Would you wear otters on your ears and curry puffs on your glasses?

By Invite Only’s otter-themed jewellery collection

It may not be Singapore’s official animal, but the otter has certainly usurped the lion in popularity when it comes to patriotic merchandise.

This National Day, Singapore jewellery brand By Invite Only has tapped the furry creature for a whimsical collection of keepsakes.

These are not the sometimes menacing otters you see scampering across parks and canals. In By Invite Only’s signature style, they have been transformed into dainty critters, taking on gold, silver and rose-gold finishes across earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

The River Otter Bracelet ($79) depicts an otter drifting peacefully along a gentle waterway, characterised by a braided chain, and accompanied by a shimmering cubic zirconia detail at its centre.

In a different interpretation, the Barrage Otter Bracelet ($69) features an otter in a frisky amble.

Or keep it simple with the Otterly Lovable Studs ($39) and Otterly Lovable Necklace ($79), which feature the mammal gently cradling a cubic zirconia in its paws.

Info: Available at By Invite Only stores and byinviteonly.shop

Local artisan labels Studio Qiling and Mathilde team up

Two home-grown brands big on craft and slow luxury have come together for a patriotic pair-up.

Art-led label Studio Qiling, known for its hand-drawn prints and silk creations, and leather atelier Mathilde have created the former’s first leather bag collection.

The range spotlights the specialised craft of leather marquetry – a technique that involves precise cutting, assembling and bonding thin pieces of leather edge-to-edge to form mosaic-like compositions. When completed, the final surface is flat and the puzzle pieces indiscernible.

Studio Qiling created original artwork for the collection, which was translated onto full-grain calf leather and assembled by hand into the bags by Mathilde’s artisans. The prints also feature in the fabric lining.

Across three designs and five colourways, the bucket bags are priced from $680 for a Dancing Poppies Mini Bucket Bag to $1,480 for a Kitsune Marquetry Bucket Bag. There are also marquetry leather bag charms at $80 each.

All bags are made-to-order and will be delivered in six to eight weeks.

Info: The collection is available at studioqiling.com, mathildestudio.com and at Studio Qiling Boutique, 29A South Bridge Road (by appointment).

Beyond The Vines collaborates with Toyo Steel

Beloved home-grown brand Beyond The Vines (BTV) wants you to know it can make more than just bags – in a new collaboration with Toyo Steel, the renowned Japanese manufacturer of durable steel toolboxes.

Leveraging its expertise as a design studio, BTV has reimagined the maker’s recognisable T-320 Toolbox through the lens of thoughtful organisation. At the collection’s heart is the Beyond The Vines x Toyo Steel T-320 Toolbox ($69), which showcases removable canvas and recycled leather organisers in BTV’s playful design language.

Keep your everyday essentials neatly organised in style, and finish with a leather handle cover for easy portability.

Online purchases include a complimentary personalised leather tag customised with two hot-stamped silver initials.

BTV is launching in tandem the Leather Canvas Carryall 0.5 ($79) and 1.5 ($99) in a utility-inspired aesthetic. The latter bears an uncanny resemblance to the toolbox with its east-west shape.

Both styles are crafted from washed canvas with recycled leather details and are available in Tonal Washed Brown, Tonal Washed Navy and Tonal Washed Black.

There is also a ready-to-wear capsule inspired by workwear silhouettes – comprising cotton tees ($59), overshirts ($109) and overalls ($119).

All products will be launched on Aug 7 at noon.

Info: The Toolbox will be available exclusively at the Beyond The Vines Design Store, B1−42/46 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Road, and beyondthevines.com. The Leather Canvas collection and Ready-To-Wear collection will be available across all Beyond The Vines stores and website.

Curry puff frames from Lenskart and Old Chang Kee

Some say the best collaborations are unexpected. Surely no one would have thought curry puff purveyor Old Chang Kee would one day inspire a line of spectacles.

In a National Day capsule from Indian eyewear label Lenskart, the heritage snack brand’s beloved curry puffs adorn three limited-edition optical styles ($150 each) through subtle design details.

The Black Full Rim Square features a black-and-gold-lined rim meant to echo a freshly wrapped curry puff, finished with Old Chang Kee’s Curry’O icon. The Black Full Rim Round features a blink-and-miss-it pattern-etched style tracing the brand’s Curry’O and fishball icon across the frame.

And most playful of all is the Silver Full Rim Geometric, a silver frame style finished with a dangling curry puff charm – very on trend. Every purchase from the collection comes with a curry puff plush spectacle case and microfibre cloth.

Until Aug 30, the collection will be sold in a roving pop-up across Singapore, starting at Lenskart’s new flagship store at Suntec City (until Aug 9). It continues on to VivoCity (Aug 10 to 16), Jurong Point (Aug 17 to 23) and, finally, Eastpoint Mall (Aug 24 to 30).

At the pop-up, a pushcart showcases the collection, where you get a “live cooking” demonstration with every purchase. The first 30 customers who complete an eye test each day will receive a complimentary $2 Old Chang Kee voucher.

Info: Available at all Lenskart stores and lenskart.sg