business. Situated on a small Island in the middle of the Barito River, natives of Kalimantan widely refer to this locale as the ‘City of a Thousand Rivers’.

Genta Gunadi