Style Nomads

ABOUT

Style Nomads started life as Design Up Asia. Design Up Asia is a story of serendipity or God’s grace. You decide. I loved fashion since I long as I can remember. Following a brief stint in the buying office of Marks & Spencers, I was lucky enough to start my own brand with a friend. We were one of the first brands to show African prints in a contemporary way launching at London Fashion Week Off Schedule. One thing led to another and I ended up supplying small boutiques around Europe and consulted for Topshop. This charmed life all started to unravel when when I heard that 150,000 people die from toxic chemicals in cotton farming, many in sub-Saharan Africa and India. Although I am British, my origins are from West Africa which made these revelations even more uncomfortable since my brand was ‘African inspired’ using cotton.

Red flags had been there all along. However, torrential rain fall, terrorist attacks in London gave me time to think about my own actions more closely. I closed down my brand and left the fashion industry not long after attending that talk.

I moved to Singapore in 2011 and in 2012 and saw an ad by a UK charity, offering prize money to start a social enterprise to help marginalized women. To cut a long story short, in the back of my mind I thought that if I ever returned to fashion it would be to do good not harm. So I joined the Hackathon and pitched the idea to train single Mums to make jewellery and with a group of strangers and we won the pitch out of 11 groups.

Today myself and Ms Kim Ong still work as volunteers. Style Nomads is a social enterprise that exists to create work for single Mums. We’ve trained over 50 women with free jewellery making skills. Since the pandemic we realize women from all other walks of life need an income, community and a sense of purpose.

Kim is an amazing women serving communities in Singapore for many years. Working with artists, the elderly and people in need. Kim is our beneficiary mentor, working closely with Family Service Centres, coming alongside our single Mums through whatever challenges the face be it financial, emotional doctors appointments, lawyers, supporting their child care needs. We have many other supporters – volunteers, customers and collaborators who we could not exist without.

Co-founder, Anisa Johnny

Style Nomads

As a Social Enterprise, we support Single Mums who are the breadwinners of their family. They need the money to look after their kids and build better lives. We call this ‘Feel Good Fashion’. You get great products, you look good and you feel good knowing you've helped women less fortunate than yourself.

Our materials are sourced from artisans, then our group of Single Mums hand-assemble our statement gold jewellery in sunny Singapore. Each item is lovingly made by hand using either 18K gold fill or 14K to 24K gold plated brass and semi-precious stones like freshwater pearls, turquoise, garnet, agate and mother of pearl.

Inspired by cultures from across the globe, our beautifully-made accessories can be worn year after year. So if you're the kind of girl who never leaves home under-dressed, or thinks that without accessories you may as well be naked, then you're one of us!

People Before Profit
As a for-profit Social Enterprise, all profits get ploughed back into the company. The two founders work as volunteers. Whilst the wonderful ladies who make our products are paid a fair wage, receiving 40% of the cost price. We limit our mark-up to ensure our products don’t break the bank!

Product
We choose style over fashion any day. That's why we source quality products that you'll love and wear season after season.

Planet
We use ethical and sustainable materials when possible. The same goes for our production process.