Ribbon and Roses: Ribbon and Roses in Antipodean, Holland Village.

We are so excited to have a pop up stall in the pretty store, Antipodean in Holland Village, Singapore for the next few months. Please pop down to the shop to see the latest from Ribbon and Roses.

We put some questions to Cynthia from Antipodean for some inside info!

How long has Antipodean been open and who are your main customers.
- Antipodean has been around since 2004 and we have a good mix of locals and expatriates who come to us because they prefer to shop comfortably in a private environment that feels akin to home, taking their time to meander through the shelves of "gems".
What inspired you to open Antipodean and what was your USP?
- Antipodean basically stands for Australia and New Zealand. The shop focuses on bringing in Australian labels that are unique to Singapore. Striving to depart from the commercial items sold along Orchard.

Antipodean is also a term used to describe parts of the earth that are diametrically opposite. A term distinctly in line with the boutique’s vision and concept, it manifests right through to its bold choice of location, tucked away on a second level Holland Village walk-up.
Antipodean – a space where contradiction reigns and individualism begins.

How do you find your designers for the shop?
- Apart from scouting for new labels at the Australian Fashion Week, Antipodean is also a supporter of local labels. We work very closely with local designers to feature their collection at the boutique. We have brands such as Al + Alicia, Alice McCall through to pretty jewellery by Tree + Bee.

What do you consider the top 5 staple items for a woman's wardrobe?
1. A pair of boot cut dark washed jeans
2. A nicely cut white button down dress shirt
3. A little black dress
4. A classic fit blazer/jacket
5. A pair of classic black pumps

We are thrilled to be doing a pop up shop with you, how do you think Ribbon and Roses sits amongst your other brands you hold.

- Ribbon and Roses collection is very versatile and is aligned with our customers' taste. We have held Ribbon and Roses homeware for nearly 3 years now which had a great response so now anticipate that there will be good response to the clothing. Working in small quantities, you better hurry to the shop before pieces are snapped up!

If you had an unlimited budget to spend on one item, what would it be?
- A classic black leather Chanel handbag

As you’re an “old timer” there, tell us a secret about Holland village, Lorong Mambong!
(Don’t know of any secret but here is a little bit of Holland Village history)
- In the early years, Holland Village was occupied by plantations and nurseries on both the Jalan Merah Saga and Lorong Mambong sides.

As her name suggests, it was the Dutch, who was the first community to settle in the Holland area.
Later, members of the British army made their homes in the semi-detached and terrace houses here, now known as Chip Bee Gardens (the Jalan Merah Saga side). You could almost visualize English kids playing on the front porch while daddy drives home from Dempsey Camp in his Ford Consul!
In the beginning, the Village catered to the essential needs of these foreigners. As time passed, the Holland district attracted a greater number of expatriate families.
The district‘s reputation as an exclusive residential area also attracted local developers who quickly saw the potential to build bungalows and semi-detached houses for the local elite. Consequently, a variety of trades began to flourish in Holland Village, which catered to the well-heeled.
This was the place where shops sold imported, expensive gourmet products and international school uniforms.

Any exciting news or events happening at Antipodean soon?
- There will be lots of new arrivals streaming in for Christmas, not forgetting mark downs for the festive season. We hold lots of smaller home ware items and children’s gifts alongside the fashion… hopefully a one stop shop for your Christmas shopping list.