HOW IT ALL STARTED

“I started Graye four years ago right after my graduation from Nafa. I’ve always thought that there’s a huge potential to grow a menswear brand in Singapore due to the lack of people designing casual menswear here.

Whilst there are increasing options for local womenswear designs, most of our male customers only shop at a handful of brands (mainly international retailers). Graye was born to bridge the gap for men and unisex casualwear in Singapore.”

ON THE LABEL’S AESTHETIC

“Our approach to menswear and gender-neutral apparel has always been celebrating simplicity and innovative garment construction with a focus on comfort and hyper-functionality.”

ON WHAT SETS THE BRAND APART

“At Graye, we take things slow and only curate designs that are in line with our philosophy. We’ve listened, learned and given. From using natural dyes, upcycling existing materials to educate our customers to look deeper into fashion and our impact on the environment.

We see the value in creating genderless designs that embrace more body shapes and genders. Transformable or multi-wearing features allow the product to be multi-used, shared and reused. Our aim is to extend the product’s lifespan and also maximise value for our customers.”

ON THE INFLUENCES THAT HAVE SHAPED THE LABEL’S DESIGNS AND PHILOSOPHY

“We’re motivated to create products that are versatile and long-lasting, which also explains why we always think beyond gender. Instead, we focus on ideation and details while paying attention to the source and end life of the materials that we use. This slow and conscious design process is what shapes Graye.”

THE BRAND’S SIGNATURE ITEM

“Definitely our kimono jacket that’s been a part of every collection since the start. With the idea of combining Eastern and Western influences and the old with the new, we simplified the classic kimono and added a utilitarian touch (with the likes of a double welt pocket). It’s versatile, fashionable and friendly for our weather, and we introduce a new version with almost every new drop.”

ON THE SINGAPORE FASHION DESIGN SCENE

“We’re not short of talent, especially young and emerging names who have passion and fresh ideas. However, a lack of materials and production houses can make it challenging to realise such ideas. As such, the scene tends to evolve more slowly than that in other cities and has less to offer. The closure of borders brought about by the pandemic has only further limited access to resources.”

HOW THE LABEL HAS SHAPED SINGAPORE’S FASHION SCENE

“We believe the future is versatility, inclusivity and longevity. There’s increasing demand for timeless quality apparel over trend-driven fast fashion pieces. While we are still working towards that, we hope to inspire more consumers and makers to work together to change the way we do things and consume to reduce our impact on the environment.”

HOW THEY HOPE TO FURTHER THE SINGAPORE FASHION SCENE

“Most local men’s labels specialise in tailoring and formal wear. We hope to introduce more interesting designs to the market and create a bridge between casual menswear and genderless dressing.”

DEFINING MOMENT IN SINGAPORE FASHION

“One of the more memorable experiences for us was being part of The Front Row virtual fashion show last year. The Front Row led by Daniel Boey was an initiative that brought local fashion designer’s work to an interactive digital platform during the lockdown period in Singapore.

This was very encouraging for many fashion designers, especially during a time where many of us felt unsupported within an industry that was often deemed ‘non-essential’. The virtual show was also a great headstart for Singapore designers to experience curating a fashion show from home and bringing it to an international audience.”

ON BEING LABELLED “SAFE”

“Style has no definite meaning. A garment considered safe to someone could be adventurous to another.”

HOW THE LABEL IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE GENERAL FASHION CONSUMER

“Garments that incorporate minimalism is more embraced today, which is also with our design aesthetic of being clean and calm. Functionality is another key element when it comes to garment design – we want the wearer to be able to utilise the apparel for their needs.”

ON WHAT SINGAPORE CONSUMERS WANT

“Comfort and versatility.”

ON BEING EXPERIMENTAL

“Our designs have always been experimental – exploring multi-functionality and multi-wearability in a single product. A few examples include our vest tote, stark kimono and transformable bucket hat. We extend product usage by pushing the boundaries of gender and functionality.”

HOW LOCAL BRANDS CAN ENGAGE AND EXCITE CONSUMERS

“In order to continue engaging consumers, local brands like us need to constantly change and adapt. Graye’s plan is to continue diversifying our product range for both men and women, deepening our research and innovation. Even despite the current situation, we’ve observed an increase in footfall at our East Coast store.”

A version of this article first appeared in the August 2021 The Great SG Fashion Book edition of FEMALE