Small Talk
In lieu of The Gardens Mall’s 10th anniversary, Gabrielle Tan-helfman talks arts, fashion and culture with Kathlyn D’souza
Gabrielle Tan-helfman celebrates creativity in the world of art and fashion
Tell us about the rooftop wing.
The rooftop wing has been around for quite a while. We initially wanted to create a fashion, culture and arts space here but it didn’t fully realise. So this is basically an introduction of new players as well as a reintroduction of old players like Wei-ling Contemporary. And now, The Studio—my dream project—has just been launched, which houses a bevy of homegrown fashion brands.
How long has this been in planning?
It has always been established that this was an arts and culture floor, but it didn’t come to fruition until we put everything together!
What can fashion and art enthusiasts enjoy on this floor?
For fashion, we have The Studio that offers fashion labels such as Cassey Gan, Nerd Unit, Bremen Wong Millinery by White, and Khoon Hooi. Other existing tenants include the celebrated photography studio Munkeat Photography, bespoke bridal gown designer Celest Thoi, and luxury event planner The Occasions Eventeur (all are housed under Les Suites). For the arts, there’s Wei-ling Contemporary and the theatre—not to be confused with the cinema though!
How will this add to the mall’s branding and positioning as a whole?
We’ve always been progressing as a fashionforward lifestyle mall. And we’re now a place where people can get a healthy dose of culture too.
Thoughts on the rooftop wing on the sixth floor.
If you like the arts, fashion and culture, come over here and you can find a lot of things to broaden your mind and feast your eyes on— learn new things, get cultured!
How did you get into fashion?
I wasn’t into fashion at first. Fashion was far from the mind, until I studied in London where I got exposed to the fashion culture and its various sub-cultures, that you find in big cities like London. There you can experiment with fashion and no one would bat an eye. That’s when I got into it and learned what fashion can truly do.
Your personal style.
It really depends on my mood and on what day you catch me, but I’d have to say comfortable and quirky. As you age you would definitely choose comfort, though!
How the fashion culture is important in our time and age.
Naturally our country is such where we focus on science and maths, but there has to be an outlet for creativity as well. To create is also part of a bigger contribution to society as a whole.