So you think you’re hype enough to join the collective, having transformed your wardrobe from Bugis Street wares to HBX-approved gear. For the ‘gram, it is not so much of the clothes you wear but where the shot is made. A picture of you decked out in a pair of $400 kicks and Off-White top and bottoms with the backdrop as the middle of a MRT train impresses no one.
Do your feed and outfit a favour – don’t waste your next #highsnobiety post on any ordinary backdrop, drop by these 10 hypebeast-approved places for that perfect shot. These locations are so obscure that we’ve included geotags so that you won’t get lost.
Known as the home ground of the cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world and 60-cent xiao long baos, Chinatown Complex holds a secret a select few know about – a basketball court on its roof.
Take a trip down here either in the early morning or evening to avoid getting all charred by the afternoon sun. We got a hit of serious NYC basketball vibes while taking our photos here.
Come nightfall and this court will be the perfect place to take a panorama shot of the sunset against the skyline of Singapore.
Geolocation: 1°16’55.2″N 103°50’35.6″E
Directions: Take the lift up to the top floor of the carpark and continue your journey up via the stairs at either side of the carpark.
Hidden from the outside world by translucent solar films is this futuristic-looking structure between Paragon Shopping Centre and Ascott Orchard Singapore. We loved how monochromatic the entire linkway looked, but you’ll need to have extra-thick skin when shooting here – we got many strange looks from business executives walking by.
Because of the high human traffic, we recommend heading down to the linkway during the post-lunch – aka food coma – hours.
Geolocation: 1°18’14.2″N 103°50’10.8″E
Directions: Head up to the third floor of Paragon Shopping Centre and walk through Mark’s & Spencer to its back entrance – the linkway.
Established as the place to get local dry provisions at significantly lower prices by those in-the-know, Victoria Wholesale Centre also houses one of the most ulu spiral carparks in Singapore. Walking through the entire building at 6pm felt as though we were in a ghost town with store shutters down and the carpark quiet.
The trippiness of the spirals brings about infinite possibilities for your shots. With the many backdrops, you are all set to dish out your photos day by day with no one knowing that you ‘grammed them all in one day.
Geolocation: 1°18’41.1″N 103°52’01.4″E
Directions: From Lavender MRT Station, take Exit B and walk along Kallang Road to Padang Jeringau before turning into Kallang Avenue.
Here’s a word of caution: don’t come here with the brutal midday sun hanging high in the sky. Sunburn is not a good look. That aside, this is where you can get #hboutthere shots at the underbelly of Esplanade Drive.
This is undiscovered prime area away from the sun and the crowd. Late afternoons on the weekdays are your best bets as optimal timings.
Geolocation: 1°17’20.3″N 103°51’15.5″E
Directions: From the Esplanade, walk along the Singapore River towards Anderson Bridge.
Even with cars and trucks whizzing right above this unnamed location, this pocket of space is a safe haven for many, including construction workers taking a midday break. Being here in the middle of the day gave us laid-back vibes. And of course, the pictures you take against the greyed-out backdrop make your journey here worth the effort.
With the area entirely filled with pebbles, your kicks are bound to get dust all over, but leaping off the insane number of pillars for the perfect shot will get the dust off in style.
Geolocation: 1°16’24.2″N 103°50’58.8″E
Directions: Alight at Bus Stop ID 03217, walk towards the Marina Bay Fire Station along Prince Edward Road. Look across the carpark and you’ll find the closest thing to a hypebeast’s Holy Grail.
Show your dedication to your feed by lying down on the floor for this #LookUp shot as your friend jumps over you in the middle of a sea of suits and ties. Come here on the weekends for minimal human traffic as it’s going to take more than him jumping over you once to nail this shot.
Since you’re here, weave in and out of the alleys between the many office buildings for that natural HB1 filter. We took these shots in an alley right off Malacca Street, much to the confusion of blue-collared workers unloading office furniture.
Geolocation: Look up – 1°17’03.1″N 103°51’05.5″E, Alley – 1°17’01.4″N 103°51’02.6″E
Directions: From Raffles Place MRT Station and walk out via Exit A. Once out, find your sweet spot for the look up while lying on the greens. Seek out the alley of your choice by walking down Malacca Street towards Golden Shoe Hawker Centre.
No socks are to be worn here unless you’re in Phua Chu Kang boots. A sight common to white-collared workers on their smoke break, this oasis is only known to a chosen few who bother exploring Millenia Walk and its surroundings instead of just taking shots of its multi-coloured interior look-up.
By setting your shutter speed low, you can catch the movement of the wind across the waters as you carefully take baby steps to the middle of the shallow pool.
The best kind of hypebeast shots are the ones people don’t expect. Nobody in their right mind would jump headfirst into a puddle of water, but if you’re rocking a pair of water-repellent kicks like the Sperry 7 SEAS we’ve got on here – then you must add water. We can guarantee you’ll be swimming in compliments after.
P.s. Scroll to the bottom to read exactly how these kicks stay so dry.
If you are donning on major cops, keep them dry by heading behind the cascading wall of water for a moodier shot.
Geolocation: 1°17’32.2″N 103°51’36.8″E
Directions: From Promenade MRT Station, walk down Temasek Avenue and this water feature will be on your right.
Constructed in tandem with SG50 and once filled with visitors and exhibits, the metal lattice installation is now left at the back of the minds of the people. When we were there for half a day, we only noticed a handful of tourists snapping selfies with the structure.
The general public seems to forget about the beauty of light bouncing off this structure. Not us though. Take the advantage of the light and enjoy playing with the angles as you spend the day taking that perfect shot here with no one judging.
Geolocation: 1°16’52.2″N 103°51’40.0″E
Directions: From Marina Bay Sands, cross the Marina Bay Overpass towards Gardens by the Bay. After you’ve stepped off the overpass, walk towards your right and you’ll reach the structure.
Everyone comes to Marina Barrage to fly kites and have cutesy picnics and post photos with pictures either with the boring green backdrop or the empty blue sky. For more “industrial” images, head towards Bay East, Gardens by the Bay along the Marina Barrage Bridge.
With its nondescript pathway, you have the freedom to explore the different kinds of shots you want against the concrete.
Tip: If you’re here in the evening, watch out for joggers and cyclists who might accidentally photobomb you.
Geolocation: 1°16’56.0″N 103°52’25.7″E
Directions: Walk to Marina Barrage as you would from Bayfront MRT. The bridge starts right beside Sembawang Eating House Seafood Restaurant.
This is a personal favourite. With a similar degree of seclusion as #5, you would have absolutely no reason to come to the Marina South Pier area unless you’re boarding a cruise or taking your IG feed to the next level.
On this ledge overlooking Marina Coastal Expressway, this is a backdrop unlike anywhere else in Singapore. With both the greenery and the cityscape right behind you, it won’t be for long till you are greeted with hordes of people here coming here to take their own shots.
Geolocation: 1°16’13.2″N 103°51’33.3″E
Directions: Exit Marina South Pier MRT Station and walk along the main road towards Marina Bay Cruise Centre. As the road divider comes to an end, cross the road and walk through the greenery towards the CBD buildings in the distance. You will then reach an area bordered by shrubbery as cars whizz past right under your nose.
There you go. Get down to these 10 places before anyone else accuses you of a trend follower. You are now part of the collective that’s in the know so grab your outfits and head out to feed your feed some hype.
As much as the Anti Social Social Club tops and Saint Laurent jeans are essential, your kicks have to be just as pumped as your clothes. What you cover your feet with can potentially make or break your shot. Our kicks from Sperry made sure that from top to bottom, we wouldn’t be mistaken for a couple of tryhards.
Fresh out of Sperry’s idea board are the 7 SEAS. Having a sleeker silhouette than before, this new line of kicks are all about functional fashion.
Spearheading the creation of non-slip shoes since 1935, Sperry outdid itself with the 7 SEAS. The trademark Razor-Cut Wave-Siping™ on its soles are further enhanced with its Terrain Traction Pods to ensure an insane level of grip no matter the terrain. Designed to prevent sailors from slipping off the decks aboard ships in the past, a pair of these can literally save your ass on rainy days.
Incorporating Sperry’s seafaring background, the 7 SEAS also features a hydrophobic mesh upper teched up with HydroPel. This water-repellent technology means that you need not fear completely ruining your kicks and ending up with drenched socks and shoes by the end of your shoot. The minuscule OmniVents on the outsole of the shoes also drains excess moisture from it so that you will not end up with annoyingly moist socks at the end of the day.
Constructed in Sperry’s signature MocFit structure and 360 Lacing System™, every pair of 7 SEAS fit us like a charm. We did not have to worry if they would suddenly fly out from our feet as we jumped from ledge to ledge for the shots.
The 7 SEAS ($129.00) is not only available at Sperry’s flagship stores in both Marina Square and Vivocity. You can also get them at selected Royal Sporting House outlets – 313 @Somerset, JEM, and Ngee Ann City.
If you’re in the sneakerhead game, you can also find the collection at both outlets of The Social Foot – Orchard Central and Suntec City.
For TSL readers, quote “The Smart Local” at all the above stores for 20% OFF all regular-priced Sperry shoes from now till 31st March 2017.
Keep up with the latest happenings from Sperry simply by exploring #SPERRYSG and #SPERRY7SEAS or by following Royal Sporting House and The Social Foot.
This post was brought to you by Sperry.
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