1 Brooches and magnets
What: Are you a clueless Singaporean, otherwise known as a person who is "blur like sotong"? Or are you a stylish Singaporean with a "Stylo Milo" wardrobe?
Hug a Porcupine, the in-house accessories label at the Little Drom Store, has designed magnets bearing colloquialisms, as well as brooches featuring local food such as soft-boiled eggs and kaya toast.
Price: From $18
Where: The Little Drom Store, School of the Arts, 1 Zubir Said Drive, 02-01, tel: 6884-4651 (opening middle of this month) and kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987
2 Tea towels
What: Mop up those drink spills at your National Day party with these cool towels. Look closely and you will see a man climbing a coconut tree.
Price: $35 for a set of three
Where: Singapore Trading Post, 102F Pasir Panjang Road, Citilink Warehouse, 02-04, tel: 6274-0511
3 Merlion shopper
What:Local designer Hans Tan has turned this iconic plastic bag into a reusable shopping tote. His version also has 14 numbered fold lines printed on the bag, so you can fold it into a triangle - a traditional technique of folding plastic bags. Comes in red and white.
Price: $13.90
Where: Go to naiise.com, www.farmstore.sg and www.hipvan.com. Online store Naiise is also having a pop-up store, The Design Supermarket, at Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, Discovery Walk, Level 1, from now until Aug 20. Many local designs in this feature are sold there.
4 Singa X Roof T-Shirt
What: Wear Singa the Courtesy Lion on your sleeve this National Day. This cotton T-shirt by local brand Roof Industries is emblazoned with one of Singapore's well-loved icons.
Price: $29.90
Where: Go to naiise.com, www.hipvan.com, store.100percent.sg and shop.roof industries.com.sg
5 Embrace Me Asian Art Deco cushion covers by Scene Shang
What: As an ode to the Art Deco buildings in Singapore, local design label Scene Shang puts four of them - flats in Tiong Poh Road, Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Tong Ah Building and Aliwal Arts Centre - on these cushion covers, which are made of poly blend canvas.
Price: From $20
Where: Go to naiise.com, shop.sceneshang.com and www.hipvan.com
6 Warhol Raffles luggage tag
What: Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles gets the Warhol treatment for this quirky luggage tag by Love Sg, a local design company, which has Singapore-themed products. Its bold, funky colours mean you will be able to spot your bag immediately as it comes out on the carousel.
Price: $9.90
Where: Go to naiise.com and www.lovesg.sg
7 Limited-edition Shiok greeting cards
What: Snail mail your love for Singapore this National Day to friends with these uber-cute postcards. Singaporean architecture graduate Natalie Kwee, who is living and working in New York, designed this limited-edition set of six Singapore food and Singlish-themed cards.
Price: $18 for a set of six
Where: Go to naiise.com and www.peepnpress.bigcartel.com
8 Foodie tattoos
What: Local design studio Wheniwasfour has collaborated with Dottinghill, an online design community and e-store selling "skin accessories" for people, to create these tattoos featuring Singapore's favourite snacks: flavoured ice popsicles, ang ku kueh, kueh lapis sabu, gem biscuits and Teochew peach-shaped kueh. If tattoos are not your thing, these food images are also printed on items such as tote bags, notebooks and fashion accessories by Wheniwasfour.
Price: From $6
Where: Go to www.wheniwasfour.com and www.dottinghill.com
9 Shophouse tin cans
What: The iconic shophouse has been photographed and wrapped around these storage tin cans, created by local design studio Farm. Each side of the can shows a different shophouse and can be lined up next to one another to create a row of shophouses for a quirky decor feature.
Price: $8 a can
Where: Go to naiise.com and www.farmstore.sg
10 Iconic kopitiam cup planter
What: Local urban farmer Cynthea Lam sees the kopitiam cup as more than just a beverage holder. Place this mini planter, which has a mix of Fittonia, Pilea and moss, on your desk to bring the outdoors indoors. Just do not confuse it with your actual coffee cup.
Price: $19
Where: Go to naiise.com
11 Five stone plushie
What: Taking its cue from the childhood game of five stones, design house Wheniwasfour has come up with a super-sized version of a five-stone cushion. You will have no problem catching this one. It comes in 15 designs and is filled with polyester fibre and has a removable cover.
Price: $38 for one stone and $155 for a set of five stones
Where: Go to www.wheniwasfour.com
12 Jalan Besar Kitties and The One Singapore plates
What: The familiar Maneki-Neko cat is given a local makeover by branding and design company Somewhere Else in collaboration with retail space/artist residency studio Supermama. Supermama came up with the collection of ceramic ware last year called the Singapore Icons Studio Project, which featured HDB flats and Singapore's national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, on crockery.
Inspired by the rough-and-tough neighbourhood of Jalan Besar, these kitties carry booze in one hand and are accompanied by Chinese saying "huo dao lao" for the right-handed cat and "xue dao lao" for the left-handed one. The saying means to learn as long as you live.
If cats are not your thing, serve up a plate of Singapore icons. Play a guessing game with your guests to find out who can correctly name the most icons on the plate such as former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay.
Price: $36 for a set of two Jalan Besar Gangster Kitties and $84 for a The One Singapore plate
Where: Supermama, 30A Seah Street
13 Sin City tote bag series
What: Get your localised version of music and film's greatest cult hits - Last Tango In Pasir Ris, Buona Vista Social Club, Balestier Galactica and Geylang Vice Squad. There are six designs of this canvas black tote by design studio Kult.
Price: From $25
Where: Go to store. kultmagazine.com.sg and kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987
14 The Playground series
What: Children of the 1980s will reminisce about their childhood days with this series of pins, magnets and plush toys, which pays homage to Singapore's iconic mosaic playgrounds.
Price: From $22
Where: The Little Drom Store, School of the Arts, 1 Zubir Said Drive, 02-01, tel: 6884-4651 (opening in the middle of this month), and kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987
15 Enamel Mug
What: Hipsters hunt high and low for these enamel pieces from yesteryear. But you can get yours with a quirky twist. Centerpiece Creation, a curation studio which works with local artists, has added step-by-step instructions on how to make local favourites such as teh tarik, Milo dinosaur and teh halia.
Price: From $22
Where: Go to www.centerpiececreation.com and www.hipvan.com
16 Baba Blue and Padma iPhone covers by Kala Pata
What: Home-grown stationery brand Kala Pata - the name is Bengali for banana leaf - has taken inspiration from Singapore's Peranakan heritage for this set of iPhone covers. The Baba Blue case (left) for iPhone 5 and 5S features kettles and pots used in Nonya cooking, while the Padma cover (right), for iPhone 5C, has the lotus motif often found on Nonya porcelain ware.
Price: $22
Where: Go to kalapata.com, naiise.com and kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987
17 Ich Bin Ein Singaporer T-shirt
What: Affirm your Singaporean-ness in this T-shirt. French label Civissum adds Singapore to the famous line by former US President John F. Kennedy, when he declared "Ich bin ein Berliner" during his speech in 1963 about the freedom of man. Comes in black, white and grey.
Price: $79
Where: Kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987, and Kapok Tools, Robinsons Orchard, 260 Orchard Road, Level 4, tel: 6735-8838 and Tangs, 310 Orchard Road, Level 4, tel: 6737-5500
18 Lacquer boxes by Kala Pata
What: Add a pop of colour to your vanity table with these handmade lacquer boxes, which highlight Singapore's vibrant cultures. The interiors are fully lined with handwoven fabric.
Price: From $160
Where: Go to kalapata.com, naiise.com, and kapok at the NDC, National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, 01-05, tel: 6339-7987
19 Ang Ku Kueh Girl handmade soap
What: It looks good enough to eat, but do not do it.
Drawing inspiration from Singaporeans' love of kueh, local designer Wang Shijia and her team at Ang Ku Kueh Girl and Friends made a berry-scented soap modelled after the tortoise-shell glutinous rice pastry. The label also has adorable merchandise such as stationery and bags featuring characters such as Roti Prata Boy and Kueh Lapis Girl.
Price: $4.90
Where: Go to www.angkukuehgirl.com.sg, naiise.com, Redundant Shop, Block 5 Everton Park, 01-22A, tel: 6707-2005, Cat Socrates, 231 Bain Street, Bras Basah Complex, 02-25, tel: 6333-0870 and Tyrwhitt General Company, 150A Tyrwhitt Road, Level 2, tel: 8444-5589
20 Arkiv's Merlion
What: The half-lion, half-fish creature might have started out as a tourism gimmick, but the quirky character has cemented its status as a uniquely Singaporean character.
Now, instead of trekking to Sentosa or Merlion Park at the Fullerton area to pay homage to the creature, you can own one of just 10 mini versions by Indonesian artist Arkiv Vilmansa. At 60cm, the statue is cast in resin and painted in high gloss white. But it is fastest fingers first - as of press time, there was only one left for sale.
Price: $1,800
Where: Go to www.thedamngoodshop.com
