Cover Iman Fandi wears an Isabel Sanchis top at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower Colour Dreams watch
Iman Fandi wears an Isabel Sanchis top at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower Colour Dreams watch
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Part of a new generation of female musicians forging self‑authored careers across genres and platforms, Iman Fandi enters a defining new chapter with her first independent single, “Tip Toes”, and forthcoming EP, Afterglow—reclaiming creative control, embracing quiet confidence and setting her sights firmly on the global stage
Release day begins quietly for Iman Fandi: a team meeting, a radio interview, then a brief retreat to a café to prepare the small but exacting details now squarely under her control. Social media assets are edited, captions checked, teasers lined up. As midnight approaches, she steadies her nerves before going live on Instagram, speaking directly to fans who have stayed up with her.
When Tip Toes finally dropped this February 6, she refreshed Spotify repeatedly, absorbing the reality of what this moment represented. “This is the first single I’ve put out as an independent artiste; one I’ve worked so hard on and cared so much about since last year,” she says. “This is what is going to lead me through the rest of the year.” Tip Toes marks a clear turning point. It is her first independent release after five years with a major label and the opening statement of an EP titled Afterglow, due later in 2026. The song itself is deliberately restrained—playful, sensual, quietly assured—exploring attraction through mutual desire. It captures what she describes as quiet confidence, where presence and restraint do the work.
For Iman, independence is not simply contractual; it is emotional and practical. “Being an independent artiste, I feel like I have more control and also freedom to experiment,” she says. “A lot of the back-end work—such as the editing of images, making sure captions are right—also comes from me. These are things I’m learning along the way.” That autonomy extends to how she presents herself visually, drawing together music, dance and fashion into a cohesive identity she believes has been underexplored in Singapore. Her intention is not merely to release songs but to build a complete artistic language—one that feels international yet rooted in personal experience. Confidence, she adds, sits at the centre of that vision. “Especially as a woman, you can do as much as anyone else out there. And especially being a Singaporean, we can sound international too,” she expounds.
Music, for Iman, has become the truest expression of self rather than an extension of public persona. Her earlier releases traced the contours of teenage love and self-discovery; this new chapter is defined by clarity. “Now, after almost six years in the industry, I’ve realised who I am and who I want to present to people as an artiste. Leaving the label, I could have quit and walked away, but I knew I wasn’t done with the music industry—I didn’t want to move on without feeling I’d made my mark,” she reflects. “I’ve gained the confidence to ignore the noise— ‘Why are you doing this?’ ‘You shouldn’t wear that’.” That resolve underpins Afterglow, a project born from what she describes as multiple breakups across life, career and relationships, and the quiet assurance that followed. Each track is shaped by a renewed sense of self‐worth and intention, reflecting the confidence to choose what deserves space in her life and what she is ready to release.
Above Linying, Weish and Iman Fandi on the cover of the March 2026 issue of Tatler Singapore
Linying, Weish and Iman Fandi on the cover of the March 2026 issue of Tatler Singapore
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That sense of assurance has been hard-won, particularly given the scrutiny that comes with her family name. Growing up within one of Singapore’s most recognisable sporting families—as the only daughter of local football icon Fandi Ahmad and former model Wendy Jacobs—she learnt early that public opinion is unavoidable. “No matter what I do, there will always be noise,” she says. “So why not do something that I love and will look back on and be proud of ?” The advice from her parents—to stay humble, to respect others and to surround herself with the right people—has become a grounding principle as she navigates visibility on her own terms.
Above A track-and-field athlete in her younger days before pivoting into modelling and acting, and now music, Iman sees no contradiction in multiplicity
Above Off stage, she remains introspective and self-critical; on stage, adrenaline transforms into commanding presence
A track-and-field athlete in her younger days before pivoting into modelling and acting, and now music, Iman sees no contradiction in multiplicity
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A track-and-field athlete in her younger days before pivoting into modelling and acting, and now music, Iman sees no contradiction in multiplicity. Each discipline has informed the artiste she is becoming, from the stamina required to dance on stage to the visual awareness honed through fashion. “It’s okay to have different goals at different stages of your life,” she says. “That shows you’re evolving.” Even beyond the spotlight, she maintains commitments that anchor her sense of self, including working with young children at a daycare, a reminder that identity need not be singular to be coherent. It is this willingness to embrace complexity that defines her emerging voice.
Confidence, she believes, can be both loud and quiet. Off stage, she remains introspective and self-critical; on stage, adrenaline transforms into commanding presence. Protecting that balance requires intention, whether through limiting the time spent on social media, leaning on trusted friends or allowing vulnerability into her work. “Being confident and knowing your value, and telling your story—that’s what it means to be empowered,” she says, acknowledging that strength often lies in openness rather than performance.
Above From far left: Linying wears Isabel Sanchis shirt, trousers at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower watch set with emeralds and diamonds; Iman wears Akris coat at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery watch set with sapphires and diamonds; Weish wears Isabel Sanchis top, trousers at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery Baguette watch set with rubies and diamonds
From far left: Linying wears Isabel Sanchis shirt, trousers at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower watch set with emeralds and diamonds; Iman wears Akris coat at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery watch set with sapphires and diamonds; Weish wears Isabel Sanchis top, trousers at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Round Triple Mystery Baguette watch set with rubies and diamonds
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Her ambition extends well beyond Singapore. As the local entertainment landscape expands and more stages open to home-grown talent, Iman is already imagining a wider horizon. “I was actually thinking first, maybe something small, but no, why would I want to just think that?” she says, laughing at her own restraint. “I’m thinking like Coachella ... I want to represent Singapore on those kinds of stages.” Festivals, with their convergence of sound, style and audience, hold particular appeal. “My biggest goal is to make it on a festival stage globally,” she adds, framing the aspiration not simply as scale but as symbolism: a Singaporean artiste stepping into an international arena on her own terms.
As Tip Toes finds its footing, it does more than introduce a new era for Iman Fandi. It also reflects a broader recalibration within Singapore’s music scene, led by women defining success and authorship for themselves. For Iman, independence is not an end point but a beginning—one shaped by intention, multiplicity and the quiet assurance of an artiste moving at her own pace.
Above Iman Fandi wears an Isabel Sanchis top at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower Colour Dreams watch
Iman Fandi wears an Isabel Sanchis top at enVie de Pois, Franck Muller Vanguard Curvex Cut Flower Colour Dreams watch
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Credits
Photography: Hans Goh
Fashion Direction: Adriel Chiun
Hair: Sha Shamsi using Kms (Linying); Grego using Revlon (Weish, Iman Fandi)
Make-Up: Wee Ming using Dior Beauty (Linying); Wu Yiqing using Rorrimu (Weish, Iman Fandi)
Photography Assistant: Anna-Lisa Tan, Darrel Ng
As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
