Singapore’s design scene is thriving, with designers raring to create future-ready innovations that combine the best of past and present.
The Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION showcase at Milan Design Week 2025, curated by design director Hunn Wai, creative agency owner Tony Chambers and independent design consultant Maria Cristina Didero, aims to prove it.
Ten designers have been selected to showcase their works, with four seasoned professionals in “Future Impact 3” and six up-and-coming talents in “Virtuoso Visionaries”.
“We wanted a balance between established names who have shaped Singapore’s design identity for the main exhibition and emerging talents who are pushing its boundaries,” Wai explains.
“These emerging designers… are not afraid to fail hard and to fail forward. They dare to redefine what design means and how it can evolve. The selection process was really about finding designers whose work embodies all these critical issues.”
Take Claudia Poh, for instance. Her Werable brand is revolutionising accessible fashion with creations like the Wishbone Bag, a one-handed wonder that’s as stylish as it is functional.
Then there’s Ng Sze Kiat, the fungi fanatic behind Bewilder, whose stainless steel Fungariums bring a sleek, modern twist to traditional herbal remedies.
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Supermama, led by the dynamic duo Edwin Low and Mei Ling, gives the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi a 21st-century makeover. Their Kintsugi 2.0 project uses gold-plated, 3D-printed resin to reconstruct broken ceramics, blending tradition with cutting-edge technology.
Meanwhile, Tan Wei Xiang’s Knots Stool is a DIY upcycler’s dream, turning old textiles into furniture without a single stitch.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Virtuoso Visionaries section of the showcase is a launchpad for Singapore’s next wave of design talent.
Eian Siew’s inflatable (Air)ssembly stool and Auxobrace rehabilitation device redefine how we think about construction and healthcare. Kalinda Chen’s Celia domestic air purifier harnesses the power of mushroom mycelium, while Namjot Kaur’s TERA reimagines plant care using the natural properties of terracotta.
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Cultural identity takes centre stage with Nazurah Rohayat’s Tapestree, an AI-powered textile design project that weaves Singapore’s multicultural heritage into vibrant new patterns. CJ Tan’s Standard Singlish educational materials cheekily elevate the local vernacular to new typographic heights, and Wong Eng Geng’s REFUSE handbook turns dumpster diving into a creative art form.
Beyond creating beautiful objects, these designers are tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time. From sustainability and healthcare to cultural preservation and urban living, their work demonstrates how design thinking can drive meaningful change.
As Singapore celebrates its diamond jubilee, this showcase is a powerful reminder of how far the nation has come. From a small, resource-poor island state to a global design powerhouse, Singapore’s journey is one of innovation, resilience and creative problem-solving.
In this sense, the Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION exhibition is a window into Singapore’s soul, revealing a nation that is constantly reinventing itself and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
