The Non Season — Art Meets Fashion At This Innovative Installation At Design Orchard

Orchard Road just got more exciting — and dare we say, not in the typical way you’d expect. Beyond its always-dazzling lights and reputation as a retail haven, creative collective Hyphen BB, together with over 20 Singapore-based artists and designers, have transformed the Design Orchard building into a welcome space that celebrates vibrant art amidst its retail offerings.

Happening now till 10 April 2022, ‘The Non Season‘ is a public art, fashion and lifestyle activation, set in the heart of Orchard Road, that recognises contemporary artists such as Marla Bendini, Mike Chang, and Robert Zhao. The initiative is supported by National Arts Council (NAC) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), as part of the Art Around the City campaign.

The Non-Season: the art installations

What we get to experience are visually-arresting and thought-provoking art installations that take over the familiar spaces of the building’s pillars, staircase, rooftop, shop floor, and window displays; a bunch of colourful tubemen dancing in the wind brings joy to passing pedestrians, for instance, while a butterfly-studded mirror holds touching meaning, meant to represent marginalised subcultures. The roster of artists includes Howie Kim, Divaagar, Aki Hassan, Urich Lau and Masuri Mazlan too, all similarly challenged to create art that’s inspired by the precinct’s rich history and legacy.

ARTWORK BY MARLA BENDINI (PHOTOGRAPHED BY ILA).

Tubemen Forest (Photo credit: Colossal Photos).

“The possibility of being provocative in the middle of the most glamorous shopping street in the country is delicious. We are excited to see artists responding to the histories, ecologies and publics of the area while subverting the context of a retail store”, said Hyphen BB, which is led by industry veterans May Leong, Becca D’Bus and Bobby Luo. As for why it’s titled as such, Leong shared with us during a tour of the space that it’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to how fashion’s seasonal calendar is irrelevant in always-tropical Singapore.

The activation is also a multi-disciplinary one, with workshops, panel discussions, live performances and heritage tours, which will take place throughout the duration of the initiative. These programmes include live performances by local band Tiramisu, tours by heritage blogger Jerome Lim, and Mynah Appreciation Society Tours, which pays homage to the misunderstood birds we often spot (or hear) along the Somerset stretch.

Here’s a look at the refreshed space at Design Orchard.

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The Non Season: the capsule collections

On top of these, The Non Season also features exclusive fashion and lifestyle collaborations, which sees Singapore-based artists pairing up with local brands and designers to offer a range of apparel, accessories and lifestyle products. These collaborations are made possible by Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF), and feature homegrown brands such as The 1925 Brewing Co., Ans.ein, Cocoonese, Sabrina Goh, Singapore Memories and Wet Tee Designs, available  exclusively at Design Orchard.

Here are the collaborations:

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The Non Season
Date: 17 February – 10 April 2022, Monday – Sunday
Opening Hours: 11am to 9pm
Location: Design Orchard, 250 Orchard Road, Singapore 238905
More information at designorchard.sg.