Find out more about our 10 stylish finalists in the gallery below, then vote for your favourite street style star! Images: herworldPLUS/ Wesley Kow
We had our work cut out for us. More than a thousand hashtagged #sgstreetstyleawards to show their unique and individual style and join the inaugural herworldPLUS Street Style Awards.
Our judges herworldPLUS editor, Niki Bruce; Her World fashion editor, Patrick Sin; fashion and creative director Daniel Boey; and fashion team pored over the posts and discussed which five guys and five girls had exceptional style to be the first finalists of the Street Style Awards.
After much debate and hair-pulling, we bring to you the 10 herworldPLUS Street Style Awards finalists!
You can vote for your favourite finalists at the herworldPLUS Street Style Awards page; the Best Guy and Best Girl will win $4,000 worth of prizes while the most popular Street Style Star, as voted by you, will walk away with prizes worth $1,500.
The herworldPLUS Street Style Awards is presented by ALDO Shoes – Singapore. The official sponsors are Jean Yip and Canon Singapore. Hot 91.3 FM is the official radio station.
Melissa Lim @meowissathecatlady
This bubbly 26 year old is unapologetic about her music influences. “I wish I was born in that era! I’m inspired by old school hip hop artists but also love disco music,” says Melissa who adores Donna Summer songs. The hip hop and waacking dance fan is equally infatuated with style from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. For this look (as seen above), she borrowed from her mother’s wardrobe for one-of-a-kind pieces like the vintage Versace printed high-waisted pants.
Amos Yeo @amosananda
According to Amos, you can’t go wrong with classic black and white shirts. They work for both casual and formal looks but the fit has to be perfect. The designer has his own street style label Amos Ananda that reflects his own style that’s “modern street sensibilities with a sophisticated aesthetic that is influenced by tradition, culture and the streets” – think of tailored streetwear with details like mandarin collars, leather trimmings and zippers. “Classic black and white shirts are my wardrobe essential because you can wear them anywhere, under a jacket for a formal event or unbuttoned for a more casual look,” says Amos.
Soma George Rachel @rachinfashion
“Be true to yourself and just keep on smiling” is the style mantra of this ‘fusion-wear’ enthusiast. Soma loves finding new ways to re-wear traditional Indian garments, for that East-meets-West feel to her outfit. “I want to show how you can have a lot of fun with these traditional styles,” explains Soma. “For instance, the Lehenga, which is an Indian printed skirt, is usually reserved for big occasions like weddings. But I make it part of my ‘everyday’ clothing, just by pairing it with clean white or black tops.” Her favourite store in Singapore: Fabindia, for fab Indian-inspired threads.
Joel Phua @delahomme
You will never catch Joel having a bad hair day – the professional barber is always perfectly coiffed. His style leans towards the classic dapper gentleman although sometimes he mixes it up by throwing in a touch of urban or edge. “This fun look is dapper with a classic silhouette and screams I’m having a good time,” says Joel of his casual fun flamingo shirt tucked in tailored cream coloured pants ensemble that he will wear to a beach bar, a picnic and even to a brunch date. Joel appreciates Andre 3000, Kanye West and @mararomrraro’s sense of style: “They are pretty versatile and don’t stick to one specific style.”
Vera Mao @nakedgloryvera
“Fitted, feminine and elegant” is how Vera would describe her personal style. So is it any surprise that she considers Olivia Palermo, Nicole Warne (@Garrypeppergirl) as her style icons? This avid blogger takes the time to photograph and blog about her outfits nearly twice or thrice a week, all while juggling school work too. This “OL”-to-be (office lady) will be starting her internship soon and plans on using her style know-how for office attire that’s anything but boring. “Keep your outfit to three colours, for a more cohesive and polished look,” says Vera.
Karin Tan @karinloveboa
The G-Dragon doppelganger is as experimental as his style idol. “I lean towards androgynous,” says Karin who lives in shorts over leggings, sweaters and sneakers. In fact, the 25-year-old owns more than 20 pairs of sneakers. He sticks to wearing black most of the time because of his fancy hair, “Won’t I look a little crazy if I have coloured hair and wear colour?” To add just a touch of colour, Karin tied a red plaid shirt around his waists a la G-Dragon and throws on the biker vest to toughen up the overall androgynous look.
Liew Clara @liewclara
Ever had that don’t-know-what-to-wear dilemma every morning? Clara rarely does; this stylist-in-training even embraces the challenge of finding new ways to mix and match clothing pieces for her look of the day. “I love separates! They’re more fun to play with and I love the challenge of finding new ways to re-wear the same item,” says Clara. Although she’s steadfast on her almost ‘minimal makeup’ rule, this fashionista will do anything for fashion. She confesses to bringing a leather jacket out with her almost everywhere, even in sunny Singapore. “I’ll wear the jacket like a cape or just hold onto it,” says Clara. “It’s my style must-have!”
Dann Khoo @dannkhoo
Dann’s a fan of David Beckham’s effortless style. But we think Dann’s own experimental dressing is more exciting than the ex-footballer’s. The business development manager has to adopt a corporate look on weekdays but he’s a believer in dressing for the occasion when it comes to the weekends – like throwing on a fedora over a laidback outfit for a day at the beach. He believes in showcasing his individual quirks through his outfits, like his Tokyo-inspired ensemble.
Alden Chng @aldennnnn
If you’d met Alden some six years ago, you definitely would not have recognised him. Alden confessed to being “lazy” about the clothes on his back but his girlfriend changed it all. “My sense of style has improved a lot, thanks to her,” says Alden. “She taught me how to mix and match colours and prints and how to wear monochrome well.” Now an avid Givenchy fan, this stylish boyfriend “hopes to do her proud” by winning the competition. He’s also the ‘unexpected’ finalist – Alden got into this competition, thanks to his girlfriend’s avid hashtagging on his Instagram snaps.
Gwen Janelle Tan @gwenjanelle
You’ll rarely see Gwen without a coat or jacket even on humid days here. She believes that outerwear helps define her “romantic, Parisian-inspired style”; she’ll willingly wear a fur beret out while she’s out and about in Singapore, even if she’s truly feeling the heat under that stylish cap. And underneath that coat, Gwen is likely to be wearing structured, well-fit pieces, paired with statement earrings or her favourite pair of sunnies. And Gwen’s all for local pride: She counts Singapore fashion labels Depression, Max Tan as her favourite brands.