What does personal style mean to you? To many, it’s more than just the clothes off their backs — it’s the freedom to express who they are on the inside before even saying a word. While we all have a personal sense of style, no two individuals are exactly the same when it comes to the way they dress. In this column I Want Her Style, we speak to the stylish individuals of Singapore, and find out what makes their minds tick when it comes to fashion, and the people who inspire them.
She’s a creative powerhouse with relentless ambition and the sartorial know-how to match. Freelance creative director and content creator Megan Pannata, whose work revolves around branding and styling in the fashion industries in Singapore and Indonesia, is a multihyphenate: stylist, social media handler, product design developer – it’s all part of her repertoire.
In fact, her chosen field of design and content creation doubles as a feedback loop influencing her fashion aesthetic. “A person’s sense of style is definitely something that is built over a period of time, and I’m fortunate that my work gave me the exposure to different brands and fashion concepts, which helped to define my identity,” she shares. “Fashion is undoubtedly one of the major forces in making me who I am today.”
I believe that fashion is a platform for expressing self-love because at the end of the day, everyone wants to dress and look amazing for themselves
Based in Indonesia, she splits her time between the archipelago and Singapore, and her clients include Indonesian fashion label Gemme, as well as Singapore haircare label Nik’s Pick, and mask company Fivecare.Series.
Both a curator and consumer of fashion, Megan recalls how her interest was sparked during her teenage years, from dressing up and documenting “Outfit of the Day” (OOTD) photos on social media to walking the runways for Indonesian fashion designers like Medan-based bridal designer Jennifer Ledong. But what started innocuously as a hobby ultimately became a calling for the 25-year-old.
“I believe that fashion is a platform for expressing self-love because at the end of the day, everyone wants to dress and look amazing for themselves,” she says.
Here, she shares how her graphic design background informs her style choices, plus her fashion must-haves and top tips.
Being creative is synonymous with fashion because…
“Graphic design and fashion share a distant yet correlated bond. The graphic design aspect of my content creator job gives me the understanding behind the aesthetics of shapes and colours, which sometimes plays a part in deciding what to wear for the day.”
My fashion inspiration comes from…
“Pinterest and Instagram.”
I make the best of an outfit with…
“My method of “combine and conquer”. I often find myself trying on combinations to see what works and what doesn’t.”
Fashion is undoubtedly one of the major forces in making me who I am today
The most flamboyant fashion item in my closet is…
“This chequered, puffy quilted jacket from K-pop icon G-Dragon’s fashion line Peaceminusone. Even though I tend to avoid patterns and gravitate towards neutrals and basics, I started liking G-Dragon and his fashion aesthetic, despite it being the complete opposite of mine.”
My fashion must-haves are…
“High quality basics that you can reuse over and over again as the foundation of an outfit, such as a well-structured blazer.”
What’s next on my list…
“The Celine Triomphe shoulder bag.”
An outfit is not complete without…
“A pair of stylish shoes. For me, footwear is the defining piece of an outfit.”