At GINLEE Studio, connections run like wild river between the hearts and people in Singapore and Tel Aviv. It is in those shared connections where we call home. 

 

"In this day and age, it does not matter where you are physically located. We got used to working in a floating environment in between Singapore and Tel Aviv. Ultimately, it is all about the connections and how you related to things." - Gin Lee, designer and co-founder of GINLEE Studio. 

 

In this showcase, we present how and where our inspirations come from, and how design plays a part in connecting our roots and homes while brining them closer together. 

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GINLEE Studio is an independent fashion house, established in 2011 in Israel by Singaporean designer Gin Lee. 

 

Our creative platform is built on values of being true to yourself, being confident in who you are, being the best you can be. 

 

Our relaxed flattering silhouettes give today's woman the comfort and uncompromised style, which they can work and certainly dance in. 

 

We work hard to keep our wearer's experience centred throughout our design process, while embedding our unique DNA which is influenced by our places, lifestyle and cultures.

 

At GINLEE Studio, we believe in making fashion that matters. 

 

 

 

  

 

The casual spirit of the people of Tel Aviv are embodied in this collection. Silhouettes are relaxed, with the brand's signature neutrals and pastels reflecting the light-hearted mood of the afternoon. The collection is energised with tropic greens and reds. Digital prints are composed from the shadow of palm trees and succulents which line the way to the studio. 

 

 

 

On a crazy Friday afternoon before Shabbat (a day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday at sunset and ends on the following evening after night in Israel), we decided to make a quick run to the local florist, Sahar. These simple, functional yet ingenious flower carriers at Sahar's then catalysed our inspiration for accessories in this collection. 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

The landscapes, florals and architects are some of the everyday elements which fuels us with boundless inspirations. And it is perhaps through pleating which we feel is the best channel that effectively communicates to our consumers all these different textures and patterns that we encounter daily. 

 

 

  

  

Pleating can be likened to a form of art with fabric being the medium that transforms between 2D and 3D. It is by far one of the best techniques which allows both our co-founders (one being a clothing designer and the other an industrial designer) to co-create a product. 

 

  

  

  

"You go back and forth between sewing, pleating and sewing. It takes time to problem solve. It is like dancing with a technique which breathes life to the material." - Gin Lee 

 

GINLEE Woman: Silhouettes

 

Although the label offers the same clothings in both Singapore and Tel Aviv, they have been perceived very differently by consumers on both sides. 

 

“Very casual, fluid silhouettes”- Singaporean women

“Very elegant, precise silhouettes”- Israeli women

  

  

In Israel, our consumers are looking for that unique piece which they can wear to a wedding celebration, but looking good in it is not their sole agenda. They must be able to dance in it! That is why we say, we dance to test-drive our clothes.

  

 

 

 

  

A series of furnitures created by Tamir Niv, GINLEE Studio’s co-founder and industrial designer.

 

Taking inspiration from a humble eastern bamboo stool, Tamir introduced industrialised methods to form connectors free from invading nails and bolts.

 

These connectors then formed the basis of a series of home furnitures, and in his latest work, GINLEE Studio’s clothing racks which can be seen in stores.

 

 

  

 

 

This dress is a fine example how interconnectedness played a part for our team to co-create a product, even though we are thousand miles apart.

 

  

 

 

The Singapore Fashion Award 2016 was a competition that required us to produce a dress inspired by National Gallery Singapore within 2 weeks. Yes, you read that right.

 

To begin, Mel, our local designer scouted the gallery for inspiration shots which Gin (in Tel Aviv) used to sketch and develop a few ideas for the team to vote. After which, the project then split into multiple parts.

 

Tamir (in Tel Aviv) was responsible for developing the print on the sleeves that were inspired by the gallery’s pillars, turning them into tattoo-esque prints. Shani (in Tel Aviv) worked on the tone-on-tone embroidery artwork which Gao (in Shanghai) had to experiment with the fabric. Due to the tight timeline, several dress patterns that we tried making in Shanghai all failed to make the mark. In order not to lose more time, Gin took it in her own hands and created it from scratch, digitalised it and sent it back to Shanghai for sampling.

 

  

 

 

Simultaneously in Singapore, the team began casting for models, arranged for fittings, prepared for the presentation while unsettlingly hoping that the garment will arrive in time. After countless rounds of Skyping and video calls which saw us through each stage, we finally made it for presentation day and bagged home the ‘Emerging Designer of the Year’ award.

 

This studio space that we created in both countries aim to be fun, creative, and make us feel like “anything is possible” is not just a quote but a reality. Perhaps it is the unassuming nature of the brand’s founders, their passion for design and aversion towards orthodox rigidity that shaped our beliefs.