Upscale pop-up market 9MCM will be back this weekend for the third year running.
Organised by home appliances distributor APS Lifestyle, 9MCM: The Jubilee Marketplace will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8pm at
9 Muthuraman Chetty Road, which houses its APS Lifestyle Gallery retail venue.
The merchants - whose products range from fashion and beauty to food and beverage - will launch 50 Jubilee food or retail creations made just for the event.
Creations include Katfood's men's beard oil enriched with unprocessed ingredients such as grapefruit, Immanuel French Kitchen's Crispy Oyster with sambal sauce and The General Company's Supermama Singapore Icons Plates.
Previous merchants have included bistro Habitat Coffee, design agency Twelve x Little People and contemporary lifestyle brand sifr.
Preparation for the marketplace began in February and was done almost single-handedly by APS Lifestyle's assistant marketing manager Elaine Ong, 28.
She says the company came up with the idea of having the marketplace to increase traffic to its APS Lifestyle Gallery, after renovating it in 2012. "9MCM is not your typical flea market where products are laid out on tables. Preparing for the marketplace required a lot of creative thinking and planning and it has been a lot of hard work."
The goods tend to be more upscale and more aesthetically displayed than in a flea market.
More than 30 merchants will take part in this year's marketplace - more than double the number of the first event in 2013, which had 14 merchants.
This year, the marketplace will be held over two days for the first time to cater to the Sunday crowd.
APS Lifestyle's target for the event is 2,000 to 3,000 people.
Merchants selected had something "new and interesting" to offer and were "hidden gems" which provided products not commonly found on the market, she says. Local brands were given priority.
"We're honoured to be a part of this year's marketplace and we hope this year's Jubilee edition of the 9MCM marketplace event will be the best one yet," says a spokesman for Project Acai, Singapore's first dedicated acai cafe.
Lifetsyle boutique One Olive is looking forward to the gathering of various merchants. A spokesman says: "We hope there will be more similar events in the future for people to come together and support local brands."
Life! highlights six creations
RED RUESS RUFFLED CROP
Merchant: Eight Slate
Unit Number: 30
What: A bright red crop top by the local women's clothing brand with a "juxtapositional minimal yet edgy" style
Price: $49.50
KOPI & TEH COCKTAIL
Merchant: Nuevo Vino
Unit Number: 6
What: Handcrafted Kopi Cocktails infused with the Yzaguirre Selection 1884 vermouth, topped with savoury warm egg foam and pieces of youtiao
Price: $15 a cocktail
ONDEH ONDEH ECLAIR
Merchant: Two Bakers
Unit Number: 19
What: A French choux pastry with gula melaka, flavoured with pandan and glazed with desiccated coconut
Price: Not available
CUSTOMISED 'FAMILY' TERRARIUMS
Merchant: Mossingarden
Unit Number: 12
What: Customised terrariums based on the themes of family and loved ones
Price: $30 - $70 a terrarium
LAKSA RISOTTO
Merchant: Atipico
Unit Number: 21
What: Laksa risotto topped with coconut gelato and sauteed prawns. This dish is crafted by chef Matteo Pertoldi to create a "balanced and seducing contrast in terms of food between Singaporean and Italian cultures".
Price: $13 a serving
EMBRACE ME CUSHIONS
Merchant: Scene Shang
Unit Number: 26
What: Cushions with illustrations of Singapore's heritage buildings, including Aliwal Arts Centre and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station
Price: $25 without stuffing, $30 with stuffing
