Hey Hive!
Sorry for the recent inactivity, but I took some time off to celebrate Chinese New Year with the family and we had fun visiting relatives, exchanging red envelopes and spreading good fortune!
And we went on a trip after that too, so lots of new experiences that I hope to share on here one day!
But first, we go back to 2021 so I can share more about places we visited here in Singapore while we were travel restricted due to covid. During that time, we saw more of our own country and I thought it'd be cool to share some interesting places from Singapore!
21 Dec 2021. Tuesday.
So I've been a big fan of We Bare Bears since like 2016 or something when I first watched it. It's such a wholesome TV show and although its "made for kids" it's a lighthearted show with real issues and struggles that I think most people can relate to; like bullying or peer pressure or fitting in. There's so many lessons to learn and they teach viewers how to deal with people who are real dingles!
It's one of my favourite shows so whenever there's a We Bare Bears event I make sure to go check it out if I can. And in December 2021, Design Orchard in Singapore was hosting a We Bare Bears pop-up retail showcase in collaboration with taff (Textile and Fashion Federation)!
Source: Facebook
Design Orchard is an integrated retail and incubation space that showcases new and emerging local designers in the lifestyle and fashion sector, to prepare them for overseas markets. I'd never actually been there before but it is a good place to discover world-class designs proudly made in Singapore!
Source: Property Supermart
Since I've never been here and they were having a We Bare Bears event this seemed like the perfect time to check it out!
It was a really warm day so we made sure to get a drink before heading out of the mall.
It's a little ways from the train station and unfortunately it was a warm and sunny afternoon but there were some nice decorations that greeted us on the way! The ceiling was quite high but the stockings above had the Bears on them too!
And all the windows had them too including some nice backdrops of Singapore!
Sorry for the reflection but there was no way I could take a better photo with the sun so bright.
Curse the dang reflections. But that was a really cute Grizz licking a candy cane!
Ice Bear is my absolute favourite from the show so I endured the hot sun to get a picture with him although it wasn't the best.
There was so much Bear stuff to look at but we had to get away from the heat so we rushed into the building first to see what was inside.
Source: Google pictures
And man, what a display! There were We Bare Bears everywhere we looked!
There were different sections in the Design Orchard space but of course since this was a limited time event, the We Bare Bears showcase took center stage, while the other exhibits by other designers were on the other side.
One of the first things we saw was this midi skirt with a We Bare Bear pattern that was also in the window and on their webpage. It's not really my style but it looked pretty! This collection was by a designer called Photo Phactory.
The shirt had an interesting design that looks like this. The Bears were so cute and the pattern is reminiscent of traditional Peranakan architecture or pottery.
Source: Design Orchard
The mannequin was also carrying this clutch with the Bears in front of the Peranakan museum!
On the other side was an athleisure collection with yoga mats and active wear, and this long sarong-style skirt by La Tierra, along with some cosmetics by Rooki Beauty!
There were alternate designs of the sarong too which I guess could also be a scarf. The material is quite thin perfect for Singapore's warm weather and the design is quite vibrant if not a little too obvious but it is nice nonetheless.
Every product from La Tierra also helps to benefit non-profit organisations that provides support to disadvantaged families and migrant workers in Singapore! It's so nice that they want to help people with their designs too!
The active wear was by Yumi Active and is pretty high quality with some nice designs!
I would totally have worn this Ice Bear sports bra.
Each designer also had their own little write-up about their background and inspiration.
There was some jewelry like charm bracelets and earrings mixed with pearls by Pearly Lustre.
They actually look really cute and I love that they used the pearls to make the Bears' paw prints!
Source: Design Orchard
There were also some We Bare Bears snacks on sale! But I'm not sure who made these.
There were some more subtle designs that incorporated the Bears which I personally liked better like this hoodie and outfit!
This collection was by JOANNALSM and I like how she included the Bears in her avant-garde style.
Source: Design Orchard
I think that was it for the We Bare Bears showcase. It wasn't a super big collection but still pretty decent for a limited time event! And with some really cool products too!
We did take a look around the whole place to see the other designs but tbh none of them really interested me. They looked nice but weren't really my style.
It was really cool to see so many products that were actually made in Singapore by Singaporeans though! I remember a joke I used to hear back in elementary school that everything is made in China and nothing is made in Singapore since we've never seen a label like that before. But glad to hear there is a whole building dedicated to disprove this!
I would've loved to buy the active wear and maybe the hoodie but the price point was waaaay too high for my budget, sadly. And while I did want to support local designers it wasn't something that was a must-have, at least for me. So we left empty handed; but it was still an interesting experience, and seeing my favourite characters come to life is always a good time!
Unfortunately the sun was still high in the sky when we left but that makes this shot pretty fitting.
This one maybe not so much but I liked how they gave Pan Pan some funny buck teeth!
We thought that was all of the We Bare Bear stuff but nope! On top of the building was a rooftop garden with seats for people to sit but it was way too hot to sit on any of the chairs though especially since they were made of some sturdy heat absorbing material.
Source: archigardener
But the main thing about this was at the time they had this lovely Christmas tree up with We Bare Bears stockings and a statue of the Bears in their classic stack!
And we were wondering why there wasn't a life sized 3D statue of Ice Bear downstairs along with Pan Pan and Grizz but turns out he's up here with the tree!
It was still really warm up there so after taking a bunch of photos we promptly left in search of some place to cool down.
Overall it was such a good experience seeing all these local designers getting recognition, and of course seeing some cool new We Bare Bears products too! I actually wished I could just get the Bear stockings though.
Whether you're a local, foreigner or tourist I think it's nice to come and see Design Orchard and maybe you'll find something you like here made by a local designer! It's always nice to support the local artists in any country over some big corporation, so if it's within your means definitely try it!
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Check out my previous post in this series!
TacoCat’s Travels #191 (SG): Getting Lucky at our first Game Convention! 🎊
