Aqilah Zailan

What is your full name?

Nur Aqilah Zailan.

What is your first name?

Aqilah.

Where were you born?

Singapore.

Where do you currently reside and work?

Singapore.

What is your educational background?

I hold a Diploma in Law & Management from Temasek Polytechnic and a BA in Business (Management) from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).

What are other experiences that have led you to your current work?

I have worked in the realm of retail for nearly two decades, starting with a holiday sales job at Ralph Lauren and later working in retail sales, marketing, and operations for various local jewellery and lifestyle brands.

How would you describe your practice?

I am part of a new generation of cultural entrepreneurs who have found a calling in the fashion and heritage space, and I am proud to create a space for fresh narratives, multiple identities, and diverse voices in local fashion.

What are the highlight projects in your career so far?

My brand, Studio Gypsied, crafts batik on sustainable materials such as TENCEL™ and EcoVero™. It is a huge stride for the studio!

What are you currently working on?

I am in the process of ideating and creating a vision board for an upcoming collection titled ‘Lorong Puspa’. It is named after the settlement my mother moved to in mainland Singapore during her teens, after relocating from her birthplace on Pulau Bukom.

Instagram: @aqilah.zailan and @studio.gypsied
Website: www.studiogypsied.com

Read Aqilah’s ‘My Own Words’ essay here.