Forbes honour 'hasn't sunk in yet': The Singaporean fashion designer whose creations are worn by J Lo

When Ms Grace Ling started her eponymous fashion label at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she chose to base her business in the fashion capital of New York, thinking that her clothing line would not gain much traction with Singaporeans.

After all, the 25-year-old Singaporean questioned whether her compatriots would want to part with close to US$1,000 (S$1,390) for a pair of wool gabardin pants, or quirky accessories like a tiny human-shaped metal mesh bag.

Ms Ling said her high fashion creations are generally targeted at people working in the creative industries and is someone who is “informed culturally and wants to have a dialogue between art and fashion”. She describes the style of her products as “eccentric elegance” inspired by the surrealist art movement. 

But the School of the Arts Singapore graduate eventually caught the attention of Singaporeans when it emerged that she was the designer of the outfit that pop singer and actress Jennifer Lopez, or J Lo, wore while performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this year.

Fashion magazines like Vogue Singapore and Harper's Bazaar picked up on it and this led to a “significant order” from Singaporeans for the products of the alum of Central Saint Martins in London and the Parsons School of Design in New York — both institutions renowned for producing famous fashion designers.