For starters, tell us who you are.

“Nicolette Yip, co-founder amd designer of label The Salvages. Out of boredom and deprived of parties because of the pandemic’s shutdown, I also started making mixes from tracks that I love, putting together something that I felt would be uplifting for myself and my friends. I started just playing for a small circle of friends, but one of them asked me to curate a mix for his friend’s New York-based music platform ‘Intermission’. So under the name NICO, I started putting out more mixes called L.O.L.A, named after my dog, to spread a little bit of love and joy.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how much of a free spirit are you? 

“12, I like the number 12. I guess I’ve always had a mind of my own since I was young, so no one could quite understand or tell me what to do. It could be stubbornness but free-spiritedness is a nice way to put it. I think it’s important to remember to put on some blinkers in life now and then, to be undeterred by the noise around you, to focus on what you do. That way you would be able to be truly you.”

Who to you is the most iconic hippie?

“Janis Joplin. The sheer sense of tenacity and creativity she had to thrive as an anomaly in a male-dominated industry/genre, as well as being artistically countercultural and defiant of what were female stereotypes then. She had a beautiful spirit that blended both masculinity and femininity and I’m extremely drawn to that. And she performed at Woodstock ’69; I don’t think you can get more ‘iconic hippie’ than that.”

You’re off to the Balearic Islands. Name three tracks on your music playlist. 

“Three tracks I’d put on my playlist for a Balearic getaway? Laid Back’s Fly Away – think lazing in the warm sunshine with a nice, cold drink; The Andrew Weatherall’s mix of Primal Scream’s Loaded – a lockdown favourite that goes ‘Well we wanna be free/We wanna be free to do what we wanna do/And we wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time’; and Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love, a Balearic classic that you can sing your heart out to.”

Your ideal way of escapism is…

“Being on a self-sustaining deserted island, with all the books, music, fashion and art I could possibly want and create. And my dog Lola, of course.”

Nicolette wears (main photo) cotton hoodie and pants, and calfskin moccasins, and (other photos) cotton jumpsuit, acetate sunglasses and her own creeper shoes. All Loewe Paula’s Ibiza, Loewe, unless otherwise stated

For starters, tell us who you are.

“My name is Joy Song and I’m a writer-director of movies, music and fashion films.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how much of a free spirit are you? 

“I’m very tempted to give it a 10 because I do really value being an independent spirit and the importance of being yourself. To stand your ground and not conform breeds self-belief, which I think is crucial for any artist. Because when you’re able to do that, you let yourself embrace yourself, and with that, find the will and confidence to create beautiful forms of self-expression because you’re not afraid to show the world who you are.”

You were based in Berlin before you came back to Singapore and it seems like a place that feeds your creativity. Tell us more about how the city allows you to be free and truly yourself.  

“Berlin really is like no other city I’ve been to. It’s almost like a time capsule, which makes it incredibly rich in history. Sometimes I call it an island since it’s so different from the rest of Germany and so culturally insulated from the rest of the world. It’s unique, just like the people who go to live there. It’s a place that treasures individuality and freedom, which has translated into my works as well. Everyone is extremely welcoming and open to who you are and helping you out, no matter your age or race, just so long as you have something of value to say. That kind of support is invaluable because it just helps you to thrive and really come into your own.”

How important is the concept of escapism for you as a filmmaker?

“The entire basis of my work as a film-maker rides on the ability to create new worlds that people can escape into because, hey, that’s what movies are all about. And more than that, it’s about tapping into one’s imagination and being able to trigger others to be able to think outside the box and perhaps see our reality in a less myopic view.”

Joy wears cotton T-shirt and acetate sunglasses

For starters, tell us who you are.

“My name is Kelly Limerick, and I crochet and knit for a living. On the side, I also make doll wigs (mostly Blythe), and create rock climbing-inspired accessories out of clay.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how much of a free spirit are you? 

“Mostly a 9 but with the current lockdown situation, perhaps a 1? Due to the luxury of me working for myself, I often don’t plan very far in advance. I believe that you can truly be anything, only when you are nothing. I love travelling alone and honestly could’ve died many times over with the way I just mindlessly go with the flow. Memorable ones are getting lost in a forest in Yakushima past sunset, accidentally riding a motorbike onto a highway in Okinawa and getting temporarily detained by the police, jumping into the sea during winter in a rented bikini just because I wanted to snorkel – things like that. There really is a thin line between stupidity and bravery.”

What does bohemian living mean to you?

“This is honestly a little hard and I just have an image of a lot of macrame, weaving, rattan… textures and warmth.”

Your ideal way of escapism is…

“Escapism to me is going somewhere in which no one knows who you are and where you know nothing and no one. My place of choice is an island. I love islands where I can get both the mountains and the sea – and silence.”

Kelly wears (top two photos) cotton crochet top, cotton and silk dress, Anagram palm and calfskin basket bag and canvas espadrilles, and (bottom photo) cotton dress

For starters, tell us who you are.

“I’m a producer and model as well as a crazy plant mom and cat whisperer.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how much of a free spirit are you? 

“I can confidently say 10! I’m the type of person who’s open to anything and everything, and I don’t judge something before first trying it or trying to understand it. I’m also very much in tune with my spiritual well-being and love getting involved in spaces that explore this intuition like joining meditation circles, ecstatic dances, and activities on that spectrum.”

Tell us how dance and music is a form of escape for you.

“Dancing is a form of release. It energises me and is a quick way for me to uplift my mood and release any tension in my body. Dancing alone is fun, but dancing with other people brings a whole other level of joy! I love that element of being able to feed off other people’s energy. Combined with the right music, it’s absolutely heavenly.”

What’s your opinion of Balearic music, and if you’re into it, what’s your favourite track or associated act?

“I don’t have a favourite track or act but I enjoy any music that’s a derivative of House – so Balearic is cool.”

Nadia wears cotton top, cotton crochet bikini top, silk pants and woven calfskin bag

Photography Stefan Khoo, assisted by Alif Styling Damian Huang, assisted by Jasmine Ashvinkumar Hair Sean Ang, using OUAI Makeup Wee Ming, using NARS 

A version of this article first appeared in the April 2021 Community edition of FEMALE