The great indie pop-up (so indie, you probably never heard of it)

It's your new favourite pop-up store cum #ootd backdrop

1/11

The word “indie” is thrown around quite commonly nowadays (sorry not sorry!). The indie café you found? There’s probably 300 geo-tagged images on Instagram. The indie band you discovered on Spotify? They now have a few thousand followers. What makes Emporium of The Modern Man (EOMM) wares so indie? Founder Winnie Li, 28, stocks only brands that aren’t found anywhere else in Singapore.

A joint collaboration between her and VXX cooperative, a café that prides itself in serving the best coffee brew (we recommend the Bifdu Gudina with its intense fruity aroma), the pop-up stocks EOMM’s best sellers (bonus point, it’s the perfect backdrop for your next #ootd) – be it artisanal soap sourced from Korea, 3D-printed bowls from Japan and a wide array from stationary made in Brooklyn, New York.

The EOMM pop-up is now open at VXX cooperative, Level 2, 20 Foch Road, S(209216) from now till December 2017.

Boy Smells candle, $44.50, from Boy Smells

2/11

Sorry ladies, they don’t smell of testosterone and man-sweat. Instead, this millennial pink packaged candle smells of beeswax and coconut oil. Bonus – use it as a makeup brush holder after the wax burns out.

Curve earrings, $150.50, from Laura Lombardi

3/11

Lightweight and hollow, these curved earrings from Laura Lombardi are well ahead of the F/W'17 trend curve – size matters for once and the bigger the better!

Mini marbled erasers, $5.50 for a set of 10, from Le Typographe.

4/11

Okay, we’re going to be honest. These erasers are tiny and you’d probably not going to get much use out of it. But the bonus? They come in a set of 10 and are perfect for any flatlays you’re going to be doing.

Face and body soap, $23.50, from Hanahzo

5/11

This soap is the ultimate multi-tasker. Coconut oil, palm oil and olive oil moisturises the skin. A blend of essential oils soothes your post-work frazzled nerves and grapeseed oil treats acne and dark eye circles. It can also be used on both your face and body.

Glass French press, $129.50, from Yield Design Co.

6/11

Fact: This 850ml glass French press is made out of borosilicate glass. Fact: We’re going to make this simpler to understand – borosilicate glass is thermal resistant (you can actually microwave it) and besides being durable, it looks pretty too. Who wouldn’t want that?

Parrot motif notebook, $16.50 for a set of two, from Le Typographe

7/11

Yes, it’s another notebook and yes, this one is perhaps catered towards your animal loving friends instead.

Tropical printed notebook, $12.10, from Wrap Magazine

8/11

Maybe it’s the Elle Woods (Legally Blonde, duh?) effect but we naturally gravitate towards quirky stationery that puts a smile on our face. This set of three notebooks seal the deal (and are a steal) - they’re also printed on 270gsm paper for thickness and comes with 52 pages.

Printed paper plates, $23.10 for a set of three, from Torafu Architects

9/11

Before you ask why not just buy a plate like this from Typo, know this – they aren’t. These circular sheets of paper are made out of a thin and lightweight paper that can be moulded into a dish, a bowl and even a vase. You’re really only limited by your imagination!

Notch bracelet and necklace, $129.80 each, from Surface Handmade

10/11

Jewellery leans two ways – they’re either delicate and feminine or chunky and edgy. These ones by Surface Handmade are a conversation starter despite strangely, not looking too over the top.

Beat mugs, $27.50, from Playtype

11/11

Sometimes, the best way to break the ice when you’re new to a workplace is to talk about your favourite genre of music. For the wallflowers, let your mug do the talking for you.