Glamour! Indie! Rock 'N' Roll!

The pandemic-birthed resuscitation of Indie Chic - or, as the media now puts it, Indie sleaze and its continual ascent on the internet and style charts. The luxury world's embrace of young musical acts such as the leather-suited maneskin and grunge princess Beabadoobee (and, dare we say, a 38-year-old Avril Lavigne). Gen z-ers' obsession with the late Dame Vivienne Westwood. Fashion has always sought stimuli from musical subcultures - the more provocative, the better - but lately, it seems as if we're entering a whole new weirdly nostalgic golden age of dressing like rockstars (go ahead, pick your genre). Boil it down, perhaps to tiktok, where the celebration of individual aesthetics and a hyper-smart algorithm have made discovering and forming a subculture (or the 2.0 version) as easy as a scroll. (at press time, the hashtags #indie and #punk raked in 11.9 billion and 8.1 billion views on the platform, respectively.) of course, many of us could also simply be inspired by the most rockstar generation today: twenty-somethings and under for whom self-expression and creativity are a way of life and, in the wake of the pandemic, are even less afraid of chaos. Ahead, all the fashion houses that are professing their love for rock 'n' roll in one way or another in spring summer 2023

Smells Like Teen Spirit

First revealed as part of Fendi's epic, collaboration-heavy 25th anniversary celebration of its Baguette handbag last year, the brand's highly anticipated capsule collection created jointly with fashion's original prince of grunge, Marc Jacobs, hits boutiques this month. Here we are now to entertain you with close-up look

Lady Stardust

Damnsel, last month, emerging singapore photographer Joseph Koh, aka badsoju, launched his debut book which documents young women here with an individualistic, punk-spirited sense of style, to much fanfare at the Singapore art book fair. This month, he reveals his first fashion editorial as commissioned by female: a showcase of spring summer 2023's florence welch-ian looks long, languid, vintage-tinged and unapologetically high on drama - shot in his favourite environment, the streets of Singapore

Rad Moon Rising

Classically trained singer and multi-instrumentalist Hannah Bussiere Kim, better known as luna li, first shot to fame during the early days of the pandemic with a series of tiktok jam sessions filmed diy-style in her bedroom. Now, she is touring the world, having made her debut performance in Singapore at the women-fronted music festival, the Alex Blake Charlie sessions, this february. In an exclusive shoot with female during her trip here, the toronto-based independent musician casts rock star glamour in a refreshing new light

Not Your Usual Book Club

An art book is not just some coffee table tome, Renee Ting will have you know. Instead, think of it as a work of art that comes in the form of a book. As founder and director of the Singapore Art Book Fair, or SGABF for short, the 30-year-old has been an indispensable figure in building awareness and support for this experimental medium here and in the region. This month from the 14th to the 16th she will host the biggest edition of the independent festival yet to mark 10 years since its debut in 2013. Ahead of this milestone, this bibliophile with a creative streak gives Keng Yang Shuen a crash course on art books, how the scene in Singapore has evolved, and the all-important community she relies on to help keep print going.

This Is Us

Last year, Dior Beauty amped up the bold, individualistic spirit of its high-shine Dior Addict lippie with the introduction of couture cases: decorative shells that fit any of the refill bullets from the range to give it a fashion-forward personalised touch. Now, another four holder designs and 10 shades have been added to the collection. Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup, tells Noelle Loh how his idea of self-expression is one for everybody

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

For the first time, Hermes has installed a creative director of fashion accessories within its house, a single role that oversees four of its existing ateliers: gloves, belts, hats and fashion jewellery. The woman who has taken up the mantle: Clemande Burgevin Blachman, a design guru who has spent most of her career behind the scenes and has lent her modernist eye to everything from bags to advertising and, most notably, furniture and interiors. In an exclusive interview with Female – her first with a publication from Asia – she tells Noelle Loh that what makes a great fashion accessory is a free mind

And We Are All Made Of Stars

More than 90 years ago, it took a fashion designer to show the world just how much fun and freedom one can have with diamonds. Her name: Gabrielle Chanel. Ahead of an exclusive showcase that pays tribute to her landmark high-end jewellery collection happening in Singapore this month, Imran Jalal delves into how the founder of Chanel helped us use the precious gemstone to find and express ourselves.

Chain Reaction

How is it possible that the same watch can look as elegant on a silver screen siren in her 70s as it does on one of menswear's most stylish millennials (and so many others in between)? Keng Yang Shuen zooms in on Cartier's coolly androgynous Tank Francaise, which gets its first-ever update this year, and how its all-metal design makes it an effortless styling accessory for all.

The Dream Factory

One of 2022's biggest art news was Documenta, arguably the world's most influential contemporary arts festival, held in Kassel, Germany, once every five years. Notably, this year's edition was headed by ruangrupa, a collective from Jakarta, Indonesia, known for espousing a non-hierarchical, communal approach to art-making. Spreading out the power, the group enlisted 14 collectives and artist groups that, in turn, invited other artists on board, resulting in a far looser and more decentralised interpretation of what a mega art event can look like.

The Queen & I

The mantra at Dior this season: "The power of fashion is the power of women". And trust creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri to turn to one of the most influential female style icons of all time for inspiration: the Italian-born 16th-century Queen of France Catherine de' Medici, who expressed her rule through not just her wit, but also her wardrobe. Together with the luxury maison, FEMALE looks at how her approach to dressing up continues to reign today.

Cartier's Androgynous Tank Francaise Watch: The Perfect Styling Accessory

How is it possible that the same watch can look as elegant on a silver screen siren in her 70s as it does on one of menswear's most stylish millennials (and so many others in between)? Keng Yang Shuen zooms in on Cartier's coolly androgynous Tank Francaise, which gets its first-ever update this year, and how its all-metal design makes it an effortless styling accessory for all.

The Sound Of The Underground

Call it the Tik Tok-fication of music: a new and young generation of performers who are eschewing elaborately produced bangers and music videos for a sound and image both raw and real with an unplugged edge no matter the genre. Nicholas See spotlights five up-andcoming names in the local scene to listen out for.

Creative Romance That Keeps On Giving

This month, one of the most iconic collaborations between a fashion house and a living artist is back for a sequel in boutiques here: the Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama capsule collection. Together with the French maison, Female looks at how this is a creative romance that keeps on giving.

LOREN

With a sound and look reminiscent of some of the most celebrated indie musicians from the 2000s, LØREN is the musical genius fueling an emo rock and roll revolution in the land of happy, shiny K-pop. Here is an up close and personal session with this post-punk prince from South Korea in his first cover story and fashion editorial with a Singapore magazine.

Natalie Portman On How The Expectations Towards Makeup Have Changed!

Having been in front of the cameras since she was a pre-teen and an ambassador for Dior Beauty since 2010, Natalie Portman surely knows more than a thing or two about putting one's best face forward - and maintaining it effortlessly. Recently, the 41-year-old was revealed as the campaign star of the French maison's latest lippie innovation: Rouge Dior Forever, which promises comfort, a clean formula and a cool 16 hours of no-transfer wear, all in a bullet. In an exclusive interview, the Thor star shares with Khong Yawen about how the expectations towards makeup have changed, and her beauty axioms that will never.

Chanel J12 The Model Gen Z Timepiece

Consider the Chanel J12 the model Gen Z timepiece. Born in the year 2000 with a gender-neutral design so ahead of its time, it's stuck coolly by its original look and identity, no matter how wild its makeovers get in the name of creative expression. This month, Chanel will hold an interactive exhibition on it right here in Singapore (stay glued to our digital platforms for details). As a teaser, Female and the maison offer a primer on this Y2K icon.

How You Should Dress And Consume Fashion Now

She was the breakout name from the graduating class of 2020 at Central Saint Martins - the London-based South Korean designer's eponymous label has since been coveted by celebrities ranging from Ariana Grande to Cardi B, with its handmade, more-or-more take on ultra-glamorous old-world couture. Now, Sohee Park is moving onto the next stage of her burgeoning fashion empire: a ready-to-wear line under Net-A-Porter's The Vanguard initiative that supports and mentors emerging talents, marking the first time that her ornate confections are commercially sold. Ahead of its launch on the e-tailer next month, the 26-year-old tells Keng Yang Shuen about her vision of how we should dress and consume fashion now.

World Of Its Own

There's a new fashion player in town: a zippy women-focused label from Sweden named & Other Stories that prides itself on being trendy and accessible - but don't call it a high street brand. Having opened a 6,000 sq ft boutique at lon Orchard - its first physical store in Southeast Asia - last month, it boasts not one, but three design ateliers; has artistic leanings (an in-store artist residency programme), and aims to be circular. Is that enough to excite a new gen of customers here though? Khong Yawen gets the lowdown from its Paris-based concept designer Olivia Bavencoffe.

Where The Wild Roses Grow

The most heart-warming stories are often the ones told by family. Here, a conversation between two key members of the Chanel N°5 household - Chanel nose Olivier Polge and the perfume's celebrity face, Marion Cotillard - that took place during a tour of the flower farm in Grasse where the iconic scent is birthed, and which tells the story of this fabled land.

The Eye Has To Travel

For his first-ever fashion editorial, the Singapore-based architectural photographer and artist Finbarr Fallon takes the Fall/Winter 2022 collections on an off-the-beaten track tour of our island-city to explore the notions of home. "The locations I chose represent different moments in the home-building process: the materiality of homes-in-progress; the infrastructure keeping our homes running; the need for constant urban renewal as the prevailing narrative of what makes a good city and possibly a liveable home," he says. "I'm very interested in the in-between spaces to be found within cities, especially one that is as well-curated and planned as Singapore. Even if these spaces don't come to mind first when we think about home, they're integral to the continual and often unruly - process of making and maintaining the city as a 'home'." -

Living In A Material World

For its upcoming home collection revealed at Milan Design Week in June, Hermes puts the universe of textiles centre stage for the first time, making it the anchor and inspiration for the entire line that ranges from blankets and stools to wall-mounted organisers. Imran Jalal finds out from Florence Lafarge – the maison’s creative director for home textiles, furnishing fabrics, wallpapers and all things kids – about how cloth is an important part of design and the social fabric in one’s abode.

my space

Reports have shown that an increasing number of young people in Singapore are seeking their own place to live in. For those who can't or don't, having a space at home to call and make their own can have a deep cultural and emotional significance. Pang Jiawei and Annalisa Espino Lim get four Gen Z creatives to share how their rooms have become a zone for self-expression and how that has in turn shaped them.

centres for the arts

Whether it's an open-to-all studio redefining how fashion should be exhibited or a bunch of arty boys democratising a stuffy, old recreational sport, the spaces and people featured here share one thing in common: They offer inspiration, support and refuge in short, a spiritual home to the local creative community. Keng Yang Shuen reports.

being

There are two sides to the Singapore-based architectural lensman and artist Finbarr Fallon. To clients, he's the go-to for slick yet poetic imagery of their latest star properties. To anyone who's discovered his personal Instagram account @fin.barr, he's the curious and romantic documenter of our island-city's urban landscape, capturing its hotchpotch of rawness, kitsch and polish with cinematic poignancy. Last month, he launched UNIT. a glimpse into Singapore's 1970s-'80s private apartments, his first book in which he photographs and interviews the residents of 10 of such dwellings – the latter are often-forgotten emblems of the nation's post-independence evolution with the pandemic as a backdrop. With it, he reveals a third facet: that of a chronicler of the inner lives of those navigating the shifting function, value and meaning of home. Keng Yang Shuen gets his POV.

Campbell O'shea On The Shifting Face Of Fashion Influencers

This month, Coach rolls out the second edition of its Key Opinion Leader (KOL) programme, an exclusive-to-Singapore initiative that sees six of its store associates turned into influencers who will star in a series of seasonal campaign photos to be showcased in the brand's local boutiques. O'Shea - the South-east Asian and Oceanian general manager for Coach's parent company Tapestry tells Gordon Ng about redefining who gets to be a fashion tastemaker today.

La Vie En Rose

The Les Eaux de Chanel fragrance line from the house of double "C"s was considered fresh in more ways than one when it debuted in 2018. Besides evoking lightness and effervescence in its own way, each scent was a tribute to a different destination dear to Coco Chanel and meant to be unisex. Last month, it ushered in its sixth and latest addition that might also come across as its most feminine: the pink-hued Paris-Paris that's inspired by the city's chic women and boasts a heart of Damascena rose. Yet - as Chanel's in-house perfumer Olivier Polge puts it - the emotions that a fragrance stirs up matter more than a gender label.

Bringing New Meaning To The Term "Soul Food"

Welcome to three of the most creative new players in experiential dining here. Their settings can hardly be called that of a restaurant, and their focus is as much on supporting the arts and the environment as it is on the menu, bringing new meaning to the term "soul food".

NEO Urban Males

In the '60s, it was referred to as the peacock revolution - when rock stars such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie redefined the look of virility with their gender-blurring wardrobes (paisley shirts, slim-fit pants, silk kimonos!). Fast-forward to the present day and a whole new generation of men is bringing back that same enthusiasm and adventurousness towards dressing up. They love to shop (a lot of them from vintage or vintage-style stores). They tend to mix and match garments, accessories, and influences - including those traditionally considered to be from the women's wardrobe - to create their personal look. And they're unafraid to show it off because, if they're anything like the 22 men here, why not? Welcome to the new era of sartorial liberation when (to paraphrase Damon Albarn) regardless of gender, one should always be wearing something they really love.

Intimate Close-Up Look At The Star Accessories

She's the daughter of a Cubism great, but it's her bodacious taste and style, and boldness in building her name as a jeweller that has made Paloma Picasso a muse to designers, including most famously Yves Saint Laurent. Now it's his present-day successor Anthony Vaccarello's turn, channelling her sexy, high-meets-low brand of glamour into Saint Laurent's Summer collection. Together with the maison, Female offers ancintimate close-up look at the star accessories.