We dressed four men of various professions in designer suits and photographed them in the sleek and stylish Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Not surprisingly, they went from ordinary to extraordinary.
KELVIN NEO
What do you do for a living?
I run Curtex Pte Ltd, a family business with over 30 years of experience as a supplier and distributor of a wide selection of quality carpets, wallpapers, curtains and blinds for major trade/exhibition shows, and commercial and residential properties.
I took over the reins from my father recently and aim to reinvent the maturing business to take it to the next stage of growth in this competitive market. We are now in the process of setting up a new warehouse with a showroom nearer to our retail clients.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a fitness enthusiast; twice-a-week soccer is a must. I usually start my day at the gym and I do that six days a week. When I’m off work, I like spending time with family and relaxing at the beach on weekends.
Which male celebrity’s sense of style do you most admire?
I’ve always admired David Beckham for his effortless style. From footballer to style icon, he is constantly reinventing himself and his style is probably the most copied on the planet.
What is the most overused fashion item in your wardrobe?
One of the struggles I face due to my athletic physique is finding a pair of pants that fits past my thighs. I found the perfect fit in my pair of Izzue camouflage tapered pants and have bought three pairs in different colours so far.
Do you follow fashion and try to dress according to what is ‘in’?
I don’t follow fashion trends blindly — I dress mainly for comfort and style. Sourcing off-the-peg styles is difficult due to my build, thus I would rather go smart casual with T-shirts, pants and sneakers on most work appointments. For meetings with clients, I put in extra effort with slimcut tailored shirts.
Where is your favourite place to shop?
I’m an avid sneakers collector; I browse for sneakers from websites such as www.footlocker.com and www.vitalekicks.com. For trendier styles, I make my purchases at www.mrporter.com.
PAUL SEMPLE
What do you do for a living?
I am an interior design principal at HASSELL Singapore. The interior design consultancy that my partner and I established eight years ago, Distillery, has just recently merged with HASSELL. We are an international design, architecture and landscape practice with studios in Australia, Southeast Asia, China and the UK. My partner Matthew and I established Distillery with a focus on doing good work with good clients. We have been very lucky and have worked with some visionary clients and have created bars, restaurants, hotels and retail spaces. Working with a talented group of designers and architects inside HASSELL has given us the opportunity to continue to do exciting work in Singapore and throughout the region.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I moved to Singapore for a change of life in 2004; a two-year idea has become an 11-year commitment. My parents are New Zealanders, but I was born and raised in Australia. I moved from my hometown of Sydney and have not looked back. I love it here; the constant change and evolution of Singapore is exciting and challenging. Particularly in the area of design that we work in, the game has changed so much. Where five years ago the bar and restaurant scene was a bit thin, now there are almost too many choices. While Singapore is my town, I think that New Zealand is where my heart is. We bought a property last year outside of Wellington with a view that it will one day be home.
Which male celebrity’s sense of style do you most admire?
I really like (model) David Gandy’s style; he knows how to look good in a T-shirt but equally knows how to wear a button-down shirt and smart jacket. But I think the true icon of male style, in every way, is David Bowie. You look at his smart tailored look of today and back to all the other looks he has rocked over the decades; he is a real definer of style that all men can reference. He takes the hallmarks of style, great tailoring, great colour and texture, and brings them together to be uniquely his own.
What is the most overused fashion item in your wardrobe?
I recently bought a Pal Zileri suit in Sydney; the jacket has become a regular part of my work uniform. It works really well with jeans. My favourite shoes have become the most overused part of my wardrobe; I love my Saint Laurent boots and lace-ups. I love smart shoes paired with a matching belt. My grandmother taught me that you can tell a lot about a man by the shoes he wears.
Do you follow fashion and try to dress according to what is ‘in’?
I am not a slave to fashion. My wardrobe is simple and I stick to the things that I know work for life in Singapore. If you took a tour through my wardrobe, you will see good basics that stand the test of time. I find it really hard to go past Paul Smith for good fitting trousers, shirts and jackets.
Where is your favourite place to shop?
It is hard to go past the shopping experience at Lane Crawford at IFC Hong Kong. I always make time when I am in Hong Kong to do a lap of both the menswear and homeware departments. The buyers at LC have such a great eye and pull together the best of the collection. I love using www.mrporter.com — I buy my belts and shirts here.
JEFFREY LIU
What do you do for a living?
Internet start-ups. I recently co-founded a community of healthy living called GuavaPass. We offer a monthly membership programme that provides our members access to the best group fitness classes at premium fitness studios as well as exciting perks from healthy living partners. We are operating in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok, and will be expanding to Dubai, Shanghai, Melbourne, Sydney and Taipei in the coming months.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a bit of a life nomad. I’ve lived in five different countries and, for the longest time, couldn’t answer where I was from. My personal philosophy is to accept that there will always be uncertainties in life and to run with it. It’s led me down an interesting path in life, full of adventures, from riding ostriches to jumping out of a plane to selling women’s fashion online alongside Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen to building a feel-good product around healthy living that is GuavaPass.
Which male celebrity’s sense of style do you most admire?
Johnny Depp. He’s one cool cat. His style is offbeat and eccentric and suits him well. I appreciate how he can wear whatever he wants without conforming to any particular style.
What is the most overused fashion item in your wardrobe?
Loafers. It’s hard to go wrong with them and they’re super comfortable. It’s like wearing slippers at home, but better. I wear them in casual and formal settings, with shorts and jeans, and practically anywhere that requires shoes.
Do you follow fashion and try to dress according to what is ‘in’?
I don’t follow runway fashion per se, but appreciate new styles that make it to street fashion. I think each of us has multiple ‘fashion personalities’ and I am definitely open to experimenting with new things.
Where is your favourite place to shop?
I have two favourites: Club Monaco and All- Saints. Club Monaco has stepped up its game in the past few years and is now my go-to for anything from button-down shirts to pants to even socks! Their clothing consistently has good aesthetics and is starting to become couture- esque. AllSaints, which sadly is not in Singapore yet, is just plain cool. I love the vintage and industrial feel. You can’t go wrong with their boots.
WERNER DEPREZ
What do you do for living?
I work within the private banking industry, as an investment specialist.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am an Eurasian, my mother is indonesian and my dad is Belgian. I have lived in Singapore since 2006 and am permanent resident. I love outdoor sports such as tennis and soccer and I go to gym on a regular basis.
Which male celebrity's sense of style do you admire?
Daniel Craig - he is always smartly dressed. His style is all about sharp tailoring and good choice of fabrics. He wears both formal and casual clothes equally wear.
What is the most overused fashion in your wardrobe?
I am a big fan of Bally shoes as they are comfortable and are of good quality. A pair usually last more than five years, if you maintain them well, that is.
Do you follow fashion and try to dress according to what is 'in'?
No, I dress in a style that suits me - formal at work, and short and flip-flops on the weekends.
Where is your favourite place to shop?
I usually shop in Europe (when visiting my family) during sales as the euro is down and I can get tax refund. I also use a tailor in Singapore for my shirts and suits. Friends have been recommending me to take a look at online shop Mr Porter, so I will try out in near future.
This article appeared in the Options of Issue 696 (Sep 28) of The Edge Singapore.