Daniel Boey: The Book of Daniel: Adventures of a Fashion Insider
Daniel Boey
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014
ISBN: 9789814516631

He's been anointed the "Godfather of Singapore fashion" and "Singapore's Fashion Royalty" but Daniel Boey is not a fashion designer.

Just who exactly is he and what does he do? On the cusp of his 50th birthday, and several months shy of his 25th anniversary in fashion, we take an unabashed, no-holds-barred look at his colourful life in the industry. From his clueless early days as a shy kid through the time he picked up his first fashion magazine (not Vogue), his early dalliances with fashionistas, packing his bags for an uncertain future in the West to his rise into the realms as a feared industry personality and eventual mentor to many of Singapore's top fashion labels and models, Daniel takes us on a dizzy roller-coaster ride through his tumultuous time in a tough, unforgiving, unpredictable, cut-throat, often superficial industry.

This is the untold story of a man who refused to confirm, who went from a glittering life to a shocking knock on death's door, and who still continues to write his own rules.

With forewords by Singapore's top couturier, one of the nation's most beloved actors, two of Singapore’s most popular radio personalities and a bevy of supermodels, the book is a fantastical journey of one singular sensation.

Sarong Kebaya: Peranakan Fashion in an Interconnected World 1500-1950
Peter Lee
Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum, 2014
ISBN: 9789810901462

This book traces the history of the costume of Peranakan women; specifically, the sarong, kebaya, and baju panjang. The sarong kebaya is only a starting point, however, for a rich history of language, women, trade, slavery, community formation, and education. Profusely illustrated with a wealth of historical photographs and beautiful images of sarongs and kebayas from a large donation to the Peranakan Museum, as well as those in a private collection, the book will become a valuable reference. Independent scholar Peter Lee has amassed impressive documentation from primary and secondary sources in this highly readable, visually stunning book.

In the Mood for Cheongsam: A Social History, 1920s - Present
Lee Chor Lin & Chung May Khuen
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2012
ISBN: 9789814260923

Spanning almost a century, this book examines the origins and development of the cheongsam in the social context of Singapore since its introduction from Shanghai, China, in the 1920s to the present day.

The cheongsam, a one-piece Chinese ladies' dress, was the epitome of Chinese identity and feminine beauty during the middle decades of the 20th century. Initially seen as a symbol of a trendy, new, Republican China, shorn of the shackles of the imperial system, the cheongsam soon adopted intellectual overtones, and was favoured by the sophisticated and society's elite at elaborate social functions. When it was abandoned following the success of the Communist Party in China, the cheongsam survived in Singapore as the garment of choice for independent, educated women. Over the years it has risen and fallen in popularity and been revived and re-interpreted for new generations by designers such as Tan Sheau Yun and Priscilla Shunmugan.

Containing extensive archival photographs and showcasing the collection of the National Museum of Singapore (NMS), this book goes beyond a mere study of the garment itself, but places it in context as a symbol of a people and emblem of its times, as well as the role it played in Singapore's social scene. The book will interest both serious social historians and amateur enthusiasts alike.