hansel

hansel womenswear blends a sense of quirky playfulness with understated minimalism. Hailing from Singapore, designer Jo Soh pulls together unexpected elements, creating highly wearable pieces that suit spunky, confident women who can’t help standing out in a crowd. The label reflects her modern and unique take on retro-inspired styles, featuring her signature love for juxtaposing strong and subtle shades.

After graduating with 1st class Honours in Fashion Design with Marketing from the renowned Central St. Martins in London, Jo honed her skills working with designers around the globe. She sewed haute couture garments for Tristan Webber in London and had assignments in Milan, New York and Singapore. In addition, she has freelanced as a stylist and an illustrator and taught in fashion design colleges in Singapore. Jo especially loved her one-time stint as a pre-school art teacher.

hansel, named after her beloved Jack Russell Terrier (a stray puppy she rescued off the streets) made its impressive debut at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in November 2003.

Since then, hansel has garnered many accolades and won many fans, including American pop star Katy Perry and Japanese actress Chiaki Kuriyama. The label regularly gets glowing reviews in the local and international press - London-based online trends watchdog WGSN.com described Jo as a “total original” while The Sydney Morning Herald praised the label for being “ultra modern and fresh”. Influential design and lifestyle magazine Wallpaper* endorsed hansel as a hot brand to know in their annual “Secret Elite” label directory in 2007 and 2008, while Monocle magazine placed Jo amongst the Top Five Fashion Designers in their 2009 Singapore Survey.

hello hansel, a diffusion line by hansel, made its debut in February 2011. Focusing on highly wearable casualwear pieces with bold prints, bright hues and easy-to-wear fabrics, hello hansel identifies itself as a youthful, vibrant and playful label.