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Pride can be described as a feel ing or deep pleasure or

sat isfact ion derived from their own achievements, the

achievements of those c losely associated, or from quali t ies or

possess ions that are widely admired – and there certainly has

been a lot for us to be proud about in recent months! Singapore

just ce lebrated i t ’s birthday. . . MODA celebrated our birthday

as wel l … the fabulous FIDE fashion week has just wrapped

up and establ ished Singapore as one of the fashion capitals in

the world and ofcourse - our lovely

editor in chief was awarded with the Harpers Bazaar x ION

Orchard photographer award!

There’s certainly a lot to celebrate and be proud about - so

for this i ssue, we’ve decided to cont inue beaming and shine the

spot l ight on some local heroes and ask them:

“What does Singapore mean to you?”

But as we look back – the journey forward is just as bright!

MODA has got a lot of exci t ing things cooking in our pot so

s tay tuned as we continue to bring you the latest and greatest

in local fashion, arts, des ign and music!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher.

The views expressed in MODA Magazine are those of the respective contributors, and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or staff.

MODA welcomes all unsolicited contributors, but cannot accept responsibility for any possible loss of damage of the submitted material.

issue 03Is produced by

editor-in-ChiefCornelyus Tan | cornelyus@modamagsg.com

editorAkito Kun | akito@modamagsg.com

dePutY editorGabriel Tan | gabriel@modamagsg.com

Creative direCtorAaron Han | aaron@modamagsg.com

advertising/Marketing Dennison Phua | dennison@modamagsg.com

Contributors

Get inspired by our monsters residing at cafes Artistry, Chye Seng Huat Hardware, Lowercase, PACT and The Plain and create your own design. Win 2 return flights from Singapore to KL, hotel stay and entrance to Urbanscapes, Malaysia’s longest-running music and creative arts festival. Check out the cafes & www.kult.com.sg for our monsterific creations and more details!

Matthew Fam, Theodore Woon, Pippin Emerald,Avina Tan, Nicole Lee, Matthieu Belin, Li Siw-en, Erika Tan,Jessica Ee, Terrance Tan, Reyme

H and Richard Chen

Follow us:www.modamagsg.com

facebook.com/moda.mag.sginstagram.com/modamagsg#

conte

nts

14 INTERVIEW WITH ONG SHUNMUGAN

16 SPECIAL FEATURE: KAE HANA &

PAULINE NING

44 INTERVIEW WITH DAWN NG

46 THEY CALL ME MEAN

Photography: Cornelyus TanArt Direction: Aaron HanStyling:Gabriel TanModels (Erika & Nicole)wearing Coupé-Cousu

Known for her structural & minimal styles, Sabrina has emerged from the Singaporean fashion scene onto the international scene; mixing the elements of symmetry and asymmetry, to develop salacious silhouettes for both men and women.

For this collaboration, Sabrina has created a collection in exclusive and luxurious motif-imprint Thai Silk inspired by her signature

styles. A total of 16 outfits in the color palette of white, black, grey and different shades of blue will be distinctively featured in this premier collaboration.

happening on: 27 September 2013 at Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand.

More information about Elohim by Sabrina Goh: www.sabrinagoh.com

S n i p p e t s F a s h i o n A k i t o K u n 0 6

Mash up keeps it crazy with their “Locos in Tokyo” Autumn/Winter 2013 Collection launching in September - which pushes the boundaries again and challenges Mexican American and Japanese cultural styles to a phantasmagoric and electric effect.

MODA got a sneak peek of the new collection at butter factory earlier this month and we were blown away by some of the new level of details, featuring traditional kitsune masks and typography - but what really takes the cake on the new offering are the silhouettes on the neon kimono dresses which are an amazing statement of Mash-ups style, technique and vision - clashing the colorful vibrancy of Mexican American culture against a context of Japanese structure in tailored expressions of individuality.

THE PASSAGE is an expressive and romantic collection filled with rich color and elaborates prints of blemished butterf ly motifs. The collection strikes up a unique balance between fragility and power with its clean-cut and strong silhouettes and feminine finishes. Flattering tailoring is always very welcome and the collection comprising 21 different looks, ref lects Asian pride through not only its designs but its materials, which range from silks sourced from India, lace from Indonesia and cottons from Japan.

MODA is absolutely in love with a flowing evening dress that shimmers with movement vlace aptly coined as Weaved in Love, and a simply tailored lavender dress with a illusions of broken butterfly prints cathartic yet poetically referred to as “if blemishes were beautiful”.

S h o p p i n g S u n d a y s a r e f o r S u n d a e s F a s h i o n A a r o n H a n0 8

0 9

Hand-made Pink Camo BowtieGold plated Agate necklace by By Invite Only

Argyle Socks by Happy SocksBase Bali Cap by Waiting for the Sun

1 1

Tortoise Shell Framed Sunglasses & Pink Framed Sunglasses by Sunday SomewhereRed Bamboo Framed Sunglasses by Waiting for the Sun.

F e a t u r e O n g S h u n m u g a n F a s h i o n G a b r i e l T a n & A k i t o K u n 1 3

Back in August last year, MODA checked out a small indie showcase organized by Carrie K where artisans practising various mediums of art gathered together; it was there that I chanced upon a label that I found myself enchanted by.

Merely a year later, Ong Shunmugam has exponentially grown and reached all edges of the fashion world with its very first runway debut showing in none other than Paris. To Priscilla Ong, who is the designer behind the label, it was unimaginable having her first full collection shown to important editors, a bevy of French media and other esteemed guests at one of the most ma-jor fashion weeks in the world so soon. She had “not dared to dream that big” because her label had just taken off and recalls being backstage, asking the show producers “So, what do I do now? Where do I stand? How do I bow?”

With that experience under her belt, Priscilla Ong has come into her own and continues to challenge herself. Taking huge strides, she recently concluded the unveiling of her fifth collec-tion titled “Whenever I Fall At Your Feet”, by holding her first exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. “I knew that we needed more than just a runway show to flash out the relation-ship between the designs and the structures. I imagined us having a space where we could dis-play each design with its corresponding structure and to fill in the blanks with an explanation through words or imagery.”

But starting out wasn’t always fun – as we asked Priscilla about how Ong Shunmugam was start-ed, she describes it as an “adventure” of sorts. After graduating from law school, she was faced with “an odd mix of achievement with discontent, without knowing exactly where this discon-tentment was coming from”. But an abrupt pause to a possible dream in early 2008 saw her pack her bags and flee to London with an open mind, endless possibilities and a handful of dreams that lay before her. There, decisions were made on “circumstance and instinct” and “design and fate” so to speak, but buying a sewing machine was her first step towards her designer destiny, as everything seemed to just fall seamlessly into place.

But why did we fall in love with her all that time ago? Why are we still falling in love with her now? To put it simply, Ong Shunmugam is the answer to contemporary Asian womenswear with-

O N G S H U N M U G A N

out the clichés and stereotypes. It digs deep at Asia’s sartorial and textile history and with careful referencing from a spectrum of this rich heritage. Not only do the designs from each collection relook at the traditional, and transforms concepts to find currency with women of the present generation – but the label itself is an homage to her own heritage where her “maternal grandfa-ther…sailed from China at the age of 8 for Singapore and her paternal grandfather left India to seek work in colonial Malaya” who “both braved uncertainty to better their lives and if not for these qualities they shared, I wouldn’t have happened. So I named the label after these two men, merging their surnames to instantly communicate the label’s starting point for everything we do. The label is a project about bringing heritage from the past into the future and it is beyond time, beyond place, beyond me. I don’t feel it belongs to me; it belongs to the two great civilisations I come from”.

This spark in her and the vision she set has carried the brand far, which has led her to believe that this progress is a positive indication that the local fashion industry is now being taken more seriously. Local brands are producing works that are of a certain standard and this speaks more about the readiness of the industry, and those with influence have a greater faith in the calibre of home grown work regardless of who the creator is. She does, however, urge and encourage Singaporeans to be more daring in creating their own identity.

As we approach the end of the interview, MODA queries on what the future of Ong Shunmugam looks like and this is where we gather a sense of perhaps the old lawyer coming through – with the business strategic dissection of her work “either through critical or commercial feedback, that the label has achieved and maintained a style that is clearly identifiable, influential to some extent and consistent over the years” while trying to continually “fully understand how its de-signs are connecting with customers” and ensuring that “with every collection released, the brand should keep trying to challenge contemporary Asian aesthetic and provoke people to think”.

Concluding the interview, MODA asks if she will keep her label as a family business the way many traditional Asian designers and tailors do, or whether this is just the beginning of some-thing much larger? We were both humbled and touched with her response – not only taking it at face value, but establishing a somewhat philosophical yet romanticised connection of time con-tinuity where we “look forward to passing the baton on to someone in the future, whether or not it is my own child, I feel that matters less. Family is what you are born with but along the way in life you acquire many other people who sometimes become family or even more than that. Con-nections with people can be forged without labels.”

And with that, MODA has fallen in love all over again.

F e a t u r e K a e H a n a F a s h i o n G a b r i e l T a n & A k i t o K u n 1 4

Singapore may very well have a Mary Kantrantzou right under our noses. Kae Hana, the designer, is a print-loving enthusiast who focuses on creating exclusive prints for her label and works in collaboration with other local artists for her label as well. Her first collection features a beautiful digital print that caught my eye immediately – on first sight, what looks like flowers or lilies reveal a darker motif upon further inspection. The flowers have been cleverly worked into a skull motif, a recurring theme in the collection, taking sugar sweet bursts of color on a wickedly cool turn. True to her signature style, KAE HANA‘s third collection-to-date which is entitled “Ride the winds” is one that showed a visual delight of sensual and energy-in-duced prints that are composed of flowing, rhythmic lines and impressive provo-cation in colours. Rendered in chiffon and other breathable fabrics, Kae Hana (the label) is utterly wearable and the witty prints make it an ultra-cool statement piece as well.

Sipping on a cup of kopi-o-kosong, we catch up with Kae Hana who has lived in Singapore her whole life and designs with an enthusiasm to strike that balance between keeping things like her home town of Singapore; an “it’s filled with all things oriental yet modern!” MODA can certainly see this through her unique visionary prtings which are “influenced all by all things oriental.”Discussing how she feels fashion is trending in the masses today, Kae Hana agrees with us in noting that “it’s def getting better...With very easy to wear clothes fit for the weather but still stylish...I think the men are getting better dressed!”

Perhaps that enlightens us to suggest that a new collection maaaayyy be in the pipeline, but the tight lipped designer doesn’t let slip of any inside secrets she may have in the future fashions. Will she be contributing her collections to the Womens or the Mens fashion team? MODA can only hope that both genders get to battle for attention from the designer who confesses that her most Singaporean trait is to “Work until you die.”

Kae Hana! We certainly don’t want you to work until you die, but we eagerly lick our lips in anticipation to see what pieces will be unveiled from the future collec-tions of the Kae Hana powerhaus.

K A E H A N A

For more updates, visit Kae Hana on Facebook.com/Kae.hana.the.label or visit her shop at 9 Raffles Boule-vard, PARCO Marina Bay Level 2, Millenia Walk

Designers in Singapore are a rare and unique group of talented and determined individuals. MODA had the opportunity to sit with Pauline Ning and ask her about her influences, secret temptations and get to know the dynamic designer behind the pieces and collections we love so much.

“Being born and bred here in Singapore, influenced by the mish-mash of culture from various races, it became natural for me to put together differences and find a blending point. My inspirations comes from my explorations, trying to put in-triguing visuals in another perspective.”

But what you may not know about the designer is that she is also a durian enthu-siast with a craving for “cai tao kueh, give it to me anytime. Black with extra chilli please!”. You can certainly see these influences in all of her designs with a contrast-ing of flavours, textures and layers all leaning towards the singular and beautifully constructed garments in her collections.

MODA quizzes though - what is next in store for the adoring masses? What is your next collection? Pauline promises that her next series “named 'UN-DONE', revolves around the concept of being in the moment of development but putting a halt to perfecting them. Being in this forever-in-construction city, it's been amaz-ing to see the country developing, and yet at any point find an attractiveness in the new and old. It's incomplete, but definitely looks done.”

But we woner if that is synonmyous with what she feels as being the “Singporean stlye”? Singapore style is evolving between diversity and conformity and we agree with her in seeing that “the fashion scene has indeed got better over the years and I got to say the men are catching up in being the better dressed gender. The men I know would pay more these days to get their hands on quality, well made merchandise.”

MODA certainly see’s that thorugh the well fitted ensembles, with the tailored and tapered appeal that is also very weather friendly for Singapore - as we look ador-ingly forward to what comes next from Pauline and eagerly await for it to drop at her flagship store at Parco.

F e a t u r e P a u l i n e N i n g F a s h i o n G a b r i e l T a n & A k i t o K u n 1 6

For more updates, visit Pauline Ning on Face-book.com/Paulinening or visit her shop at 9 Raffles Boulevard, PARCO Marina Bay Level 2, Millenia Walk

PA U L I N E N I N G

W I T H S H A D O W SPhotography: Matthieu Belin

www.kaehana.com

S H A N G H A I TA N GPhotography: Cornelyus Tan

(Left to right):Erika: Necklace from Threadvbare & Squirrel and dress from Best of BritishSiwen: Headpiece, dress and clutch from Best of British

(Left to right):Jessica: Dress from Best of British,Necklace & ring, Stylist’s ownSiwen: Dress from Best of British, necklace and bracelet from Threadbare & SquirrelErika: Dress & Necklace from Best of BritishNicole: Dress from Ong Shunmugan, belt from Threadbare & Squirrel and ring, stylist’s own

(Left to right):Jessica: Dress from Ong Shunmugan,Necklace Threadbare & Squirrel, shoes from Sole2SoleErika: Dress from Ong Shunmugan, jacket from Best of British, necklace from Thread-bare & SquirrelNicole: Dress & headpiece from Best of Brit-ish and necklace from Threadbare & SquirrelSiwenL Dress from Ong Shunmugan and necklace from Threadbare & Squirrel

(Left to right):Nicole: Dress from Ong Shunmugan, belt from Threadbare & Squirrel and ring, stylist’s ownJessica: Dress from Best of British,Necklace & ring, Stylist’s ownErika: Dress & Necklace from Best of BritishSiwen: Dress from Best of British, necklace and bracelet from Threadbare & Squirrel

Absolut CanvasABSOLUT steps out into the limelight at ABSOLUT CANVAS showcasing the ways in which ABSOLUT cultivates creativity and innovation

One of the highlights in this year’s Singapore Night Festival features the iconic ABSOLUT silhouette in a way never seen before. With close to a hundred bottles on display, MODA got a chance to view rare and limited editions of ABSOLUT VODKA separated into six different themed showcases – the CITY Edition, the TRAVELLER’S Edition, the DISPLAY Edition, the VODKA INNOVATION Edi-tion, the LIMITED Edition and the RARE BOTTLES; which were undoubtedly in our opinion, the crown jewel of the exhibition.

The presence of these RARE BOTTLES, which have a limited production of less than 1,000 each, is cause for celebration as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to behold some of the rarest pieces, such as ABSOLUT MODE by famed British fashion designer Gareth Pugh. Of this collaboration, only 75 pieces exist worldwide.

The exhibition not only highlighted the visual creativity behind the ABSOLUT collabora-tions, but a tasty one – with all of the different flavors on show all at once. Be sure to keep your eye out for these limited edition flavors and bottles by ABSOLUT when you’re out next!

When: 23 August to 2 SeptemberWhere: National Museum of Singapore

Way of LifeGerman luxury technical camera brand, Leica Cam-era Asia Pacific presents A Way of Life – Photographs from the Leica Collection photography exhibition, showcasing original prints from world renowned pho-tography legends. Singapore has been picked for the world debut of this exquisite collection, with the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) playing host. A Way of Life features the 23 original prints of six prominent photographers from the Leica Collec-tion including 10 photographs from Henri Cartier-Bresson, widely considered to be the godfather of photo-journalism and co-founder of renowned photo cooperative Magnum. He is best remembered interna-tionally for his life reportage style that has influenced generations of photographers who followed.

When: 19 October – 31 December 2013Where: Learning Gallery, Asian Civilisations Museum,1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555

100Friends of Arts

The third annual edition of the ever-popular ‘100 Friends’ art exhibition series will run from 10 October 2013 to 6 January 2014 at ‘The Gallery’ tcc – The Connoisseur Concerto at 51 Circular Road, a mere hop, step and a hip-hop from Boat Quay and is forecasted to be a chart-topping hit…once more.

This time around the exhibition will have a ‘Hit Parade’ theme in that the 100 par-ticipating artists (local and overseas) will each produce an A4 size piece of art, titled and framed, depicting one of their favourite tunes. Some tunes will be obvious, some will be rather well hidden, and some subject to a creative imagination and some you’d never guess in a million years.

The framed artworks will be available to the public at SGD$199 each. Visitors are not restricted on how many paintings they can buy, fans can actually add to or start their own unique ‘Friends’ collection.

Presented by tcc – The Connoisseur Concerto - for the third time, tcc’s Business Development Manager (Branding and Arts) Charles Wong said: ‘tcc’s “The Gallery” boutique is delighted to play host to our ‘100 Friends’ exhibition for the third year running. During the upcoming exhibition our friends and patrons can revel and dine to the creative works of our 100 uniquely talented artists displayed over two comfortable floors while guessing the tune on display.

Art lovers, music lovers and coffee lovers have simply got to be there!

When: 10 October 2013 to 6 January 2014Where: The Connoisseur Concerto “The Gallery” 51 Circular Road

S n i p p e t s A r t / D e s i g n T h e o d o r e W o o n & A k i t o K u n 3 8

Gets SnappyThe quintessential and timeless French label, agnès b., embraces its artistic spirit and ce-ments its status as the iconic lifestyle brand with the launch and exclusive preview of the agnès b. Snap Cardigan Photo Exhibition on 4 September 2013.

Graced by renowned local photographer Les-lie Kee and Hong Kong starlet Karena Lam, two of the seven artists who unveiled their collaborations for the exhibition, the preview at The Paragon Shopping Centre is a beautiful display of lights and illuminated silhouettes of the label’s iconic snap cardigan, a hand-illustrated drawing made by designer, Agnès b. herself. It also marks the first stop of the global photo exhibition – a gesture paying homage to the label’s iconic silhouette.

The exhibition will showcase 70 photographs archived from over two decades of history where the brand’s hallmark silhouette plays muse to the lens of internationally renowned artists and photographers such as European artists Mikael Lafontan and Agnes Bonnot.

Other artworks unveiled from celebrated, lo-cal and regional artists included those from Singaporean filmmaker Royston Tan, Hong Kong visual artist Lam Wai Kit, Taiwanese songstress Cheer Chan and contemporary photographers Wang Ning De and Fisher Yu.

When: 5 – 14 September 2013Where: The Paragon Shopping Centre Atrium

Tian Tai Quan SoloExhibition

Score some culture brownie points and check out the Tian Tai Quan Solo Exhibition, presented by the Art Plural Gallery. Draw-ing from his own aching memories of the Cultural Revolution, the exhibit features 12 photographs from his Totem series. Through his photographic montages, the artist entangles reality and fiction with colorful yet violent images by juxtaposing sensuality against bleak imagery. Tian’s work is not only an examination of the multi-layered cultural history and social reality of China, but also an exemplifica-tion of the current trend in contemporary art that is a force in the residual effects of the Cultural Revolution. Color us impressed.

When: 2 October - 3 NovemberWhere: The Art Plural Gallery, 38 Armenian Street

The Affordable Art Fair Singapore is BACK! For its fourth year here in Singapore in November, where 95 galleries will take over the F1 put building and convert the blank canvas of a space into one worthy of the booming Singaporean art scene.

But in addition to the amazing works which will be showcased and shoppable in a few weeks time, the most endearing aspect of the fair in MODA’s humble opinion is that it aims to make art accessible to everyone – not shy to a particular style… not shy to a particular art-ist… and not shy to a particular budget!

Alongside Singapore’s well know names such as Ong Kim Seng and Boo Sze Yang, and rising stars such as Aaron Gan and Henry Lee; you’ll be able to grab a little piece of these artists to take home with you directly from the fair.

When: 21 – 24 November 2013Where: F1 Pit Building

Affordable Artfair

Being an artist in anywhere is no stroll in the park - but for Dawn Ng, she has gone from strength to strength with her talent and technique rocketing her through the artistic world and earning her multiple accolades such as being one of the youngest artists commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum to design the building’s façade for its 2010 Art Garden Show.

Dawn’s portfolio is extensive to say the least. The Georgetown University and UCL Slade School of Fine Art graduate has spent over a decade dabbling in art, design and advertising. Her work exemplifies this through her unique play on that which is both contemporary, commercial and creative.

Our local aficionado also doesn’t have any meticulous procedure in planning her works either, it seems- she’s a girl of gut. We like. “I don’t have a set formula or approach except that I follow my obsessions to their furthest end. Sometimes it is entirely candid, at others, there is considerable research goes into an idea.” says Dawn of how she clips at the fringes of inspiration.

MODA had the unique opportunity to sit down with her, and share some insights into her world - such as what her favorite artwork to date is. ‘I Fly Like Paper Get High Like Planes’ she beams and though we totally got that M.I.A. reference we can certainly see why as it is one of the pieces we find intriguing as well.

“I love working on things which are larger than life, and possess a kind of volume that can swal-low you whole,” whose impact is felt through a semi-lit showroom at night, the silhouettes of the paper planes create a hypnotic geometric print; a minefield of darts frozen in time. It’s an immer-sive experience that expands the way one views an art piece- as viewer and participant of being part of the ensemble.

DAWN NGA r t / D e s i g n M a t t h e w F a m & A k i t o K u n 4 0 F e a t u r e D a w n N g

Dawn’s love for such larger-than-life works is also evident throughout her repertoire. Our other favorite series is something that most people should be familiar with; Walter is both visually stunning and a gigantic white rabbit like symbol of childhood innocence clashing against the backgrounds and memories of a rapidly changing Singaporean landscapes: el-evated MRT tracks snaking through grasslands, and colour-co-ordinated HDB blocks designed in the early 1990’s.

In a series of guerrilla installations - anony-mously placed art pieces in public places - Walter juxtaposes against the oft-overlooked pockets in our environment with such famil-iar childhood objects. Think of it as street art minus the corrective work order slap. (We still love you, Sticker Lady!)

Walter had even gained such traction since its inception in 2010, that it is now within the permanent collection of the Singapore Art Mu-seum. Plus, merchandise of this little cutie can be bought from NHB sites such as the National Museum of Singapore in the form of t-shirts, postcards and limited edition plush toys!

But the burning question on our lips was about her future plans, Dawn tells us, “I will be installing a Walter roving gallery, which was commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum. The container will travel around the heart-lands in 2013. I am also working on an entirely new body of work.” We most certainly can’t wait.

If you haven’t heard yet, don’t worry. You will. With a name which sounds like you should know a guy, that knows a guy before you know of him – or something you would dead drop in the bins of Los Pollos Hermanos to sneak a teenth over, Mean is one of Singapore’s local rap-per and designers who is creeping onto the scene with his second album entitled “In Flight”.MODA sat down with man behind the music, who although had started writing since he was 13; although it wasn’t until he met another friend in polytechnic who is also from the same collective, where the momentum started to build. But distil that momentum with a few grams of pain and heat evenly over a catalytic event has resulted in what MODA feels is almost like a musical biography. Drawing from his past, Mean wanted to bring people in to his mind – drawing on his life and his aspirations. “In the past, I made music where it wasn’t conceptual. But for this album, I wanted to bring people on a trip through my head, with my thoughts and emotions. Track 4, Cloud Castle, it’s about being on this Throne which is totally imaginary and where I wished my life was. And one of my friends tweeted: “I like the quiet air of desperation amid the purple haze.” So it’s about what I really yearn to have and where I am right now. “MODA sampled the album for ourselves, and agree that the whole album is like a trip which could be broken down into many different levels. Whether you want to interpret that as being travelling on a plane, or travelling to space is up to you – but when MODA asked, any miscom-munications were laid to rest. “I wanted to take someone on a trip as though it simulates the act of doing drugs. Naturally we can’t do drugs, so I used music as a form of drugs. To simulate what you can get from drugs through music. Like therapy without the real things. For someone who doesn’t know what it feels like, when you listen to it. The progression is such where it takes someone who is light-ing up a joint, to getting high and peaking and in the zone... and possibly getting paranoid and getting a bad trip and the down. That’s the idea. An entire trip.”And as with any “trip” of sorts, the beginning is probably the most ecstatic part of the journey. “…The intro to everything. It was also a track that I produced myself. It was done in a way where I could best express myself. I wrote the song as though I was a bad guy doing every-thing wrong. But it’s a personal point of view. Someone who listens may see me differently, but that’s how I feel.” When breaking down the lyrics further MODA susses out Mean’s love of fashion and clothes; name dropping Jill Sanders and Gareth Pugh in his tracks. “I am all about fashion. I feel fash-ion is influential. It enhances people’s perspective of you. You talk the talk you walk the walk. If you think you are somebody you have to dress the part. For my case I talk a lot (sic) about clothes, so I have to know about clothes. Who you are as a person the clothes speak for you. “ In the Mean-time while we wait for the next album to hit, MEAN sheds light on some other projects that he is working on – what catches out attention is a fashion capsule collection, which is hitting the streets at the end of the year. The collection is hinted as drawing inspira-tion from street wear and Greek mythology. MODA can’t wait for the results and is eager to see who’ll be caught doing some “Mean” on the streets.

If you haven’t heard yet, don’t worry. You will. With a name which sounds like you should know a guy, that knows a guy be-fore you know of him – or something you would dead drop in the bins of Los Pollos Hermanos to sneak a teenth over, Mean is one of Singapore’s local rapper and designers who is creeping onto the scene with his second album entitled “In Flight”.

MODA sat down with man behind the music, who although had started writing since he was 13; it wasn’t until he met another friend in polytechnic who is also from the same col-lective, where the momentum started to build. But distil that momentum with a few grams of pain and heat evenly over a catalytic event has resulted in what MODA feels is almost like a musical biography. Drawing from his past, Mean wanted to bring people in to his mind – drawing on his life and his aspi-rations.

“In the past, I made music where it wasn’t conceptual. But for this album, I wanted to bring people on a trip through my head, with my thoughts and emotions. Track 4, Cloud Castle, it’s about being on this Throne which is totally imaginary and where I wished my life was. And one of my friends tweeted: “I like the quiet air of desperation amid the purple haze.” So it’s about what I really yearn to have and where I am right now. “MODA sampled the album for ourselves, and agree that the whole album is like a trip which could be broken down into many different levels. Whether you want to interpret that as being travelling on a plane, or travelling to space is up to you – but when MODA asked, any miscommunications were laid to rest.

“I wanted to take someone on a trip as though it simulates the act of doing drugs. Naturally we can’t do drugs, so I used music as a form of drugs. To simulate what you can get from drugs through music. Like therapy without the real things. For some-

THEY CALL ME

MEANWhen breaking bad sounds good

M u s i c A a r o n H a n & A k i t o K u n 4 0 F e a t u r e M e a n

one who doesn’t know what it feels like, when you listen to it. The progression is such where it takes someone who is lighting up a joint, to getting high and peaking and in the zone... and possibly getting paranoid and getting a bad trip and the down. That’s the idea. An entire trip.”And as with any “trip” of sorts, the beginning is probably the most ecstatic part of the journey. “…The intro to everything. It was also a track that I produced myself. It was done in a way where I could best express myself. I wrote the song as though I was a bad guy doing everything wrong. But it’s a personal point of view. Someone who listens may see me differently, but that’s how I feel.” When breaking down the lyrics further MODA susses out Mean’s love of fashion and clothes; name dropping Jill Sand-ers and Gareth Pugh in his tracks. “I am all about fashion. I feel fashion is influential. It enhances people’s perspective of you. You talk the talk you walk the walk. If you think you are some-body you have to dress the part. For my case I talk a lot (sic) about clothes, so I have to know about clothes. Who you are as a person the clothes speak for you. “ In the Mean-time while we wait for the next album to hit, MEAN sheds light on some other projects that he is working on – what catches out attention is a fashion capsule collection, which is hitting the streets at the end of the year. The collection is hinted as drawing inspiration from street wear and Greek mythology. MODA can’t wait for the results and is eager to see who’ll be caught doing some “Mean” on the streets.

Where: Mean’s album is out and available on http://ampheta-mean.bandcamp.com/

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