
5 Singaporean brands that have gone global
Above What began as a humble curry puff stall in 1956 now supplies Singaporean snacks around the world (Photo: Facebook / Old Chang Kee Singapore)
What began as a humble curry puff stall in 1956 now supplies Singaporean snacks around the world, including Australia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Over the years, the brand has held fast to its kitchen-side roots while adapting its menu to ever-changing consumer preferences.
Read more: Home tour: Old Chang Kee chairman's gorgeous Singapore house immersed in nature 3. TWG Tea
Above First opened in 2008, TWG has since expanded to over 50 tea boutiques across 23 countries (Photo: Facebook / TWG Tea)
First opened in 2008, TWG has since expanded to over 50 tea boutiques across 23 countries. Head into any one of its stores and find an extensive selection of tea varieties alongside delectable pastries and tea accessories.
Read more How I'm Making It: Taha Bouqdib on how he grew TWG Tea and Bacha Coffee—one cup at a time 4. Charles & Keith
Above This brand is synonymous with accessible luxury (Photo: Facebook / Charles & Keith)
Established in 1996, this brand is synonymous with accessible luxury, offering trend-focused designs without sacrificing quality. Since its inception, the brand has aimed to make high-fashion accessible, without compromising on craftsmanship or materials. Currently, the brand boasts over 600 stores worldwide. 5. Benjamin Barker
Above This Singapore-owned menswear label has been loved for its classic yet elevated pieces (Photo: Facebook / Benjamin Barker)
This Singapore-owned menswear label has been loved for its classic yet elevated pieces. Founded by Nelson Yap in 2007, Benjamin Barker was born out of Yap's efforts to revive his family's struggling suit business. The brand has since expanded across Southeast Asia and Australia.
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Tatler Asia
26-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
What's special about the new premium TWG tea destination for connoisseurs?
A new TWG destination in Ho Chi Minh City with a signature tea collection and a refined Tea Takeaway experience. TWG Tea, one of the world's leading premium tea brands, has just marked a new chapter in Vietnam with the opening of its flagship store at Diamond Plaza shopping mall. Set in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, with a view of the Notre Dame Cathedral, TWG Tea's gleaming space invites guests into a world of exceptional tea. This latest opening brings TWG Tea's total to three locations in Vietnam, and introduces a premium takeaway tea concept contributing to the evolution of a modern tea-drinking lifestyle in one of Asia's most dynamic cities. See more: What makes the tea-drinking culture of ancient Vietnamese people special? TWG's new space is a sophisticated blend of elegant architecture, experiential retail, and the artistry of tea gastronomy, offering elevated touches for everyday life. Nestled among Ho Chi Minh City's most recognisable landmarks, TWG Tea's Tea Salon & Boutique is where heritage achieves harmony with modernity. This is a tea experience rooted in tradition yet designed for today's discerning tea lovers. Vibrant reds and golden ambers play across mirrored walls and brass accents. Sculptural lighting and classic furnishings lend a sense of timeless poise. Etched glass, Italian marble and hand-gilded teapots glow under soft yellow lights, opening a multisensory journey into TWG Tea's world. Above TWG Tea's Tea Salon & Boutique is where heritage finds harmony with modernity A resting place for tea stories In an evocative, thoughtfully designed space, this distinctive TWG Tea Salon & Boutique invites guests to linger, discover and savour, whether browsing for a signature blend, selecting an elegant gift, enjoying a moment of calm in the salon, or sipping a takeaway cup of TWG tea while exploring the city. See more: From 'slow matcha' to 'matcha bar': Finding the right matcha in the heart of Saigon Above This distinctive TWG Tea Salon & Boutique invites guests to linger, discover and savour Alongside its celebrated blends such as French Earl Grey, Silver Moon and 1837 Black Tea from the Haute Couture and Cotton Teabag collections, TWG Tea also showcases unique varieties from countries with a rich legacy of tea cultivation. Vietnam, notably, contributes four distinct lines. Among them, Green of Vietnam and Secret of Vietnam are standout offerings, each honouring the country's cultural essence. Above TWG Tea also showcases unique varieties from countries with a rich legacy of tea cultivation Adding to its collections, TWG Tea has introduced a whimsical tea line featuring charming Teddy bear motifs reflecting the brand's continual inventiveness in delighting modern tea enthusiasts. With more than 1,000 teas sourced from the world's most renowned plantations, as well as exclusive in-house blends, an array of refined accessories, thoughtfully curated gift sets and a refined takeaway experience, TWG Tea is an ode to the art of tea.


Tatler Asia
23-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
5 Singaporean brands that have gone global
2. Old Chang Kee Above What began as a humble curry puff stall in 1956 now supplies Singaporean snacks around the world (Photo: Facebook / Old Chang Kee Singapore) What began as a humble curry puff stall in 1956 now supplies Singaporean snacks around the world, including Australia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Over the years, the brand has held fast to its kitchen-side roots while adapting its menu to ever-changing consumer preferences. Read more: Home tour: Old Chang Kee chairman's gorgeous Singapore house immersed in nature 3. TWG Tea Above First opened in 2008, TWG has since expanded to over 50 tea boutiques across 23 countries (Photo: Facebook / TWG Tea) First opened in 2008, TWG has since expanded to over 50 tea boutiques across 23 countries. Head into any one of its stores and find an extensive selection of tea varieties alongside delectable pastries and tea accessories. Read more How I'm Making It: Taha Bouqdib on how he grew TWG Tea and Bacha Coffee—one cup at a time 4. Charles & Keith Above This brand is synonymous with accessible luxury (Photo: Facebook / Charles & Keith) Established in 1996, this brand is synonymous with accessible luxury, offering trend-focused designs without sacrificing quality. Since its inception, the brand has aimed to make high-fashion accessible, without compromising on craftsmanship or materials. Currently, the brand boasts over 600 stores worldwide. 5. Benjamin Barker Above This Singapore-owned menswear label has been loved for its classic yet elevated pieces (Photo: Facebook / Benjamin Barker) This Singapore-owned menswear label has been loved for its classic yet elevated pieces. Founded by Nelson Yap in 2007, Benjamin Barker was born out of Yap's efforts to revive his family's struggling suit business. The brand has since expanded across Southeast Asia and Australia.


Tatler Asia
18-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
How to embrace AI without losing ourselves
Above Dorothy Yiu is the co-founder and CEO of EngageRocket, an award-winning Singapore-based employee engagement platform (Photo: EngageRocket) AI is here to stay; you either adapt or die. That's the reality of things - Dorothy Yiu - Being more human Both Yiu and Tang highlight the importance of coaching. Performance might be better measured through systems that can track indicators and generate progress reports. But the human aspect of spending time with someone and seeing them, as we do when we coach, could lead to even more meaningful insights. As Yiu says, it involves conversations like, 'Hey, what's your ambition? Where do you see yourself in the next year or two years? How can we set you up for success in this organisation?' She adds that it's also human relationships that drive retention and turnover. 'People don't leave bad companies; they leave bad bosses.' This isn't likely to change just because AI systems and agents become part of work. 'You use data to help inform, right? How can we tailor our humanness and build connection? That's where data is helpful,' says Yiu. In other words, we can use data to better understand our teams and flag challenges, and we can use AI to become better managers and leaders. 'See it as a way to improve yourself,' says Cheng. 'I'm a big fan of using AI for knowledge and education. How can it help us improve on areas where we may be weak? Of course, we need to be careful when working with generative AI due to hallucinations, where it may cite untrue information, but as the models get better and offer deep research capabilities and other features, it means that we have access to an almost limitless amount of knowledge.' Read more: AI at work: what are Singapore CEOs prioritising and finding a challenge? Above Arvin Tang is the founder and CEO of Akin by Techlyon, a digital agency that designs impact-driven marketing campaigns backed by human behaviour data (Photo: Darren Gabriel Leow) Tang adds, 'What does it mean for you to be human? It means the critical thinking that happens 99 per cent of the time in your brain. You might not be able to explain it but the conscious and the unconscious [are involved in] your thinking process.' This can lead to new ideas and other positive outcomes, he says, when coupled with an AI with a different thinking model. The quality of ideas and the speed of work can increase as we combine human insights and intuitions with such powerful tools. This means we can do better and get more done much faster. The question then becomes: what do we do with our time? Tang says that leaders will have to 'embrace and accept that it is true that they, both leaders and their teams, will do less work but not necessarily less thinking'. In his case, he sees the newly available time as an opportunity to focus on well-being and space to find innovative ideas and solutions. He tells his team: 'Make sure that you are considering new skills, new things to think about. Use your AI to learn about how this connects to performance.' Read more: AI decoded: a guide to digital twins, synthetic media and other buzzwords We humans still need to be the ones to plan the next step, navigate it and then use the AI as a very good compass to get there - Arvin Tang - Leading with purpose It's key to lead with mission, purpose and meaning— essentially, a 'why'. Tang says that a key activity for him has been to realign his company's vision to its purpose. 'This purpose-led vision allows me to align it with my and my team's personal interests as well.' He says that being purpose-driven allows them to stay fresh and excited about their work, which in turn minimises, if not prevents, burnout. Yiu concurs, saying: 'In a world like this that's so uncertain and chaotic, more engaged employees are more resilient to change. They're willing to tough it out with you. They're willing to be more creative. They're willing to go the extra mile for the organisation when times are tough. 'We are living in an era where there are five generations in the workforce. How can I tailor my approaches to the diversity that we're seeing?' Add to that the coming introduction of non-humans into the mix, and this diversity will bring both challenges and opportunities. If we can understand the technology, be more human in our interactions and lead with purpose, then we might be on the right track to take advantage of those opportunities.