Cover Singapore fashion icon Andrew Gn
Singapore fashion icon Andrew Gn
1 / 1
Andrew Gn shares insights into the 2025 iteration of his retrospective at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, and his desire for future art collaborations
Few Singaporean fashion designers have reached the global prominence of Andrew Gn, who is known for his impeccable craftsmanship and cultural depth, and whose designs have graced the wardrobes of royalty, celebrities and discerning clients. In December last year, just three months after his critically acclaimed retrospective, Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World, ended its nearly four‑month‑long run at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), he surprised the fashion world by announcing the closure of his namesake label.
After a 28‑year career and more than 10,000 designs, his decision marked the end of an era, but also hinted at an exciting new chapter for him—one that will see him maintaining ties with fashion, albeit in roles different from that he was known for, and perhaps being more involved in the arts. For one, there is the 2025 staging of the mentioned retrospective—which he looks back fondly on, calling it a “homecoming” that “gave me the emotional feeling of coming full circle back to my roots” (Gn is based in Paris and his career unfolded in Europe)—at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
In case you missed it: Singaporean designer Andrew Gn wants his fashion legacy to inspire a new generation of Asian talents
On the exhibition’s new host, Gn says: “Peabody Essex Museum is actually the oldest continually operating museum in the US and has long been focused on how cross‑cultural exchange gives rise to new forms of creative expression.” This focus, he explains, aligns well with the retrospective, which explores the evolution of his style, from his Asian roots to global influences.
While the 2025 iteration will have a structure similar to the one held in ACM, which showcased more than 100 of his works displayed across five sections, its focus will be on “Andrew Gn as seen and worn by American women and personalities”, shares Gn. Selecting the pieces for the exhibition is “extremely difficult”, he adds. “The way we usually work is to select main themes for a given show, [pick out] garments relevant to the themes, then sift, edit and re‑edit afterwards. Trust me, editing is sometimes more difficult than the selecting.”
Above Gn with the embroidered coat from his namesake label’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection (pictured far left), on which he wanted all of Asia to be represented, and a piece from the Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, which was worn by Queen Rania of Jordan
Gn with the embroidered coat from his namesake label’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection (pictured far left), on which he wanted all of Asia to be represented, and a piece from the Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, which was worn by Queen Rania of Jordan
1 / 1
That said, what has to be done has to be done. Among the notable pieces slated for inclusion so far is the iconic black‑and‑white tweed coat with ostrich feather trim and antique cameo closures that Gn designed for season four of Emily in Paris, worn in the show by Lily Collins’s character. Retrospective aside, Gn has mentioned in previous interviews plans to establish a foundation to support young designers. “Having retired from the fashion treadmill only recently, I’ve not yet shaped my plans in that domain,” he admits.
He does offer that apart from fashion education, “what might be useful to develop is an awareness of the practical and business issues one faces as a fledgling designer”, adding that “this is all work in progress for the moment”. Reflecting on the current fashion landscape, he acknowledges the “deep transformations in distribution channels and consumer habits”, expounding that “to emerge, one needs an understanding of the client, a visible and distinctive signature, and one’s own independent way of reaching out to the end consumer”.
Beyond fashion, Gn is passionate about art. He owns a vast collection, which he plans to catalogue and potentially exhibit, especially in Singapore. “I’m [also] working on donating the entire content of the main bedroom in my 18th‑century home in Paris,” he reveals. “It’s inspired by the Aesthetic Movement in England, with walls covered with tapestries and embroidered antique fabrics from different parts of the world; 19th‑century chinoiserie furniture; pseudo‑Iznik ceramics by [Edmond] Lachenal; and Chinese export wares.”
In the longer term, Gn expresses that should Singapore have its own fashion and design museum in future, he would like to explore potential collaborations, envisioning joint exhibitions and educational projects. For now, though, the world waits patiently as Gn, who shares that he “would like to be remembered as a designer whose quest in his whole career was searching for beauty and sharing it; no compromise”, finds his footing.
NOW READ
Asia’s Most Influential 2023 celebrates the true meaning of influence, power and achievement
Fashion designer Andrew Gn reveals his favourite restaurant and place in Singapore
ACM Gala 2023: All the glamorous Andrew Gn ensembles you need to see
Credits
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
