“I want pants with Pikachu at the crotch area,” was what Kay Choong (KC) said at our first meeting. Elisa was still a student at LASALLE and held focus group sessions at the Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS) as part of her research. KC was a participant and one whose humour left a deep impression.

Shooting for Will & Well was quite an interesting experience as the photoshoot at Botanic Gardens was my first time working with the elderly and talents who were physically challenged. 

Could a shirt be more than a shirt? A year ago, our conclusion was a resounding 'yes' when we worked with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to create a UV reactive shirt for PM Lee. At our new studio-office space in Alexandra Hospital, we revisited the idea. Or rather, the idea paid us another visit.

In 1960s Singapore, there was a couple who met only for an hour a week. Not because an hour together was all they needed but because the time they spent together had to be kept a secret. They are my grandparents. And the elderly couple behind our latest photoshoot. This is a little glimpse of who they are and how things came to be.

Elisa walked through the doors of Bold At Work with a bold vision of how dressmaking can be both a time of respite, as well as a transferable skillset for those hoping to reimagine what the future of dressing could be for their loved ones.

Read on to hear the backstory!

Imagine being caught in a tug-of-war every time you try to get dressed. That was Yeye’s life after his first stroke attack in November last year. Trying to make his recovery process a smoother one, we sat down with him and his caregiver to dive into the daily dressing challenges that they faced. 

Syafiqah, diagnosed with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, was a little shy when meeting her fellow models. But when the time came, she confidently drove onto the runway dressed in an outfit that we hope would pave the way for adaptive fashion and inclusive fashion modelling!