Italian fashion brand Subdued opens second S’pore store at Bugis+

Italian fashion brand Subdued opens at Bugis+

Subdued, the Rome-born label favoured by teen girls worldwide, opened its second Singapore store on Sept 18, five months after cutting the ribbon on its first location here at Wheelock Place.

At 164 sq m, the new Bugis+ outpost is a bigger space than its 135 sq m Orchard Road digs that opened to snaking queues in April.

It also boasts a 33m-long storefront – all the better to showcase the brand’s girly cotton tops (from $14), knitwear (from $32) and popular angel-wing hoodies ($93).

The store debuts Subdued’s latest line of everyday basics, this time in a palette of teal, plum and forest green.

To mark the opening, an exclusive Tropical Girl Singapore T-shirt will be available only at the Bugis+ location for $39, while stocks last.

Customers who make a qualifying purchase at Bugis+ will also receive one spin of the in-store prize wheel and are guaranteed to take home a pink Subdued notebook, a water bottle or a tote bag.

The Bugis+ address is part of the brand’s play for a target demographic of young girls. Vishesh Juneja, chief executive at Gill Capital – the retail operator that brought the Italian brand to Singapore – says in a statement: “Opening our second store just months after our debut shows how quickly Subdued has clicked with the local community.

“Bugis+ was the natural next step – it has the exact energy, foot traffic and youth culture that defines the Subdued lifestyle.”

Info: Bugis+, 201 Victoria Street, 01-05. Open daily from 10am to 10pm

Birkenstock launches month-long New Bahru takeover

Fancy a tour of trendy creative cluster New Bahru? German footwear brand Birkenstock has obliged, collaborating with 11 stores in the lifestyle destination to create a walking trail of sorts that will take one through all five floors of the main block.

Titled “Walk Naturally”, the experience introduces Birkenstock’s orthopaedic cork footbed and some of the best of New Bahru’s indie brands.

The journey begins at an installation of a supersized Arizona sandal, the brand’s classic two-strap model, at the New Bahru lawn. It is accompanied by footbed factoids and an array of actual footbed moulds that visitors can try on for size.

Also at ground level, restaurant Atipico is selling a five-item Birkenstock special menu that includes an excellent take on the German dessert Bienenstich for $8 and a banana-mango smoothie gamely tinted Birkenstock blue ($12).

As for PPP Coffee, it is offering a Colombian brew and a free coffee for those shod in Birkenstocks.

There are paid workshops too. At plant design studio Soilboy, participants can make sustainable planters, while at leather atelier Crafune, guests can personalise a Birkenstock-inspired charm.

How about wellness? Pilates studio Off Duty Pilates is pairing its usual posture and stretching class with Birkenstock’s modest kit of foot massage tools, made of cork. The set ($73) consists of two foot massage balls and a smooth massage roller.

Meanwhile, spa Hideaway is offering a 45-minute foot massage, called The Footsie ($70), using Birkenstock’s line of foot-care products.

Pet concept store Pop Pop Pets brings a playful touchpoint to the journey with a Birkenstock-designed tray liner at its charm bar from Sept 25 and will host a special pet walk planned for end-October.

Other partners are children’s bookstore Woods In The Books, granola brand Dearborn, apparel label Make by Ginlee and home goods store Stacked Store. Hit all the stops on the trail to redeem a Birkenstock tote bag and bucket hat.

Info: Until Oct 12 at New Bahru, 46 Kim Yam Road. Open to the public, with some workshops and experiences requiring advance registration. For more information, go to str.sg/njVW

See Louis Vuitton’s trophy case for F1 Singapore Grand Prix up close

French luxury brand Louis Vuitton, official designer of Formula 1 trophy cases, is putting its Trophy Trunk for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix on show at its Marina Bay Sands store from Sept 25 to 29, ahead of the races in October.

This is the first public preview of an F1 trophy case in Singapore and a rare opportunity to examine up close the flourishes on a trunk by one of the world’s foremost malletiers.

The bespoke case is covered in the house’s monogram and adorned with a big V, with the black-and-white Damier pattern recalling the chequered flag waved at the finish line of every F1 race.

The V stands for both “victory” and “Vuitton”. In addition, it features red and white, in a nod to Singapore’s national colours.

The brand is also introducing the Victory patch: a new signature element of its F1 Trophy Trunks. Inspired by traditional travel labels, the patch is engraved with the winner’s initials, highlighting the history of each Grand Prix.

All F1 Trophy Trunks are made by hand at Louis Vuitton’s historic atelier in Asnieres-sur-Seine, France, where the first automotive trunks were designed by second-generation LV head Georges Vuitton in 1897.

Info: Louis Vuitton Singapore Marina Bay Sands, Island Maison B2-36, 2 Bayfront Avenue. Open daily from 10.30am to 11pm