Actor Dylan Wang raves about ‘unforgettable’ D.Desirable collab with Singapore artist Ah Guo

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

Chinese actor Dylan Wang at his pop-up store featuring his D.Desirable fashion brand at Ion Orchard on Feb 11.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Google Preferred Source badge

SINGAPORE – Cultural exchange has been on Dylan Wang’s mind.

And he put it into action here at

his fashion brand D.Desirable’s international debut

outside China, with a Singapore-exclusive collection fusing contemporary streetwear with local artistic expression, and featuring an exclusive collaboration with acclaimed home-grown watercolour artist Lee Kow Fong, better known as Ah Guo.

The Chinese actor was in town on Feb 11 to promote his label, which was founded in 2022.

He made a five-minute public appearance at the D.Desirable pop-up store, which opened on Jan 30 at the Level 1 atrium of Ion Orchard, where he posed for photos and waved to some 200 fans. The store is open from 10am to 10pm daily until Feb 25.

This is the 27-year-old’s fourth visit to Singapore, having been here previously for the Yuewen Global IP Awards in January 2024 and February 2025, and the

Singapore Grand Prix in October 2025

.

Fans of Dylan Wang waiting for the Chinese actor to make an appearance at Ion Orchard on Feb 11.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

At a press conference at the Ion Sky observation deck, Wang said he felt very much at home in the Republic, both in terms of its environment and the friends he has here.

“My last visit here left a deep impression on me, especially the view of the city from the 56th floor,” he said, referring to Ion Sky. “I think Singapore’s architecture is very distinctive, with a lot of futuristic and high-tech designs, but at the same time, (there are) a lot of traditional elements.

“This actually fits very well with D.Desirable’s brand image – comfortable yet trendy. I think this is a very compatible combination.”

Wang first met Ah Guo at Ion Orchard in October 2025 to collaborate on their collection.

In a video of their meeting,

posted on

the Singapore Tourism Board’s VisitSingapore YouTube page

on Dec 28, 2025, the 55-year-old local creative showed the popular star drawings inspired by daily life in Singapore, as well as characters such as little hedgehogs.

Wang, in turn, gave Ah Guo presents featuring D.Desirable characters such as Small Coal, and suggested their characters could play together in the collaboration.

Wang said in the clip, “It feels like they are taking our D.Fa.Mily (the family of D.Desirable characters) around Singapore”, to which Ah Guo replied: “Yes, we are playing host and welcoming your D.Fa.Mily to Singapore.”

The D.Desirable × Ah Guo Singapore-limited collection features specially designed T-shirts, canvas tote bags and other products. One T-shirt, for example, has D.Desirable characters such as Little D and Small Coal riding in a bumboat with a Merlion and little hedgehog.

At the Feb 11 press conference, Wang said the partnership was “truly unforgettable”, adding: “The entire communication process was very pleasant, and we had a good understanding. I think these insights come from spending time here, experiencing things first-hand and gaining a deep understanding (of Singapore).”

He noted that Ah Guo’s designs were child-like, fun and vibrant. “His work gives a very warm feeling. He has a very interesting style. It left a very deep impact and inspired me.”

Wang posing with some of the D.Desirable characters at his pop-up store on Feb 11.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Wang is best known for his role as rich and cocky college student Daoming Si in the 2018 Chinese remake of iconic Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001).

He rose to greater prominence playing a demon lord in the 2022 Chinese fantasy romance Love Between Fairy And Devil, an adaptation of the novel by Chinese writer Jiu Lu Fei Xiang, as well as a modern-day office worker who finds himself transported to an alternate historical reality in the adventure fantasy drama Guardians Of The Dafeng (2024).

Wang’s schedule has been packed. He arrived on a flight from the Chinese city of Changsha on Feb 10, and is due to fly to the United States on the night of Feb 11.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

He lamented that one challenge faced in his creative process was the short period of time he spent here - although he managed to play basketball with the locals and try ang ku kueh.

“Most of my opportunities to come to Singapore are for work, and sometimes I am quite rushed, so my understanding of the country wasn’t very deep. So, I am glad that I managed to stay here for a while (in October) to deeply experience and understand the local culture first-hand.”

In a separate interview with The Straits Times, Wang - who hails from the city of Leshan in Sichuan province - elaborated: “Similarly, I want to bring my own national culture to Singaporean friends. I recommend everyone visit my hometown. I hope we can say hi to each other, ask what the other is eating and recommend places and food to one another. I hope that our friends from both sides can have this kind of communication and better understanding of one another.”

Ms Yeo Mui Hong, chief executive of Orchard Turn Developments, told ST that Ion Orchard’s positioning as Singapore’s premier luxury and lifestyle destination made it the most suitable location for D.Desirable’s first international foray.

Since its launch, the “quality of engagement” has been “tremendously encouraging”, she added.

“Visitors aren’t just coming to shop. They’re spending extended periods exploring... taking photos at our various installations, and discovering the story behind the collaboration.

“We are seeing strong interest from Dylan Wang’s existing fan base and shoppers who are genuinely excited about what this partnership represents – a meaningful cultural exchange between international streetwear and local artistry.”

See more on