For Mint Lim, her path to becoming a social entrepreneur was an unlikely one that began with learning the alphabet. She remembers spending her evenings as a kindergarten student at home with her mother, who tried to teach her to read and write the English alphabet. But the young Lim was confused: she could not see how what she had written was any different from what her mother wrote. “I kept saying, yes, I understand, but she kept saying no,” Lim recalls.

In our newsletter cover story, the founder of the School of Concepts and Cartier Women’s Initiative fellow (the first from Singapore) shares how her personal journey with dyslexia sparked her calling to help others. Today, she is on a mission to educate children around the world, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

And if you haven’t already explored Tatler Gen.T’s first NFT collection, Meet the Phoenixes of Tomorrow, find out more about it here. The collection is aimed at supporting meaningful causes across Asia while representing the young leaders on the annual Tatler Gen.T List.

Other newsletter highlights this week:

• The best ways to celebrate National Day 2023
• Son Heung-Min attends launch of Tumi’s new luggage collection in Singapore
• How the Colonnade House in Singapore took inspiration from black-and-white bungalows
• Keng Eng Kee’s Wayne Liew takes 53-year-old zi char stall to new heights
• Meet Aeropalmics, the visual artist behind Tatler Gen.T’s first twin NFT collections

Have a great weekend!

Andrea Saadan
Digital Editor

The celebratory mood is beginning to stir as Singapore’s National Day slowly approaches. Whether you’re looking for relatable everyday characters, moving narratives, or light-hearted stories, here are some award-winning movies that we can proudly claim as our own. So grab your favourite local snacks and prepare for a movie marathon.

Read story here.

Cheung Yu Ting and Clifford See of Local Architecture Research + Design were inspired by black-and-white bungalows in Singapore for the design of the Colonnade House. “Apart from referencing the obvious aesthetics of a black-and-white bungalow, we were more interested in the architectural innovations and intricacies behind the black-and-white bungalow’s adaptation to the tropical climate,” says Cheng on the three-and-a-half-storey intermediate terrace house.

Read story here.

His family may own one of Singapore’s most well-known zi char restaurants, but for Wayne Liew, making head chef was no walk in the park. In fact, life as a trainee at Keng Eng Kee Seafood (also known as KEK) was in many ways more difficult for Liew than it would have been for someone not from the family. 

Read his story here.

Together with his Tottenham Hotspur teammate Richarlison, South Korean football star Son Heung-Min made an appearance at Tumi Ion Orchard for the launch of the brand’s 19 Degree luggage collection. For the occasion, Tumi set up a display of collectibles in the store’s VIP lounge, featuring football jerseys and Tumi travel bags signed by Son.

Read story here.

Known professionally as Aeropalmics, Dawn Ang has created art across various mediums—from large-than-life murals to a custom-designed art piece for a Louis Vuitton store in Singapore, the artist is colouring her way to success. In 2023, she collaborated with Tatler Gen.T to design our first NFT collection for new Gen.T honourees, Phoenixes of Tomorrow, and its twin collection, Friends of Phoenixes, which is available for sale on OpenSea to raise funds for charity.

Read story here.