Singapore Design Week - The City Ramble

When Shophouse and Co approached The Mill to get on board as a venue partner for The City Ramble, a key anchor event of Singapore Design Week, 2018, we knew they were on to something. A two-day event was held over the weekend, 10th and 11th March, where The Mill was open to the public and visitors had first-hand experience in exploring the workspaces of local creatives and hearing about the latest design trends from designers themselves.

The 1925 Brewing Co. Restaurant had their pop-up cafe in our carpark serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The first 100 visitors were treated to a drink of their choice as a welcome drink. Sumptuous food items were also on the menu such as Wagyu Don and Truffle Baby Potatoes.

Each room on different levels housed showrooms and workspaces of local creatives. Furniture collectors and designers Retro Colony, For the Common Goods and Desinere shared the space and displayed their collections while hosting their talks to allow participants to better understand the trends in Asian Furniture as well as the thought process that goes into creating a piece of furniture, from conceptualizing to production.

Multi-label studio, For the Common Goods and Retro Colony showcasing their collections

Designers from For the Common Goods having a conversation with visitors on thoughtful design and sustainability

Bespoke tailor Kevin Seah’s retail space- Kevin Seah Black showcased his ready-to-wear-pieces and also shared stories from his 26 years of experience in the industry.

Workshops were held throughout the two days with woodwork artisan Plane and Bevel, leather craftsman Stone for Gold, flower school Poppy and Shoe Shine service Shoe Shine Uncle. The room was filled with hands-on activities such as making a simple pattern, Asa-Noha, out of maple wood, a cardholder stitching workshop and floral centerpiece arrangement to encourage and ignite visitors’ inner creativity.

Art installation by Tiffany Loy “Is Thist Fabric?” encourages visitors to decide what is fabric to them, or even just accept the un-categorizable as they are. On another floor, Singaporean photographer Marisse Caine’s art installation “Perfect Demons” is a sensory experience on the nature of the duality that exists within women through photographic and videographic elements.

Photographer Marisse Caine with The Common Culture

"Perfect Demons" Art Installation by Marisse Caine

"Is Thist Fabric" Art Installation by Tiffany Loy

The event closed with DJ YuJin playing a 2 hour set of Funk, Soul, Disco and House beats. Singapore Design Week was a wonderful opportunity to meet other local creatives and showcase the good work Singaporean talents have to offer to the public. We hope the event inspired Singaporeans to be proud of our homegrown creatives who are of an international calibre, and in turn inspire passion in them.