Embrace Power In A New Femininity With Our October 2020 Issue

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the future of fashion. How will fashion weeks play out—will they all be digital? Will shopping in malls still happen? When and where will be we be able to wear our finery and enjoy the show of fashion? I’ve been seeing a resurgence of crowds at Orchard Road. In fact, it’s practically packed to the brim at many restaurants and eateries. But the shops are still a little quiet. And yes, it is worrying because without customers returning to and enjoying the centuries-old art of shopping, the retail and fashion economy in Singapore cannot survive. So I decided to dedicate this issue to the key trends of fall/ winter 2020 as well as the fashion heroes who create strong discourses on style and substance that enable us to enjoy a beautiful and fashionable life.

The definition of femininity has truly been turned on its head this fall/winter 2020 season. Leather has been shaved, stretched and shaped to be as pliable as silk (see page 47). Bold, psychedelic prints have moved from chintzy curtains and Persian carpets to trumpet-sleeve dresses you could wear for day (page 74). Tulle has toughened up, as have vests and ruffles, taking them right into the noon sun, best worn with combat boots of all shapes, heights and prices (page 45). Bags, a big focus for many fashion houses, have returned micro-sized, with belts and pouches doubling as chic storage options for all your bits and bobs. Female designers are heralding the return of the ultra-feminine fringing, the allure of pink and the romance of lace, but put together for an undeniably defiant, womanly take. It’s unapologetic fashion—one that gives women the ability to dictate how they are seen. Read Associate Fashion Director Jeffrey Yan’s insightful piece on the designers reclaiming femininity on page 54.

We also shone a spotlight on one of our favourite stylish Singaporean women, Wendy Long (page 107). This statuesque lady cuts a slim figure in mostly black, skintight Saint Laurent or Chanel, her already-tiny
waist helmed in further by her Alaïa corset belt, and sashays with a steady gait atop some of the highest heels made for women. Wendy takes no prisoners in her style philosophy, and we love her for her bravado and daring in a country more known sartorially for slippers and shorts. We highlighted, too, a Singapore-born actor with mixed Asian and Caucasian heritage who has had an uphill struggle before his meteoric rise in Hollywood: Ross Butler. Dashing and with a voice that speaks to Asians living in America, he tells his tale on page 95. To end on a little twist and turn, we featured the gorgeous Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio on our special double cover. Born a male and now fully a woman, she reminds us that femininity in this decade is truly multi-faceted. I believe that inclusivity must happen in order to push the needle forward, because to be safe is to be sorry. Take the plunge with us at Harper’s BAZAAR and dare a little. I promise it’ll be a joyride.

—Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief 

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Photographer: Claire Rothstein
Stylist: Windy Aulia
Model: Valentina Sampaio/ Premier Models London
Makeup: Kirstin Piggott
Hair: Lyndell Mansfield
Photographer’s assistant: Sandra Seaton
Styling assistant: Charly Suggett