Singapore fashion label Arcade Clothing opens first physical store in Funan with coffee joint Alchemist (2024)

The faint whir of coffee machines and soft clinking of cups fade into the background as patrons whizz in between racks of clothing. In a space where coffee meets fashion, a husband and wife clad in crisp, oversized button-ups banter as they sit in a corner.

The couple, Collin Goh and Min Poh, are the owners of Singaporean label Arcade Clothing– they are involved in almost every aspect of the business, from designing and obtaining samples to selling and marketing.

Both 39, the pair recently took their online brand into its first physical space.

In collaboration with homegrown coffee joint Alchemist, Alchemist & Arcade officially opened at Funan on May 4. Its interior, inspired by the Bauhaus design, is accented with bright, bold colours and some statement furniture.

“It’s organic, functional and has pops of colour so it doesn’t distract (people) from the clothing we’re going to carry. It can be in the background but it still has character,” Goh told CNA Lifestyle.

In fact, the store’s interior is representative of Arcade Clothing’s style. “Singaporeans are, in general, more functional. I think they are a bit more safe. But the young people nowadays are actually a lot more adventurous… There’s a spectrum, and for us, I feel like we’re right in between,” said Poh.

She explained that the clothes they design are trendy yet timeless, and often play with colour. So while they sell basics and staples, they also carry “fun” pieces that “push the boundaries a little”.

HOW ARCADE CLOTHING STARTED

Goh and Poh have been together since they were 15. While they can’t quite recall when they got married (2016, they said after checking), the year they founded Arcade Clothing sits at the forefront of their minds.

As they recounted how they started the brand, they revealed that their joint endeavour wasn’t their first go at the online fashion scene.

Poh originally had Little Red Heels, a women’s fashion blogshop she started during her university days in 2006 to earn some extra cash. Goh, on the other hand, had helmed an independent menswear label that “couldn't survive on its own”.

Elaborating on why he tried starting his brand, Goh said: “At that time, (men's fashion) was really dominated by Topshop for men. Topshop, Topman, Zara were about the only good options in the market. There was no COS at that time. There was not even Uniqlo.”

Echoing his sentiments, Poh explained that most of the online shops back then only catered to women and there was a big gap in the men’s fashion market. And so, in 2012, they took a leap of faith.

Goh and Poh left their full-time jobs in advertising and events, respectively, and created Arcade Clothing – a label that sells women's, men’s and children’s fashion.

When asked what the inspiration was behind the store’s name, Goh shared that they wanted a gender-neutral name that had a playful vibe. Since arcades were a “place to have fun”, it suited the bill.

WHY NOW?

Arcade Clothing has been dwelling in the online space for 12 years.It has had a few physical warehouse sales, and some of its clothes were carried in some multi-label shops. Still, Poh just loves being an online shop.

“But people have been asking us to have a physical space for the longest time,” she said. “So for me, I feel that (this store) is my way of saying thank you to our customers for all their support all these years.”

Meanwhile, Goh believes that opening a store is only natural. He explained that whenever people shop, regardless of the brand, they would want to see and feel the clothes in real life.

That said, the store might have never materialised if the collaboration with Alchemist didn’t come through.

“The whole point of doing the online store is so that we can do many creative concepts. I would say it's more out of the box. So if we just do a store that just carried clothes, I feel that it's very conventional,” shared Poh.

“Just clothing, clothing, clothing. It's very boring,” Goh chimed in. He added that if Alchemist & Arcade didn’t happen, they would’ve looked for another interesting brand outside of the fashion industry to open a store with.

After all, both Goh and Poh look forward to working on collaborations. The pair affirmed that collaborations are "always fun" because they get to use a different way to express aspects of themselves they can't convey on their own.

The partnership with Alchemist, for instance, “brings a kind of lifestyle into a space” since many people enjoy coffee as well as retail therapy.

“And it sounds very nice together, you know. Alchemist and Arcade, we're both A for Arcade, A for Alchemist,” Poh quipped.

ARCADE CLOTHING IS ‘EVER-CHANGING’

While Singapore’s season may be constant, the same can’t be said for the fashion world. As trends come and go, fashion continues to evolve. Keeping up with that, Goh and Poh shared that their styles are “ever-changing”.

Goh, who used to be into the English prep style, now leans towards Japanese streetwear. Meanwhile, Poh gravitates towards preppy and vintage clothing. Since they design based on their personal taste, their “ever-changing” style shows through Arcade Clothing’s lines.

“I think our brand is evolving all the time, and I think our customers have changed along as well. They’re changing with us, which is a good thing because (it’s like) we are always going together,” said Poh.

One reason for Singapore's evolving fashion scene, they believe, is the fact that customers can now shop online and get their outfits from anywhere around the world.

When they first started, the concept of online shopping was relatively new, and the only options Singaporeans had were the shops in local malls, Poh recalled. But with the rise of online stores as well as social media, people are getting more exposed to various styles of clothes.

However, even with the seemingly endless choices now,many Singaporean men still don the quintessential ‘SG uniform’, Goh joked.

That said, he has also observed that there aremen who aremore experimental with their fashion choices, with some even shopping in the women’s section. Likewise, many of their female customers shop in their men’s line.

“There are many ways to interpret a piece of clothing. I feel like it's not about what style you wear. Most importantly, when you wear it, you embrace it, and you think that it speaks to you or makes you feel a certain way,” said Poh.

“Just wear what catches your eye," Goh affirmed. "As long as you are comfortable, then that style works for you. It's not important to be stylish or be on trend. It's important to feel good and be yourself."

Alchemist & Arcade is located at Funan, 107 North Bridge Road, #01-01, Singapore 179105. Arcade is open daily from 11am to 9pm, while Alchemist is open daily from 10am to 7pm.