This is my love letter to all the unsung heroes, who have stood by Men’s Folio in the years that I have helmed the title. 

“I will support you” — these words have been said to myself and the team on several occasions whenever we reached out to creatives, who probably did not see the full impact of their contribution coming. What fuels us is bringing democratic styles to Singaporeans and lifting Asian talents while overcoming huge media challenges over the years.

No big commercial money, just standard editorial rates. These creatives (and some who prefer not to be named) rose to the task and toiled behind the scenes. More than just showing up and doing the work, they have also shaped and advised on all the projects — including peppering our work with encouragement. All of them should and must take pride in all of these achievements as much as the Men’s Folio team does. 

While words cannot express the immeasurable gratitude all of us have for all of you, these pages are dedicated to you because you deserve to be remembered in the most important issue of the Men’s Folio year. 

Thank you for being more than collaborators, our dearest friends. 

Love,

Wilson

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Makeup Artists

Beno Lim (@benolim)

Lim’s Instagram game is strong (he is the king of PR box unboxing) and the range of his work is even more admirable — fashion editorials, bridal and sometimes, he even gives makeover lessons. 

Eric Tan (@erictan733)

Industry veteran of over 20 years who is also founder of a professional makeup and hair team. 

Not just a magazine favourite, PaletteInc is highly sought after by brands and producers. 

Larry Yeo (@larryyeo)

What else can be said about the beauty educator (Yeo has a diploma in biotechnology and a specialist diploma in cosmetic science) and a recurring judge of our Grooming Awards? His crazy sense of humour steals many hearts.

Manisa Tan (@manisatan)

The pocket rocket (and the founder of VowsInc) has many a trick up her sleeves that help her paint and style the hairs of many commercial, fashion and bridal face — her work even extends to the visuals one watches on television.

Melissa Yeo (@misar_melissa)

Within Yeo’s warm nature is a clinical and precise approach to makeup down to the smallest details like perfecting one’s complexion or a swipe of powder to mattify the skin beautifully. 

Sha Samsi (@shashamsi)

“Versatility, my virtue” says the makeup artiste behind some of our most iconic covers. As for her Rolodex of clients who span from cars to juggernauts of cultural cachet, they appreciate her keen eye like us.

Priscelia Wong (@yyingcui)

When this rising star is not adapting her skills to the needs of magazines or brands, local musicians or budding photographers enjoy the process of creation with her too — a testament to her adaptability. 

Zoel Tee (@zoel.makeup)

One look at Tee’s Instagram shows how his skills run the full gamut — a one’s-skin-but-better approach or a hyper-sculpted look like a Greek adonis. He is also a maestro with colours. 

Hair Stylists

Christvian Goh (@christvian)

The hairstylist self-deprecatingly calls himself an “untalented foreign talent” but anyone who has worked with him would think otherwise, going by his extensive portfolio that ranges from slick parts to fanciful updos.

Fadli Rahman (@fadlirahman)

This multi-hyphenate millennial does a good do from hyper-slick to structurally mind-blowing blowouts. The latter is a skill he hones thanks to his side gig as a wig stylist and seller on Wigs by Salome.

Junz Loke (@junzloke)

A blown out Botticelli-inspired mane, devil-like horns or anything a magazine editor requires of him, Loke has the finesse and the flair of a sculptor. Not content with just coifing hair, he is now even delving into video creation. 

Stylist

Jungle Lin (@junglelin)

Our New York-city based contributor has the innate gift of taking even the most ordinary pieces of the season and turning them into a visual spectacle — his men are always handsome, perfectly groomed and the sharpest suited in any situation. 

Photographers

Angela Guo (@angela.guoo)

Having lensed some of the crispest black and white photos, Guo also does other things like portraitures that bring out the best in her subjects, or artistic still-life — the latter, a nod to her love for art. 

Brent Chua

The man behind the lens for our contributor shots. The joy of Chua’s photos is that we will never know what we’ll get. A surprise of sorts — spiffy and sharp dudes on the street or soft poetic images. 

Cher Him (@him2)

When we require an image that is as spontaneous as it is joyful, we look to Cher Him and his affable nature on set — a trait that has served him well when dealing with anyone from celebrities to everyday men. 

Ching Lee (@watchching)

Revered by watch editors, the devil in the details of Ching’s images (just open up any watch spread in this magazine) is in its sharpness and slickness — right down to the precision of his lighting used. 

Daryl Tan (@daryltanyp)

Represented by Nemesis Pictures, the still-life photographer’s visual eye opens up to a multicoloured world of wonders where even the simplest of objects becomes a breathtaking shot. 

Eugene Lee (@eugeneegumpp)

In every of Lee’s photography is a narrative where the characters — a Tin Man, a nostalgic lady and youthful kids on the block – quite literally come to life. Naturally, the images speak for their own. 

Ethan Lai (@chiguolai)

Everything seems a little off-kilter (or some might say, subversive and gender-bending) in Lai’s photos but that is exactly what makes them interesting — an aesthetic that the co-owner of ThereIsA Studio has honed over the years.

Island Boys Collective (@weareislandboys) 

The merry group of boys bring heart and happiness to every project they embark on and this youthful cadence shows in their work be it through videos, stills or graphic works and posters. Just check our November 2019 issue.

Jeff Chang (@jeffchangstudio)

Commercially, Chang understands a client’s assignment like malls and banks. With his fashion work, the gamut spans from cinematic stills to hyper conceptual beauty shots. 

Mun Kong (@xmunkongx) 

Everything Mun Kong loves in his personal life comes through in his photos — an exploration of the disruptive 1990s culture and street style. The latter comes through the most in his swervy-cool imagery. 

Lenne Chai (@lenneigh)

In the dreamy landscapes conjured up by Chai – a glamorous casino, a 1980s roller rink or a wedding of two women — lies a sense of realism pointing to cultural thoughts that she holds close to her heart. 

Natsuko Teruya (@natsukoteruya)

Bringing her cerebral eye and sharp mind to the genres of fashion, nude, portraiture and still life photography, the constant in Teruya’s work is an undercurrent of raw sexuality and a nod to the surrealistic.

Shawn Paul Tan (@shawnpaultan)

The consistent aesthetic between any of Tan’s body of work — ranging from photography, moving images, VHS and films — is an intriguing gesture where he makes his subjects pop on pages. 

Venus Oh (@venusproblematics)

Sun dappled worlds or moody-tinged nightscapes, the visual code of Oh’s works is tinged with cinematic-like nostalgia, an aesthetic she uses to “tell genuine stories about human connection, sexuality and identity representations”.

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Art Direction Izwan Abdullah   Illustration Marisa Xin   Additional Reporting Bryan Goh

Catch some these unsung heroes in the creative collaborations in the August ’21 issue of Men’s Folio Singapore.

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