Meet the Singaporean designer loved by Jennifer Lopez, and is currently exhibited at the Met Museum

Grace Ling is making plenty of fashionable waves with her brand of minimalist, sensual designs. We catch up with her to chat about her work.

By Aaron Kok - 13 Sep 2022

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You’ve probably seen a Grace Ling design, without realising it’s a Grace Ling design.

You know the bags shaped like buttocks that are particularly popular with Instagram it girls? That’s her. The thin, strappy bralettes with shiny silver hardware worn underneath razor-sharp tailoring? Her too. That gorgeous white ensemble Jennifer Lopez wore whilst performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? Yep, it’s a Grace Ling original.

L to R: Karlie Kloss, Jennifer Lopez and Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause, all in Grace Ling. (Credit: @gracelingofficial/Instagram) — L to R: Karlie Kloss, Jennifer Lopez, and Selling Sunset's Chrishell Stause, all in Grace Ling. (Credit: @gracelingofficial/Instagram)

Loved by celebs including Lopez and Karlie Kloss, the Singaporean fashion designer is quietly making her mark on the American fashion scene, one momentous step at a time. Her latest win? As part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s refresh of 2020’s fashion exhibition, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, Grace Ling’s ensemble was added to the myriad of designers and clothing pieces exhibited. The unmistakeable message here was that her designs have now become part of a language that defines American fashion.

In celebrating her addition to the exhibition and to learn more about her work, we got her on the phone for a chat, where she shares how she got her start (spoiler alert: it has to do with Her World!), and what she has planned for her brand.

How she found her roots in fashion

Credit: Grace Ling

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Her World: Hey Grace, what was your first brush with fashion?

Grace: Probably my first exposure was when I used to be a model in Singapore. I used to model for The New Paper New Face, and I modelled for Her World years ago! (laughs) So I would say my first exposure to fashion would be through those modelling experiences.

Oh, wow. How did you make the leap from being a model to becoming a fashion designer?

When I was modelling, I was also enrolled in School of the Arts, where I was working in a variety of disciplines, ranging from sculptures and performance art. I began making all kinds of wearable sculptures, and it just kind of evolved into this multidisciplinary design experience. From there, I just decided that fashion was the best way for me to present my influences and design voice. I always knew I wanted my own fashion brand, so I booked a one-way ticket to New York where I attended Parsons School of Design, and I also spent some time training at Central Saint Martin's in London.

That's a brave move to just book a one-way ticket and trust in your dreams.

I know! (laughs) I just knew that this was what I wanted, and I had to go for it.

Behind the seams

Credit: Grace Ling

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What were the challenges you faced? Or, on the flip side, were there any kind of like moments that kind of really reassured your decision?

There were a lot of highs and lows in my design journey. People only see the highs – especially when I only post about the successes on social media – but what I've learnt is the most important thing is to have perseverance.

I think with that, I was able to look at the challenges and think 'I'm just going to find a solution to fix it". There were definitely doubts, which is a normal part of running a business and being creative. I don't think the anxiety ever stops, but I've learnt to accept that it's just part of the process. When that all stops, that's when you really kind of stop growing as a brand and as a designer as well. You can't get too comfortable

Let's talk about your designs. You've mentioned that your work is "a sense of eccentric elegance and intelligent femininity". Can you elaborate?

I often find that in describing my aesthetic, that's the shortest way of putting it. The reason why I specifically chose those words would be because I feel like my women want to be sexy and still feel confident at the same time. I feel like there is this unsaid nuance with sensuality and its ability to empower the wearer.

My designs embody my personality too. I like witty things as much as I like weird things. Yet, I still want to be elegant and feel empowered in my clothing. So, I think I kind of find a way to translate that through my clothing.

Butts, tech and surrealism

Credit: Grace Ling

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Weird and witty, kind of like your famous Butt Bag!

Yeah! I like my pieces to be conversation starters, and I want them to be an extension of your personal style identity. And it's like that with my Butt Bag. I'm a shy person myself. And if you're like me, you'd worry about going into a social situation where you're maybe nervous about connecting with people. I liked the idea of them just asking you, "Hey, I love your bag. Where'd you get it?"

We also noticed that a few of your other bags take inspiration from the human form. Was that purposeful?

Yeah, I'm constantly finding inspiration in the Surrealist movement. The human body is something that I always revisit because it's fascinating to explore it in new ways. Also, if you are familiar with the Surrealism movement, there are plenty of motifs surrounding the human body.

You are one of the rare designers to use 3D sculpting in your design work. Can you talk us through that and how is it more beneficial for you as a designer?

Basically, my design process uses software to create 3D forms, and this has many benefits. Firstly, it's a lot more sustainable in terms of material, because you can like make plenty of design iterations and you never actually have to use actual materials to create trial fittings. Traditionally, these iteration samples just go into the trash after they've been created, so it creates a lot of waste in material, facilities, time, money, and labour.

My designs can be easily recognized by this signature silver hardware design, and all of them – along with the buttons – are 3D printed and made from aluminum, which is an infinitely recyclable metal.

Plus, in my design process, incorporating these tech solutions have made it easy for us to speed up the process. I can now create one design in real life and have 10 more variations on standby, so fashion buyers can have something tangible to feel but also be presented with many options without us having to produce everything. We are eliminating the risk of overproduction.

On being exhibited at the Met Museum

Credit: Grace Ling

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Congratulations on your design being exhibited at The Met Museum's fashion exhibition! When you found out that you were going to be included in the exhibition, what was your reaction?

Thank you. Honestly, being exhibited at the Met is a huge deal. When their team sent me an email, I thought it was a scam at first! (laughs)

Until you realised they were the real deal?

Yeah, because the way they got in touch was so casual!

I feel really honoured. I really respect the curators of the museum and for them to recognize me is a huge deal because they have such deep historical knowledge of fashion and culture. If they say my designs form a representative facet of American fashion, that's a big statement for me.

The future of Grace Ling

Credit: Grace Ling

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Are there any plans in the pipeline that you can share with us?

We're relaunching some of the pieces on our online store in early July. In September, we are launching a new collection. We're taking some of the popular pieces that people love and we're reinterpreting them in new styles, new colourways, and new fabrics.

I think there are still a lot of untold stories in my work, which I would like to explore. What is being put out there isn't even half of it! For me, every collection is like a continuation of a singular story.

Shop Grace Ling’s designs on her website.