Homegrown Fashion | hansel

Summer has arrived here in our tropical city state, which means the advent of the Great Singapore Sale, an event  aimed at attracting shoppers from around the region.  Mom-and-pop shops and brand-name luxury retailers alike roll out the offers during these months.  The Passengers have already taken part this weekend, stopping by the boutique of local label hansel (sound alert).

Thoughtfully bespectacled Singaporean Jo Soh started hansel, named after her Jack Russel terrier, in 2003 and has been growing and maturing the brand ever since.  The collections she puts forth often follow playful themes, like "Robot Girl" or "Me & My Camel," with equally whimsical pieces.  The most recent line goes under the title "Paper Dolly."

Paperdoll short sleeved cardigan.  Notice the ceramic pin of the cat's-eye glasses that have become one of Jo Soh's calling cards. 

Jo Soh herself drew the cover for the promotional booklet, shown above, and the entire collection follows the principles of this theme.  These garments were seemingly conceived as two-dimensional cutouts to display in front of a model.  Now, the realized products are structured for real ladies, even ones who are not paper thin, but details such as collars and buttons have been expressed only within the knit. Pockets that do function are not hidden but placed as fabric squares on the front of dresses.

Triple bow babydoll knit dress

The theme has not prevented Ms. Jo from attending to the reverse sides of her pieces.  The dress pictured above keeps most of its eye-catching structuring behind the shoulders, but those bows, an elemental part of dress-up games here in grown-up colors, have flatten profiles that keep close to the body.

Paperdoll knit dress

All the items shown here use the black-and-white palette that has dominated past hansel collections, probably a reflection of the designer's skills with pen and ink.  The Paper Dolly offerings do not break that trend, though the line includes a worthwhile dress in vivid red.  For pictures of the rest of the collection visit the label's online shop.  For more on Jo Soh and her retro personal taste, visit her blog.