Issue 14

The brains Yellow Octopus, a creative agency, created YOLO to commemorate its tenth year in the creative design industry. With the firm belief in living life ‘intensely and fearlessly’, YOLO has chosen to work with Tan, a Singaporean textile designer and NAFA School of Fashion lecturer, to produce a capsule collection – the YOLO Eco Collection – to make its debut during the Singapore Fashion Festival 2008. 

The goods Using recycled bamboo fibres, soft, fine textured and wearable fabrics are created by spinning the raw materials into jersey. The bamboo is a more affordable option than used denim – which can cost up to 20 per cent more – and in good supply; it also makes the homespun label eco-friendly and cheaper to produce. The refined cloths are then shipped over from Thailand to Singapore where there are designed, patterned, stitched and then sold mostly as easy-to-wear women’s tops, with no buttons and zippers to fumble over, and thin enough to suit our tropical climate. 
Her big break Winner of the Singapore Young Fashion Designer Award and participant in London Fashion Week in 2002, Tan’s newest partnership with YOLO sees the designer producing an exclusive collection of clothing that is both environmentally conscious and practical to don. For this collection, she’s used subtle floral prints on feminine silhouettes, producing a series of blouses cut in eight styles. Our picks These tops ($79-$218) will take you from the office till after-dinner drinks. The floral-print V-neck blouse ($218) makes the transition look effortless, while oversized kimono sleeves and a general loose fit allows for a sensible look in the workplace and a chic style in the bar at night. It’s also a fantastic addition to the rack for women who are body-conscious as the top creates the illusion of the perfect silhouette when worn. 
Where to buy Asia WOW Retail Bazaar (until 6 Apr) at Raffles City Fashion Festival 2008. Level 3, Raffles City Shopping Centre. MRT: City Hall; Curiocity Gallery, #A1-02, 38 Bencoolen St (6334 6022). MRT: Dhoby Ghaut.