Fashion's Helping Hand

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has left no industry unscathed and that includes fashion. Rather than wait it out, luxury brands such as Gucci and Prada took the initiative to limit production of their high-end goods, and pivot towards making masks and hospital wear as their contribution to the fight against the virus. Back home, independent local brands have also been whipped by the crisis especially with the circuit breaker measures. Being mainly SMEs, they're had to rethink their operations including stock intake and garment production, while trying to stay on the radar of their customers. Here's what some are doing to stay relevant and proactive during this crisis.

HEADS OF STATE MILLINERY DIY Masks Videos

Chee Sau Fen, a former design educator turned millinery designer, felt that the best thing she could do during the current crisis was to share her knowledge of design. "I proposed to the team at National Library to produce five live Facebook sharing sessions to teach novices how to make their own masks," says Miss Chee who started her millinery brand in 2011. With her main business on hold, she was inspired by mandatory mask wearing to research their design and materials, the result of which is her new mask collection. Called the Frond mask, it's a breathable hybrid mask made from overlapping layers or silk and cotton, which she hopes will add a bright note to commuters' daily routines.

www.headsofstatemillinery.com

SOURCE COLLECTIONS Donation Drive Source Collections founder Vincent Ooi initiated a "GIVE 10. GET 10" campaign in April, as his contribution in the battle against Covid-19. He stressed that the brand rarely gives discounts but for this campaign, he offered a 10 per cent discount while 10 per cent of revenue goes to The Courage Fund COVID-19 and The Invictus Fund. The campaign was a success as they managed to donate a four-figure sum to both charities. Going forward, the t-shirt label is also looking to evolve, with a wider range including dresses, tank tops and polo T-shirts.

www.sourcecollections.com

GIN LEE A Sustainable Approach

Excess inventory is a problem many local brands are facing now. With that in mind, womenswear label Gin Lee launched its Get-Order-On-Demand (GOOD) campaign where customers are encouraged to preorder and wait three to five weeks for their items. As an incentive, they enjoy 15 per cent off their purchases. "It doesn't benefit just us but the environment," says Gin Lee, who will also debut the brand's face masks during Phase Two. "We're putting the emphasis on good design, rather than churning out mass quantities of clothing that rely on unethical practices."

www.ginleestudio.com

ANSEIN Face Shields for Kids

Singapore-based Indonesian entrepreneurs Anseina Eliza and Erlyn Karmelia decided to put their design sense and resources to good use by making hazmat suits for Indonesian health care workers who were lacking in protective gear. They have also paused production on their usual ready-to-wear collection to focus on making more children's masks and hats with face shields. As schools reopen, Miss Anseina feels they need to step up. "The hat is designed in our signature multiway style: worn with or without the face shield, and inside out too."

www.ans-ein.com

KLARRA Hand Sanitisers

The womenswear label wanted to ensure their customers are protected during the crisis with essentials like masks and hand sanitisers. Founder Beatrice Tan says, "We donated a batch of masks to The People's Association Women's Integrated Network Council, while the rest, along with our very own hand sanitisers, were complimentary with every order."

It has also extended its return policy to 60 days with complimentary pickup from customers' homes. It's also widened its product line from predominantly ready-to-wear to shoes, with a new collection to be unveiled soon.

www.klarra.com

BAEBEEBOO Twinning Masks

Maggie Chan, the children's wear brand founder, learned sewing during Circuit Breaker so she could design masks for her family. Spurred by the positive response, she started producing them for her brand. Part of the sales proceeds for the twinning masks collection will go to Soulfood Catering's "share-a-meal" program. Miss Chan who previously outsourced her production to India, has moved it back to Singapore. "We feel this is the best time to help our fashion students as many are struggling to break into the industry," says Ms Chan who is also launching Baebeeboo's first ever twinning unisex shirts this month.

www.baebeeboo.com

RYE Work-From-Home Sets

Adaptability is what has helped creator Bessie Yu's brand weather the crisis. With work-from-home in full swing, she launched an exclusive two-piece set made up of signature basics that sold so well, it will be repeated in July. And for Rye's new Summer 2020 campaign, photo shoots were done via FaceTime, with fashion direction and styling done over Zoom. At the same time, she also reached out to AWARE with donations made to women affected by the pandemic. It's a cause that resonates with her especially as a woman in a female-dominated industry.

www.r-y-e.co