Wendy wears her own Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello hat, bodysuit and boots

Wendy Long (applebytesblog)

This 39-year-old’s Instagram account, which was started around 2015, is one of the local fashion scene’s best-kept secrets. At press time, it had just 833 followers – a surprisingly modest number considering how it’s filled with images of the chic freelance writer all decked out in the latest statement designer looks. Recent posts featured the form-fitting, ’80s-style jumpsuit and logo belt from Chanel’s beach-inspired collection; the veiled Bibi hat from Hedi Slimane’s Celine debut; and a leopard print bodysuit from Saint Laurent – easily her favourite label, going by how regularly she’s pictured in it (and its boutiques, where she often snaps her OOTDs). For all that flamboyance, her account comes across less as showy, and more as a hardcore fashion lover’s visual diary. For one, her photos are always casually taken (she says she gets anyone from service staff to unsuspecting passers-by to help). She also obscures her face in every single one, be it with the strategic positioning of her phone or the addition of virtual stickers. (She declined to reveal her last name for this interview to maintain anonymity.) “Instagram is my digital diary to document my fashion pieces,” she says. “I wanted to retain a degree of privacy since it’s a public account. I could make it private and reveal myself, but I like how Instagram is an interactive platform that’s borderless and allows one to discover new things.”

Wendy wears her own Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello dress and boots, and Celine By Hedi Slimane veiled hat. Sunglasses, Gentle Monster.
Wendy wears her own Alexandre Vauthier gown, Chanel hat and Alexander McQueen belt.
Wendy wears her own Oscar de la Renta gown, Dior beret, Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello earrings, and Christian Louboutin platform sandals.
Wendy wears her own Saint Laurent By Anthony Vaccarello romper, earrings and platform sandals.

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Olivia Eleazar (@elkantlers)

Describing herself as a “creative chameleon”, this 25-year-old wears many hats. By day, she’s a visual designer at a tech giant; by night, she presides over a team of eight as the creative director of her popular body jewellery label Ask & Embla. Come weekends, she plays freelance stylist and photographer to clients that have included an array of lifestyle and luxury labels, as well as her “own creative endeavours”. The latter’s best captured in her eight-year-old Instagram account that’s amassed a following of 28K as of press time: artful, moodily romantic accessories flat lays and self portraits featuring her effortless monochrome wardrobe shot from the back or neck down. Her aversion to appearing in photos grew out of childhood insecurities with her appearance, she says. She’s since grown out of it, but continues to stick by her “elkantlers-type images” as an art form – and a mark of distinction. “The approach enables me to practise expression through my body and styling to tell a story without relying on my face,” she explains. “(It also makes my photos feel) less mass and more unique… I now own this anonymity as my style.”

Eleazar wears Eugenia Kim hat from On Pedder, Pleats Please toga dress from Issey Miyake, and her own jewellery. (Clockwise from far left): Silk hairband, Prada. Charm shoulder bag, Givenchy. Margit tote, Prada. Charm shoulder bag with studs, Givenchy. Embossed belt, Miu Miu. Satin wedge pump, Dior. Mary Jane mule, Prada. All leather unless otherwise stated.

Adrian Ho (@a1205H)

This maritime HR executive’s year-old Instagram account is like an index of every item a guy should own if he wanted to live in Comme des Garcons – because that’s what he does (yes, even to work). A quick scroll through it reveals over a hundred OOTDs, each a playful mix of pieces from the Japanese label and its various lines (see his hashtags). And in a move that the reclusive Rei Kawakubo is likely to approve of, his head is cropped off in every image. “I don’t have a pretty face,” says the 51-year-old in jest. The virtual album started out simply as his way of documenting his wardrobe, but has since evolved into a space for him to share his love for Kawakubo’s work with “the like-minded”, he says. “She creates a relationship between our body and her outfits. Her unconventional and experimental creations inspire me and reflect my personal style, which is ageless, genderless, timeless.” It also explains the real reason why he’s chosen to go incognito on Instagram: “It’s not about how my face looks. Rather, I am what I wear.”

Ho wears his own T-shirt, shirt, shorts, socks, derbies, and various tops and shorts worn as headpiece, all from Comme des Garcons and its various lines.
Ho wears his own pinafore, shirt, pants, sneakers and various tops worn as headpiece.
Ho wears his own T-shirts, shorts, various T-shirts worn as headpiece, harness, socks and sneakers. All from Comme des Garcons and its various lines.

Photography Vee Chin Art Direction Adeline Eng Styling Imran Jalal Hair & Makeup Sha Shamsi, Using Keune & Armani Beauty

This story first appeared in the May 2019 Faceless Edition of FEMALE.