5 questions with kapok’s Arnault Castel

SINGAPORE — Better watch out, Haji Lane and Tiong Bahru — Middle Road could be the next hip area, especially once kapok opens its biggest store at the new National Design Centre (NDC) next month.

It will be the fashion and lifestyle concept store’s biggest to date, after smaller outlets at TANGS Orchard, Robinsons Orchard and in Hong Kong, where it was established eight years ago. Founder Arnault Castel couldn’t be more excited about this.

“I think it’s a beautiful place and a nice neighbourhood, with an open and bright environment, nice lights and a lot of space,” he said.

kapok at NDC will offer a handsome assortment of apparel, accessories, lifestyle and design products, and homeware, including its debut collection of men’s shirts made of organic cotton from Japan. Forty per cent of its selections will be occupied by Singapore labels such as Stolen, Saught and Mmerci Encore. The shop will also host a cafe, alongside a spot for German book publisher Gestalten.

Q: Who is kapok for?

A: kapok is a place for people who like to travel but, at times, do not have the opportunity or time to travel frequently. We stock products that you can find in little boutiques in, for example, Copenhagen, London or Istanbul. We focus on small brands and pick them up from all around the world.

Q: Which brands excite you at the moment?

A: For menswear, I really like this French brand called Ami. The cutting of the clothes is very nice, made of nice material, very wearable and not the least pretentious. For women’s wear, I love a Finnish brand called Samuji. Their creative director used to be from Marimekko (another Finnish brand). It crafts clean and simple lines using very nice print techniques. Mismo from Denmark makes canvas and leather bags with nice Italian canvas and quality leather.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: Something comfortable and easy-going, yet still a bit elegant in a not-too-formal way. That’s important. Mixing comfort and style is important. I think people feel that they have to choose: Either they go all the way and wear Crocs, or they wear stilettos all the time. Stilettos are really not comfortable and Crocs are very ugly. There is somewhere in between where you can still look elegant (without compromising on comfort) during the day.

Q: Which items complement an outfit?

A: Eyewear and watches, although watches are something we don’t need. At the end of the day, we really have our phones to tell the time. But watches are a way for a guy or a girl to define your style. It’s not about showing I have this big branded watch. It’s more about the clean lines and the nice reflective surface. I think it connects us with the past and it’s a way to show that you like simple, minimal and classic designs.

Q: Your favourite stores in the world?

A: After running a shop, you become a little picky. I like Merci in Paris. They have a really fantastic homeware selection like carpets and plates. I want to buy everything in the store. Also in Paris, there’s a perfume store called Nose. It’s an amazing place because they only have small, niche and obscure brands. You go for a consultation, they make you smell three or four fragrances, and they’ll fine tune the perfect fragrance for you. In Seoul, there’s a little store called MSK carrying a mix of local and international menswear brands. In Tokyo, there’s a bookstore called Tsutaya in Daikanyama. You can have a coffee and browse the books and at the end of the day, the place is so nice and the variety is so good that you will end up buying a lot, you know? Zhang Weifang

kapok’s current pop-up store at NDC is open until March 29, before its official store opens next month.