This year’s ANZA Black Tie Ball centres on Singapore’s ever-recognisable national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid. We find out how this unique bloom became synonymous with the Lion City.

Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim.

On 15 April 1981, exactly 34 years ago, the Vanda Miss Joaquim – more commonly known now as the Singapore Orchid – was officially designated as Singapore’s national flower. But what’s the story behind this flower, and how did it find itself attached to Singapore’s national identity?

Vanda Miss Who?

The Vanda Miss Joaquim has been known as such since the late 1800s. The first director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Henry Nicholas Ridley, wrote about the flower in The Gardeners’ Chronicle in 1893, where he noted: ‘A few years ago Miss Joaquim, a lady residing in Singapore, well-known for her success as a horticulturist, succeeded in crossing Vanda Hookeriana, Rchb. f., and V. Teres, two plants cultivated in almost every garden in Singapore. Unfortunately no record was kept as to which was used as the male.’

The result was a new variety of orchid that took on the name of its founder, Agnes Joaquim (1854–99), originally from Armenia. It has been contested whether Joaquim bred the flower herself, or if it occurred naturally and Joaquim was the one to discover it in her garden 1893.

Abundant yet unique

The Vanda Miss Joaquim is the first Singapore orchid hybrid to be officially registered. But what makes this orchid variety so special?

A free-flowering orchid, the Singapore Orchid blooms throughout the year in Singapore’s climate, and can grow up to 12 flowers on a single inflorescence.

As Ridley noted in The Gardeners’ Chronicle, the orchid’s two petals and top sepals are a rosy violet, while the lateral sepals are pale mauve. The flowers tend to be around five centimetres across and six centimetres tall. The lip, which extends out like a fan, becomes an orange colour in its centre and is spotted in dark purple.

A Vanda Janet Kaneali $1 Singapore banknote, issued in 1967.

A true national icon

Though cuttings from the original plant led to millions of the Vanda Miss Joaquim blooming around the world, the orchid quickly became one of the most common flowering plants in Singapore.

It might surprise those who consider flowers to be nothing more than table ornaments to learn just how serious the business of flowers is. In April 1981, after many years of deliberation, the Vanda Miss Joaquim hybrid orchid was chosen by Minister of  Culture at the time, S. Dhanabalan, out of 40 contenders, to be Singapore’s official national flower.

By the late 1960s and 1970s the orchid had become synonymous with Singapore, and a series of Singapore banknotes were released, each bearing a different variation of the orchid.

Nowadays, the Singapore Orchid can be found across the island, and most prominently within the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Did you know?

Singapore is the only country in the world to have a hybrid as its national flower. Many places in Singapore are named after the flower, such as Vanda Road (Bukit Timah) and Vanda Miss Joaquim Park (off Yan Kit Road, near Tanjong Pagar Plaza).

This month ANZA AND Harper’s Bazaar Singapore present an exclusive shopping event featuring New Zealand’s Top Fashion Designers.

When it comes to fashion, the Asian market is perhaps one of the most significant to break into – and with international labels continuing to pop up in Singapore’s competitive retail scene, Kiwi designers are about to forge a place of their own.

With the support of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, on Thursday 30 April ANZA will present an exclusive shopping night centred on 12 standout designers, hand-picked and fresh from New Zealand Fashion Week. The event follows the launch of a new e-commerce platform SheShops, developed by SPH Magazines (the publishers behind Harper’s Bazaar Singapore as well as CLEO, Cosmopolitan and The Singapore Women’s Weekly) and online retailer Inverted Edge. SheShops allows readers who view their magazines on tablet devices to simply touch an outfit on-screen and be redirected to an online shop where they can purchase the garments. For the 12 New Zealand designers whose clothes will be stocked, it’s sure to provide a massive boost in the Singapore market.

The designers range from longstanding ‘heavyweights’ of New Zealand fashion such as Zambesi, NOM*d and Kate Sylvester to comparatively younger labels like Blak and Kowtow.

Though SheShops is an online platform, the ANZA event in April will provide members with an exclusive opportunity to purchase the clothes in person. Publishing director of SPH Magazines, Bridget Hope, along with CEO of Inverted Edge, Debra Langley, will present on the night.

‘I think Singapore’s a very good launching pad for New Zealand and Australian designers,’ says Hope, who is originally from New Zealand but is based in Singapore.

‘It’s an English-speaking market, and you also have a high density of expats in Singapore, so even if the labels don’t get traction with the Singaporean population, you know there’s a heavy population of Kiwis and Australians that would be interested in the clothes.’

Though Singapore is known as a world-class shopping destination, Kiwi and Australian shoppers often lament the lack of readily available (and affordable) clothing in larger sizes. One benefit of bringing more Kiwi designers to Asia, says Hope, is the range of sizes that comes along with them, not to mention the attractive price point.

‘There seems to be a huge gap in Singapore between the Prada price point and the Zara price point. It’s either fast fashion that everyone in the office is wearing, or it’s completely unaffordable,’ says Hope.

So what are you waiting for? Come and get your fix of Kiwi fashion with ANZA and Harper’s Bazaar on 30 April.

Home Stylist Karin Rysgaard and Owner of Cocoon Styling gives her tips for creating a sanctuary in a rented property regardless of how long you intend to stay.

When you are moving into a rental property, the first step in making it your own is to “get the bones right” and overcome the common trio of rental faults: ugly fluorescent lighting, polyester sheers and expanses of marble flooring.

Restricted by budget, landlords and agents, it can be tempting to do nothing at all, but the result is a dissatisfying wait in a holding pattern until you move on, which does nothing to add to your expat experience, or help you and your family connect to the space you are now calling home.

The first stage in adding style to your rental is to use these simple solutions to overcome design faults in a way that is sympathetic to your budget.

Lighting

Replacing ugly fixtures or florescent lighting that reminds you of a late night visit to the 7/11 may not be of importance to your landlord, but it’s effects are harsh, don’t underestimate how important lighting is, its sets the tone and mood of the room, particularly when hanging over your gorgeous newly-purchased dining table. Its always first on my list of discussion with clients when they are looking to transform a space.

Solutions

1. Remove it! Affordable lighting is available on the island, and often a simple job for a good electrician. While the electrician is onsite, enquire if dimmers can be added to any of the other existing light fittings within the home. If an electrician isn’t in the budget, creating a more welcoming environment could be as simple as changing the bulbs to a lower wattage.

2. Never turn them on, standing and side table lamps carefully positioned within the room will create a warm and welcoming environment.

Result…Life changing!

Window Treatments & Curtains

This can be a tricky discussion with your landlord, but curtains create the back drop and structure within the room along with freshly painted walls. The wrong curtains block the light, are unattractive and are usually produced in an off-white polyester fabric that looks dirty, and makes me feel itchy just looking at them.

Solutions

Yes, custom curtains are not cheap, but worth the investment if you decide to go this way. Affordable ready-made curtains are also available and can be easily altered to fit non-standard windows. When they are not required, I also suggest removing them all together. Simply store them in a bag, then clean and re-hang at the end of the tenancy.

Hard Floors

A large expanse of marble or floor tiles is a cold, soulless flooring; hard on the feet and not lending itself in the least to cosy living. In a family or entertaining room a softer solution is required.

Solution

Cover it, rugs rugs rugs…strategically placed floor rugs soften the flooring, create a grounded foundation for the furnishings, and can define spaces within the room, particularly if the space is used for both living and dining. Tip, bigger is better!

Karin Rysgaard is the chief stylist and owner of Cocoon Styling, transforming and embellishing homes and outdoor living spaces.

Cocoon Styling
8126 6265
cocoonstyling.com
karinrysgaard@cocoonstyling.com

Photo Credits

Lead image and Hard Floors images supplied by Red Carpet, designed by Ingela Johansson, photography by Anne Nybaleus
Lighting photos supplied by Windows to the Past (WTP)
Window Treatment and Curtain photos supplied by Bode Fabrics & Furnishings

On Monday 23 March, following the announcement that morning of the death of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared a seven-day period of national mourning.

In a mark of respect, state flags on government buildings in Singapore have been flown at half-mast for the mourning period, which will end on Sunday 29 March. The State Funeral Service will be held at 2 pm on Sunday 29 March at the University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore.

ANZA has received enquiries from some of its members in Singapore regarding the correct etiquette during this period of mourning, and has sought advice from long-term ANZA member, ANZA Magazine contributor and cultural etiquette expert Raelene Tan. Her advice is as follows:

• “White, black or sombre colours should be worn (clothing, footwear, bags) when paying respects. Jewellery and bright makeup are not considered appropriate. Red, generally speaking, is an auspicious colour and therefore not appropriate to wear at such sombre occasions. Modest attire is appreciated, appropriate to the weather.”
• “When paying respects, at the coffin or when signing a condolence book, it is important to be respectful in attire and demeanour.”
• “At the foot of the coffin, a mark of respect in Chinese culture is three bows, or mourners can simply stand quietly with heads bowed for a few moments. In this instance, this may also apply to etiquette at condolence centres, where the official photograph of the late Mr Lee is displayed.”
• “It is best not to say goodbye to the bereaved, at the wake or funeral, but rather to leave quietly.”

“There is, of course, much more to mourning etiquette, but the above should be sufficient for general aspects at this particular time,” says Tan.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced that he will travel to Singapore for the State Funeral on Sunday. There will be many Australians and New Zealanders in Singapore who may be looking for ways to pay their personal tribute to Mr Lee. The Australian High Commission in Singapore is encouraging Australians and New Zealanders to share messages on their Facebook page.

ANZA extends its condolences to all those mourning the loss of Singapore’s founding prime minister and one of the world’s great leaders.