I was scrolling through social media one fine Tuesday when I chanced upon a farewell post on the Beyond The Vines page, accompanied by a heartfelt letter, penned by brand founder Rebecca Ting. Tags, postcards, and a tote bag were placed in a box, sealed up, and marked with a date like we do our precious childhood treasures. Alarmed, I thought — was this the end of one of my favourite homegrown brands? Well, I was wrong. Gladly. Instead, it marked a new beginning; and you know what they say about closed doors and open windows.

The light now shines on a refreshed Beyond The Vines, one that still embraces their ethos of minimalist wear, but with a new brand identity more akin to a design studio, as mint double doors beckon us to enter their latest Design Store in the heart of Orchard.

Husband-and-wife duo, Rebecca Ting and Daniel Chew believe that while the brand will continue to create “well-designed products made accessible to all”, it needed to be true to them and their growth over the last five years. “It is absolutely necessary that we intentionally disrupted ourselves”, the letter boldly reflects. So what’s new here? For that, we had to have a chat with the founders themselves.

With the brand turning five this year however, founders Rebecca Ting and Daniel Chew have decided to rebrand the popular label (they have 15 stores in Singapore and regionally) from one that focused on womenswear into what they call a design studio.

Almost instinctively, both of them felt they needed to “peel the layers off” of what fashion should look like. “We design to that extent, the rest would be interpreted by the wearer,” says Daniel. Minimalism isn’t just about clean lines or a certain aesthetic — that’s what I got the sense of as Rebecca talks about the brand’s design process. It’s about intentionality, the edit, making sure that every single detail is necessary and serves a purpose.

An extra pleat on a cargo pant pocket not only looks good, it serves as an extra fold where you can store a small item; an angular pocket mimics the pleats; a grosgrain label at the back of a shirt adds a subtle embellishment that distinguishes the brand. You get the idea, minute touches here are, essentially, hidden in plain sight — incidentally, the name of the brand’s debut collection.

Along with that, they’re also debuting a new menswear line to go along with their ready-to-wear core collection, as well as some fun and functional lifestyle items that include pencils, key rings, and… a camp stool!

Read on for more insight into the brand’s stunning evolution.