7 things in her bag: Gilda Su

Local fashion designer Gilda Su turns heads with her loud outfits and shockingly pink hair, and her collections are no different.

Her fourth and latest collection featured vibrant and quirky street and club-inspired wear.

A collaboration with Japan-based illustrator Brandon Reierson, who did the artwork for some pieces, her creations were shown on the runways of SS14 Seoul Fashion Week last year.

The 31-year-old was one of six local designers invited to showcase their designs for the biannual fashion event.

Her three-year-old brand, Revasseur, has been stocked in South Korean multi-label store Boy+ for a year now, and Japanese multi-label store Wut Berlin for half a year.

Her customers have been very supportive, especially the South Koreans.

"After Seoul Fashion Week, quite a few people wrote to me via social media," says Ms Su, who set a goal to expand to South Korea and Japan when she first started the brand in 2011.

"Getting into stores in South Korea and Japan is good because celebrity stylists frequent those places."

The South Korean celebrity clients of these stylists will wear her clothes, she hopes, "so I may 'borrow' their influence to gain a bigger presence".

Ms Su also recently opened Superspace, a new boutique in Orchard Gateway, with fellow designer Samuel Wong, who created the evenodd label; and Bobby Luo, founder of The Butter Factory, in November last year.

The multi-label store not only stocks Ms Su's Revasseur and Mr Wong's evenodd, but also highlights other local brands and international cult labels such as KTZ, Rene Gurksov, Chocomoo, and more.

Born to parents who ran a perfumery and cosmetics business and a travel agency, Ms Su says: "I grew up watching my parents run their own businesses. So it's not something that is very alien to me, as they used to discuss certain things like what not to do in front of me.

"I enjoy the retail business a lot because you get to meet customers and I actually don't spend a lot of time creating or sketching something, as I am always trying to make the business grow."

The fashionista, who has seen her designs featured in New York Fashion Week 2010, Blueprint Show 2011 and Audi Fashion Festival 2013, is currently looking to start a sub-label for Revasseur.

It will focus on more commercial and wearable pieces, and sales are slated to start this year.

She adds: "After all this rebranding, I want to expand more in Japan and South Korea because I believe that's where my market is. I also hope to put my brand back in New York, having pulled it back due to my rebranding, and perhaps, introduce my brand in places such as Hong Kong, London and Berlin."HER BAG

I picked up this bag a couple of years ago from the Japanese brand Ahcahcum Muchacha.

I like the almost dishevelled style of the bag with the colour and the frayed edges.

I decorated it with keychains and dog badges which I bought from South Korea and New York.

1. TSUMORI CHISATO CAT SUNGLASSES

This is one of my favourite pairs of sunglasses from Tsumori Chisato, a Japanese designer I admire a lot. I bought them last year when I was in Japan for a holiday and I always use them when I am driving to keep the sun out of my eyes.

2. FABRIC SWATCHES AND SKETCHES

I usually have these with me when I am in the middle of designing my collections and samples. I also like to sketch when I see somebody interesting on the street or when I get inspiration.

3. MAKE-UP POUCH FROM JOYRICH

To touch up my make-up on the go, I have a few essentials in my pouch, such as sunblock for my hands when I am driving, a 3CE lip pigment (in Electro Pink), roll-on perfume from Sephora and my latest addition, a Marc Jacobs blusher that I use as eyeshadow.

4. MEASURING TAPES

As I do a lot of custom orders, I meet my customers quite regularly; so I always carry these measuring tapes around. I just got these from Daiso and a Sanrio shop.

5. FAN FROM DAISO

I go to a lot of non-air-conditioned places and factories very often so I cool myself with this plastic fan. It's the best one I have had so far and every single time I take it out, people laugh at me at first, but they later ask to borrow it when it gets hot.

6. MAGIC KOREAN: MASTERING KOREAN FOR BEGINNERS IN 31 DAYS

After attending Seoul Fashion Week last year, I came back to Singapore and bought this book from Kinokuniya. I wanted to pick up the language since my brand is expanding in South Korea and I go there at least twice a year.

7. TO-DO BOOK

I like to jot down my to-do lists as well as the things that my staff need to do. The book was a door gift I received from the German bag brand MCM a while ago.

This article was first published on January 2, 2015.
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