Niana Guerrero Is Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore’s May 2025 Cover Star
This May, it’s all about stars on the rise.
By Kenneth Goh - published
It struck me while walking along Fifth Avenue in New York on a bright late April morning that American women of a certain vintage really look fabulous. Their attention to detail: the perfect coiffure, the carefully painted faces, manicured nails and shoes that always match their bags, are simply stunning. I thought to myself, “Why don’t the women in Singapore dress this way?”
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In an issue celebrating fabulosity at every age, I have tried to find inspiration on the streets. But, I’ve yet to find a distinct style that defines Singaporean chic. Of course, it doesn’t help with our heat and humidity. But if you look at our neighbours—the women who lunch in the glitzy hotels from Bangkok to Manila, Hong Kong to Jakarta—they have embraced the weather and created a “look”. Whether it’s designer bags and coiffed ’dos or ethnic dress reinterpreted in contemporary silhouettes, they look polished, chic and neat.
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Singaporean dressing, whether it’s in the 30s, 40s or beyond, is all very, very casual—a fitted t-shirt, a pair of jeans or trousers and open-toe sandals or sensible shoes. If you are lucky, you might get a printed dress, a Chanel bag and heels. While there’s nothing wrong with shorts and a t-shirt, it’s a shame that we as a nation do not embrace our unique multi-cultural fabric to reflect that very fact.
As a Singaporean editor, I’ve always encouraged our women to dress up but rarely do we get a chance to feature older women who enjoy this art. Thankfully, this month we have one such stylish mum-and-daughter duo in Inez and Chloe Liem, who talk about their love for jewellery, in particular Van Cleef & Arpels. Turn to page 80 in the issue to see how they have turned girl math into an exquisite art form.
Singapore is a nation driven by commercial success; a nation built on meritocracy; and we don’t have the same social constructs as our neighbours. We speak Singlish, with an accent that can’t be used to define our class or status. Unlike in countries where the vernacular, your last name, your address and what school you went to define the social circle you play in, Singapore is a lot more homogeneous. And that’s wonderful as a society, but it is so very tough when it comes to defining a Singapore style.
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Perhaps we can say food is our signifier. Singaporeans are so passionate about it that we will brave the sweltering heat to get our hands on the latest haute cuisine. This explains why Prada, Ralph Lauren, Coach and even high-end watch brand Audemars Piguet are muscling in on our local culinary-scape with their branded cafes.
Turn to page 90 of the issue where fashion editor Aaron Kok talks about the abundance of food-meets-fashion ventures. He suggests that these brands may have found a way to ease people into the rarified world of luxury, and polish up their style quotient. Perhaps, the way into a Singaporean wardrobe is via a happy belly. There’s hope for us yet.
—Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief
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Editor-In-Chief: Kenneth Goh
Stylist: Gracia Phang
Photographer: BJ Pascual
Cover look: Swarovski
Hair: Jay Aquino
Makeup: Anthea Bueno
Producer: Roxanne Matias
Photographer’s assistants: Ruel Estrellis, Richard Detita, John Paul Dela Cruz, Abel Santos, Edmil Santos
Stylist’s assistants: Ariel Floresca, Raquel Acosta