DIGITAL RETREATS

I feel that, sometimes, like it or not, we are swept along by the tsunami of change. Too anti- consumerism to upgrade to the next model of technology? Too bad, your device will die a natural death when its rapidly developing environment ceases to host it. Making a living from doing a repetitive or numbers-related task? You will be replaced by robots. Own a brick and mortar retail platform? How much is it bleeding from e- commerce competition?

The money is no doubt in technology, so when James Quan and Winnie Chan came along, we cannot help but marvel at their success ( Page 30). Their three-yearold company Bynd Artisan is old-school in its product and production, purveying handcrafted leather-bound stationery and paraphernalia that many believe have gone the way of the dodo. Stuff like chequebook covers and writing pads, but also workshops in bookbinding and calligraphy. Bynd and its products answer that common millennial question: Who uses/does this anymore? Against the grain, made-inSingapore concepts like it may be what retailers here need to generate excitement in brick-and-mortar shopping again.

Certainly, here and around the world, the tech-weary are flocking to tactile products and experiences. Sales of fountain pens are up, and antique typewriters are now coveted items. One vinyl collector we spoke to shared how he bought back his youth by rebuilding his collection, having sold it in the ’ 90s in favour of easy-to-play CDs (Page 38).

On the other end of the spectrum, brands that are entrenched in the vintage experience are fast forwarding to the digital era. The venerable Eastern & Oriental Express which connects Singapore to Malaysia and Thailand, for example, now offers Wi-Fi connectivity on the train and hired a graffiti artist to decorate two of its carriages for good measure ( Page 90).

Adaptation is key to survival from time immemorial, whether that means finally buying that iPhone 7 Plus (at time of writing) or finding comfort in the haven of the familiar.