Notes From The Team At Naiise.

When we first stumbled upon Xin Li's Singapore prints, we were amazed. Firstly, by the level of detail rendered to places and faces, and secondly, the beautiful nostalgic feel made even more visceral with his use of Tin Tin-like characters. When he presented with us his (growing) collection of kuehs prints, researched meticulously across several Southeast Asian countries, we were sold.

We have a long, in-depth chat with the man behind the much-loved prints, and find out more about his illustration techniques, and his thought on Singapore's seeming current obsession with nostalgia.

Photo credit: Chris Lim Mu Yao

For us at least, the first 2 months of the year usually feels like a holiday with New Year, Chinese New Year and Valentines' Day; March is the first 'real' month of work; by the time April rolls around, we're ready to take an Easter break.

But until we're there, it's OK to daydream of your next vacation. We invited Jaclynn Seah of The Occasional Traveller to curate a collection of things that inspire wanderlust, even when you're stuck at home or in the office. Read more about Jaclynn, her favourite cities for design, and more.

It started when we stumbled upon Eileen's article on "18 Reactions Singaporeans Get When We're Abroad" and it occurred to us how Singaporeans must be one of the best-travelled people in the world. Excellent connectivity and our proximity to great destinations in the region mean we all take vacations, sometimes many times a year.

Whether the plan is to lie languidly on the beach, or shop and eat in a bustling city, or scale the heights of adventure, there are things that you can take along with you, to make the trip more memorable, meaningful, comfortable or stylish. 

We invited six cool travel personalities to pick a list of things they would take along on their favourite type of vacation, beginning with Eileen who curates "Into The Wild", a collection of beautiful, rustic-hued things she'd take on her Nat Geo inspired adventure trip. Read more about Eileen, and how design matters to her.

This year, Naiise has brought onboard more sustainable design brands than ever, testament to what we feel is a shift in consumer preferences towards designed products that are sustainably sourced and made, recycled or re-purposed, or manufactured ethically. And why shouldn't the same go for our food?

At NONG, we discovered what it's like to grow your own food organically and also had the pleasure of becoming close friends with Cynthea, resident manager of NONG and urban farmer / organic chef in her spare time. We invited her to curate a series of lifestyle products that best represented her philosophy on life, and got some tips on healthy, meaningful living.

In today's fast paced world, it's not at all uncommon to meet people wearing multiple hats. The first time we met Shu Han at NONG, she was participating in a cook off. The next time, she was conducting a food cooking & styling session for Honeycombers. The third time, she was introducing us to her range of self-designed Mee and Kueh tote bags and prints. What can we say! 

Meet Shu Han Lee, graphic designer, cook book author, food stylist and home cook all rolled into a lively, brilliant individual.

With the increasing popularity of industrial-inspired interior design and new hipster cafes begging to be visited each weekend, we've always wanted to marry the two, and inspire people on how to incorporate their favourite cafe interior concepts into their own. By chance, we met fashion and lifestyle blogger Vera at NONG and invited her to curate a selection.

Check out her curation of ideas to turn your home into your favourite cafe, and read more about her thoughts on the bustling cafe scene in Singapore!