Remember: Singapore

If there is one thing that Singapore is renowned for, it would be the extremely rapid pace of development, and of course the notorious ban of chewing gum. The usual cliché of “reaching first world status in 4 decades” would need to be inserted here! Singapore is also associated with the countless global brands, symbolizing the modern progressive city that it has become.

Inevitably, things will have to go to make way for development. In the latest series of “things to go”, Bukit Brown Cemetery (one of Singapore’s oldest cemeteries, where many of the founding figures of Singapore’s history lie at rest) will have to be cleared for the construction of new roads. Make way for the living they say…


Amidst all this development, we see a rising counterculture movement amongst Singapore’s Generation Y: Nostalgia. To be sure, they are not rejecting modernization and development, but rather they are also embracing the past and breathing new life into what was “history”. This is a global trend – the revival of Lomography and Polaroid, vintage shops etc. We see brands taking advantage of this trend: like creating smartphone apps that allow one to take digital photo but with the look of yesteryear, and allowing them to be printed as if they were old photographs – almost as a statement against the extinction of the analog format.


In Singapore, we see a very country-specific manifestation of this global trend. Nostalgia seems to be popping up everywhere! Singaporean youths hang out along gentrified century-old streets and shop-houses: Craig Road, Haji Lane, Duxton Road, Arab Street, Club Street, where stores that sell vintage items are the place to be. In the “arty-farty” shops that attract these Gen Y hipsters, we see merchandises from yesteryear being sold: toys that children used to play with growing up in the 70s and 80s, designs from the iconic “Good Morning Towel” (below) reused on things like mittens, pencil cases and more.

As part of the latest café frenzy there is at least one new “indie” café opening up every other month, and we see Singapore’s cool-hunters heading to cafes that serve up food and coffee in retro tableware, and are decorated with bits and pieces of Singapore history.

Any counterculture expresses the ethos, aspirations and dreams of a population and perhaps the nostalgic counterculture that we are seeing from the Gen Y is telling us that we should not forget our past as we move forward, and that maybe not everything should give way to development. This is aptly captured in the film by renowned Singaporean filmmaker Royston Tan. In Old Places he reminisces, allowing us to still catch a glimpse of ‘yesterday’s places’ while they still exist, and before they are relegated to memory.


This counterculture trend is putting its foot firmly amongst the Gen Ys and is not likely to be a passing fad either. As the world gets increasingly urbanized, and as more things get lost in history, faster, this counterculture trend will only get stronger. Are you ready to embrace nostalgia for your brand?