sophie and anna du toit on the art of the serve

A dinner at the home of these Gen Z sisters is the stuff of cool girl Instagram dumps with mood lighting and eclectic table settings that feature anything from vintage cutlery to random objects picked up on their travels. Perhaps it's to do with their artistic backgrounds: The 22-year-old Sophie is a university student majoring in global studies and a mini social media sensation for her effortless style and slice-of-life content (her Tik Tok account @soapyduuutwahhh, for example, has clocked some 1.8 million Likes), while Anna, 23, is an artist and an assistant curator at home-grown art platform GOFY, which focuses on Southeast Asian art. No, you can't join in the party (the elaborate meals they host are private affairs), but you could hold one like it. Keng Yang Shuen gets them to spill some tips on tablescaping and more.

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HI, ANNA AND SOPHIE! TELL US WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN FOOD.

Sophie: “Food has always been central to our upbringing and our appreciation for it was shaped by our parents. As a family, we have never resisted trying out new cuisines and dining experiences, and our parents have always made sure that we were exposed to all kinds of food growing up ... Having grown older, we've come to realise that food and the experience of eating together is not just about feeling satiated. Ultimately, it's a social experience and about shared enjoyment.”

WHAT LED YOU TO START HOSTING YOUR OWN PRIVATE DINNER PARTIES AND MAKING IT A POINT TO PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE SETTING?

Sophie: “We live on the Nanyang Technological University campus, as that's where our mum works, making it a complete trek for friends who come and visit. This used to deter us from trying to host anything at home, but when Anna hosted her 19th birthday party at our place, we discovered how much we love the process of preparing, decorating and arranging our living and dining spaces for guests. Now, whenever friends come all the way to our home, we want the experience to be magical. Every gathering is different and exciting, and no two are the same because the occasions for them aren't either.”