In The Close-Up, Coveteur gets up close and personal with the people shaping the creative industries as we know it, from artists to photographers. First up: Singaporean designer Grace Ling, who takes a surrealist approach to her designs and has gained a cult celebrity following.
In 2020, most of us were stuck at home, navigating our new reality and coping by attempting to bake banana bread. Grace Ling, however, was laying the groundwork for her eponymous fashion brand. The Singaporean designer had just graduated from Parsons when the pandemic struck and New York became a ghost town. Most people would agree this wasn't an ideal time for productivity, but for Ling, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. "I was sewing in my kitchen," she recalls to me over the phone. "The rent was so cheap and I was quarantined, so I had a lot of time to focus and think about what the brand was going to be." Inspired by dystopian films like Stanley Kubrick's "Space Odyssey" and HBO's "Westworld," she used her background in sculpture and art to inform her approach to designing her burgeoning line.
Five years later, Ling is one of the buzziest names in fashion, with two runway shows and a CFDA award under her belt and celebrity fans like Kim Kardashian, Alex Consani and JLo. Her pieces are instantly recognizable for their sleek silhouettes, daring cut-outs, 3-D elements and use of unique materials, like aerospace-grade aluminum—a testament to her background in fine art and futuristic aesthetic.
Ahead, I catch up with the designer and ask her about her upbringing in Singapore, design as a form of rebellion and building a brand—and team—that lasts.
Grace Ling/Sierra Cook for Coveteur
Thanks for chatting with me, Grace. Let’s get right into it. Three words to describe your brand, go.
Grace Ling: Eccentric, elegant, surrealism.
Love. What’s your background and how did you get into fashion design?
GL: Originally, I’m from Singapore, where I did fine art, sculpture and performance art. I was very inspired by Marina Abramović at the time. I was also modeling on the side, just for additional income, and then my worlds just sort of collided.
Did your upbringing in Singapore influence how you design now?
GL: Yes, I think because Singapore is a cultural melting pot—there are Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, Korean, Japanese [communities]. But I think what influenced me [are my parents], because my mom is a makeup artist and my dad is an events designer. He does a lot of the props and puppetry for shopping malls. You know how shopping malls always have those kitschy giant props?
Yes!
GL: My dad would make that stuff. So, I was always in my dad's studio, and I guess subconsciously, I was definitely very inspired by [his work]—it’s very surrealist. One time my dad made a Batman card, but it was life-sized and made from wood. I definitely grew up in a very creative space.
What about culturally—what are some influences?
GL: Even though Singapore is a melting pot, [the culture] is relatively conservative. So, growing up, people would be like, oh, don't wear this, or your skirt is too short. You know how when you go on TikTok, people post about how the Asian definition of scandalous and the Western definition of scandalous are different? I think, in a way, something about that culture sparked a rebellion. It made me always want to go against the rules. So, I think I created my brand as an armor for me to dictate what [my own aesthetic] can be. And no one can say anything about it. It’s my own terms.
I love the idea of your design coming from a place of rebellion. Was it also a rebellion to leave Singapore and move to the U.S.? What was that like?
GL: I was just doing whatever I wanted to build my own brand. I didn’t do any of the homework I was supposed to do [at Parsons]. My graduation was sort of my grand marketing strategy, and then straight off graduation, I launched my brand.
This was in 2020?
GL: Yeah, I didn't even have a proper graduation, which, to be honest, I didn't mind because I just had tunnel vision. So, I graduated in 2020 and started a brand right in the middle of COVID. Everyone else was flying out of New York, and I flew right in.
Grace Ling/Sierra Cook for Coveteur
Do you approach designing clothes the same way you'd approach doing sculpture design?
GL: Having a background in fine art informs how I create clothing. Even if I were to create, for example, a simple blazer or something that just fits really well with really good material, there's always a twist to it—even if it's just in the buttons or the trims.
Can you describe your creative process for designing a look? Do you get a sudden strike of inspiration, or are you more of a meticulous planner?
GL: I would say I'm quite a spontaneous designer. Anytime I find inspiration or see something that is super special, I just jump straight into it, even if I don't know what the final design is going to be. So, I like to go material shopping, because I’m very inspired by materials. Or, I like to go to art bookstores and just look at pictures and read books. I also really, really love antique shopping—I love oddities that have passed the test of time.
What happens after you find inspiration?
GL: Sometimes, I do a really quick sketch—you can’t even tell what it is. It looks like chicken scratch. I start making it and then I refine it along the way. Or, I just get on my computer and start sculpting something. I'd be like, oh, I should make a spiky tree branch. And then I would just get to it and refine the spikes. At the end of the day, I feel like anyone can come up with any sort of idea or concept, but it's the refining and execution that makes a difference.
Speaking of tree branches, how did you come up with your bird’s nest dress design?
GL: Oh my God, I'm really proud of that dress; my team and I gave it our all. There were so many all-nighters. We only did it two weeks before the runway show and I actually had to fly someone to Asia to go and pick it up because DHL was too slow. And then we were all praying that it was going to come in from the check-in baggage and wouldn't break or anything.
I feel like silver is a really big part of your brand’s identity. What drew you to the metal?
GL: It's interesting because before I started my brand, I was actually a gold girl. And then, after I started my brand, it just felt like a shift into a new era and new stage. I switched everything to silver and I can't get enough of it.
What’s on your playlist when you’re designing?
GL: I have the weirdest music taste. For example, I like Lana Del Ray, but then I was listening to this guy who makes techno music for his plant. I think it's some kind of sound frequency that makes the plants grow healthier.
Now your brand has been worn by so many celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to JLo. Did you feel like you had a “big break”?
GL: I think there's always a “big break.” In the beginning, when we first got carried by Net-A-Porter, that was a big break, and then JLo wore [one of my designs], and that was also a big break. It's been really exciting—every time I set a goal, there's a higher goal.
I’m so curious about how designers get their first placement on a major celeb. How did the JLo moment happen?
GL: Actually, JLo was my second celebrity placement; the first one was Karlie Kloss. But yes, JLo has a huge influence—she's one of those people that will actually move the needle. Her stylist basically slipped in my DMs. He was like, hey, we’d love to dress JLo, can you do a custom?
Michael Tran/Getty
Wow. Lesson: Everyone should be checking their DMs to make sure they're not missing messages that could change their life.
GL: Honestly, I thought it was a scam at first. I had to do research.
Do you have a favorite celebrity dressing moment?
GL: It has to be JLo because she was one of the first few to wear [my designs] and she actually wore that look twice in two different colors. Just the fact that someone who can basically get whatever dress she wants to get from any brand, or get paid to wear someone’s design, would decide to wear my dress in two colors…it was emotional. I was just like, okay, I must have done something right.
I saw you’re friends with Alex Consani. How did that come about?
GL: Oh my god, I love Alex. I need to beg her to open every single one of my shows because she's so professional. I think our friendship came about because I dressed her for a Netflix premiere. It was this tree brunch that wrapped around the torso and barely covered the boobs, and this super long skirt. I made that look and I was like, I need to put this on someone insane—and then Alex wore it on the red carpet and that's how the friendship began.
Pivoting slightly to more of you as a person, versus you as a designer. How would your closest friends describe you?
GL: I guess they would describe me as hardworking, even though I don't like that. I prefer to be “smart” working now.
I love that.
GL: They’d describe me as relentless. And, yeah, I guess they’d say I’m talented.
Are you into astrology?
GL: I’m a Capricorn.
I was going to guess you were a Capricorn, just based on everything you’ve said about work ethic and your career.
GL: I'm really such a Capricorn. I don’t know what my Moon or Rising sign is, but everything I read about Capricorn I identify with.
Which attributes specifically?
GL: I'm super hardworking, and come across as really nice—like, genuinely nice.
Last question. What are you manifesting for 2025?
GL: Honestly, what I'm manifesting and most excited about is going to sound really boring—but I want to build a really good team and just make sure my team is taken care of. You know how people say, if you just want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go with the whole village? I want to build the village.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
