As we laud eight inspiring movers and shakers with accolades for their achievements and individual prowesses, we take a peek into Ching Lin’s life to see what makes her tick.

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Ho Ching Lin subscribes to the philosophy of dressing authentically: for comfort, always appropriately, never too serious nor ever letting the clothes wear her. Shot with a Bentley Continental GT V8 S.

Ho Ching Lin is surely a multitasking, globetrotting woman about town. She managed to promptly complete a litany of questions on e-mail during her car ride from Milan to Venice for this profile that pays tribute to her celebrated sense of style.

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Beneath the glamorous veneer of well-cut designer clothes and couture pairings (she’s currently in favour of Dior, Fendi, Issey Miyake and Rubin Singer) is a sought-after ophthalmologist dedicated to her work in restoring sight and preventing blindness at the Singapore National Eye Centre.

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Her impeccable taste manifests in the cool and clever mixing of statement-making ensembles, which exude her ethos of dressing for comfort and functionality. The frame-flattering, fluid and structured clothes she alternates between are picked out of the wardrobe according to mood and occasion. But her style denominator is always “feminine with an edge, elegant with a sense of fun, and classic with a quirky twist”.

“Style is a showcase of personal taste, attributes, character, frame of mind. It is complex, unique and individual.”

In both work and play, she meets everyday style icons, those “ordinary women with extraordinary style”. She adds, “Unlike celebrities, who have immense resources at their disposal—stylists, extensive wardrobes and image-makers—these women exude their own personality and style, which I admire.”

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Looking polished is part of professional protocol and personal courtesy for Ching Lin. We salute her well-balanced point of view that fashion is “a delightful distraction, an effective de-stressor and an entertaining hobby” that serves to balance out the “evidence-based rigour, precision and discipline” that ophthalmology demands. She aptly borrows a phrase from the late legendary fashion photographer Bill Cunningham that fashion is “the armour to survive the reality of everyday life”.


Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Fashion direction: Desmond Lim
Hair: Sha Shamsi/Indigo Artisans, using Bed Head by Tigi
Make-up: Cheryl Ow/Indigo Artisans, using Parfums Christian Dior
Outfit: Bottega Veneta