In the Vitrine In the Vitrine

Five years and 99 episodes later, Dani and Nadya reflect upon the journey of In the Vitrine. They reminisce while scrolling through the Instagram posts that document each recording, recalling the scripting of early chats, and observing a few themes that have re-emerged. They think about the value of talking with each other regularly, especially through the pandemic, and how their time in the vitrine has supported, in one way or another, their research interests in fashion.

Dani and Nadya ask ChatGPT for "help" to record this episode, and ruminate on the advantages and potential pitfalls of using artificial intelligence in thinking through, talking about and working in fashion. They discuss the use of data to artificially—but effectively—drive virality. They also consider the continued, even heightened value of human intelligence to navigate artificial intelligence.

Dani and Nadya talk about their recent exercise routines, and what they have worn over the years to move their bodies. From shorts to leggings, and from cotton to polyester, they look at the various options available to facilitate — and encourage — movement. They also look at athleisure offerings from smaller, niche businesses in Singapore, such as GLOWco (@glowco.shop), with the tagline "modesty in action" and Ika Dancewear (@ikadancewear),  and compare them to similar product categories from bigger, more established sportswear companies.

Daniela and Nadya reunite in the vitrine, and realise it has been a full two months since the previous episode. Here, they speak about Daniela taking part in PRESSPLAY with the National Library Board and Nadya working during Singapore Art Week. They ponder future identities, and Daniela introduces the idea that the future is already here; the futurists tell us that we only have to look for signals of what will be ways of the future. What is traditional can also be contemporary, even futuristic, and what is avant-garde can eventually become the norm. Time is relative! Wishing everyone a good Year of the Dragon.

Daniela and Nadya chat about all the things they have been to and seen in the past couple of weeks, which turned out to be quite a lot! They include Next in Vogue in Singapore (@voguesingapore), 'Gaba Kebaya' by @kebaya.societe, ACM (@acm_sg) Conversations: Fashion as Business, the PHx Fashion Conference (@phxfashiongroup) in Manila, and the 'Madame Song: A Life in Art and Fashion' at M+ (@mplusmuseum) in Hong Kong. As they talked, they considered the importance of telling one's stories to pave the ways for others to do the same.

Dani and Nadya reunite to talk about a few regional fashion brands that they enjoy. They reflect on how their love for fashion, especially for niche brands, brings them to cool places/neighbourhoods when they travel. They also discuss the differences between shopping online and in physical stores. Dani wears @ngaiofficial and Nadya wears @whimsigirldsgn.