By SGN | 30 Sep 2024
While Charlotte Cain’s Boutiques Singapore today is a biannual extravaganza spanning two storeys of the F1 Pit Building, it began with just 3 organisers – including Charlotte herself, as a ceramic artist.
Its inaugural iteration featured only 16 designers, whereas its present-day version, set to next take place in November 2024, will host 300 brands across seven rooms.
“It was my desire for community and connection that formed the bedrock of Boutique Fairs Singapore,” Charlotte recalls.
Initially hosted in a small room at Fort Canning Centre, Boutiques Singapore has grown exponentially over the years. It is best described as a homegrown lifestyle pop-up, celebrating brands spanning a wide array of industries: women and men’s fashion and accessories, furniture and home décor, lifestyle, food, children’s products, and more.
“At the end of the day, my goal is to offer the best possible experience for both shoppers and vendors,” Charlotte explains.
Influenced by a Danish upbringing
Having grown up in a country which is home to design giants like Arne Jacobson (who gave us the iconic Egg Chair) and Hans Wegner (creator of the Wishbone Chair), Charlotte is naturally well-versed in the conversation surrounding good design.
She cites her Danish upbringing as a key influence on her design sensibilities. “I have a profound respect for design, and I strongly believe that good design is for everyone, not just a luxury for a privileged few,” she shares.
Denmark’s design-forward culture, which celebrates simplicity, functionality, and elegance, also instilled a sense of thoughtfulness in Charlotte. “I believe greatly in buying less, but buying better-quality items. And this is something I hope to impart to customers at Boutiques Singapore as well.”
The accidental entrepreneur
Charlotte moved to Singapore in 1989 as a trailing spouse to her husband Bill, whose work in the mobility and relocation industry brought him to the city-state. A ceramic artist by trade, she mainly sold her work through art galleries and group exhibitions, including a group show at the National Museum. “I was extremely fortunate to have been a student of eminent local artist Iskandar Jalil,” she shares.
She eventually set up a private studio at Jalan Bahar Clay Studios in 1990.
However, something about the existing artistic ecosystem bothered her. “I rarely had the opportunity to speak to buyers first-hand about my work,” Charlotte says. Craving stronger connections with the people who purchased her pieces, she took matters into her own hands.
She worked closely with two friends to set up what would eventually grow into Boutiques Singapore. “Building community always starts with embracing conversation and dialogue,” Charlotte reflects.
This philosophy has served as a north star for her 22-year career as the CEO and founder of Boutique Fairs Singapore. She also has a set of rules she abides by and expects all designers to adhere to the same.
“Someone from the brand must always be present. This is key to creating meaningful relationships with customers, who can provide valuable, first-hand feedback,” she explains. “In turn, the designers can better explain the story behind their works. It’s a win-win.”
As a curator, Charlotte has always envisioned bringing together an extensive range of products so there is always room for everyone, no matter their preferences. And she has worked hard to achieve this growth and consistency, “room by room, year by year,” as she puts it.
Naturally, hosting an event of this scale comes with its own set of challenges, like ticketing, procuring licenses, coordinating customer drop-offs and pick-ups, curating brands, and marketing. “Many hands work hard to keep this event afloat,” Charlotte says.
She recalls how the first two events staged post-COVID proved to be extremely logistically challenging. “There were so many regulations and crowd control measures put in place for the safety of the community.
Despite all these barriers, customers still showed up in full force, because they wanted to support these Singapore-based brands and designers,” she shares. “I was so heartened by the response. This is proof that at the end of the day, offline, in-person connection is what humans crave.”
Nurturing local talent
During Charlotte’s early years in Singapore, she realised that many of her friends purchased clothes whenever they visited their home countries, instead of Singapore. Some were dissatisfied with the sizing offered by local clothing labels. Others were apprehensive about trying Singaporean brands, citing quality concerns.
But she believed in the talent of Singaporean creatives. “I’ve always been interested in discovering and supporting local designers,” she mentions. “It’s important to support young talent and creativity, so we can create a conducive environment for them to thrive.”
To date, Charlotte has worked with brands like Thomas Wee, STOLEN, Carrie K., GINLEE, and MAX.TAN. “MAX.TAN is the first local brand I knew of that offered European sizing – a game changer for me as I would not have been able to fit any local designer brand,” she explains.
She credits Boutique Fairs Singapore’s success to the fact that most brands represented are local.
What’s more, a lot of effort goes into the process of discovering local designers. “Our curatorial team is always on the lookout for exciting new brands, and we also actively invite brands we know will be a great fit for our event,” she states. “What’s even better is that many aspiring designers and brands show up to the event themselves and they are typically very excited to join us.”
However, she sees the merit in bringing in regional names. “As Boutiques Singapore grows, so must its lineup,” she quips.
Looking out for the community
Another cause Charlotte champions fervently is giving back. For as long as Boutique Fairs Singapore has been running, the potter-turned-entrepreneur has been sponsoring charities, social enterprises, welfare organisations, and non-profit organisations.
To date, she has partnered with organisations like Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support, ART:DIS Studio, Daughters of Tomorrow, JOURNEY, Sew Can We, and Wilderness Organic Chocolate. that support vulnerable communities with financial assistance and employment opportunities.
“I am a huge advocate of giving back to communities around us, so I always invite these organisations to participate in Boutiques Singapore. This way, more people can learn of the far-reaching impact of their work,” she observes.
“I love to take things a step further by inviting our customers to visit these community initiatives at Boutiques Singapore, purchase their products, spread the word about their work, and sign up as a volunteer. There are so many ways to get involved.”
Charlotte also advocates for sustainability, citing that over 80% of vendors at Boutiques Singapore are socially responsible. “Most brands featured produce either only in small batches, or operate as a made-to-order model to minimise textile waste. Some brands only work with deadstock fabric (surplus from fabric mills and clothing brands not used in production), or with natural materials bearing worldwide certification.”
These efforts extend to shoppers too. People are reminded to bring their own bags, or to take public transport to the event, which provides a free shuttle bus from the nearest MRT station to the F1 Pit Building.
Delivering a world-class shopping experience
Charlotte is constantly striving to surpass the high standards she sets for Boutiques Singapore. “300 brands will be exclusively launching their collections spanning a diverse range of industries. We are also working on a special showcase to highlight Singaporean furniture and home décor brands.”
The November iteration of Boutiques Singapore is key as many shoppers visit with the intention of purchasing gifts for the festive season. “We want to ensure our offerings are thoughtful and likely to last for years to come.”
She describes running Boutique Fairs Singapore as a “journey of grit, hard work, and sleepless nights.” However, she shows no signs of slowing down just yet, as she understands her responsibility to the community.
“What continues to drive me is the power of bringing together a community of designers and creators and providing a platform that brands tap on to take their businesses to the next level,” she shares.
“As someone who was once in that position, I know how a ready community of invested shoppers can provide both the financial and emotional support a designer needs to keep going.”
And despite Singapore’s small stature and intense competition, Charlotte has always felt supported by the community. “The spirit of mutual collaboration and support makes Singapore an inspiring place to live and work in.”
Meet Charlotte
Charlotte is the founder and CEO of Boutique Fairs Singapore, a homegrown lifestyle pop-up celebrating brands spanning a wide array of industries: women and men’s fashion and accessories, furniture and home décor, lifestyle, food, children’s products, and more.
Connect with her here.
