Southeast Asia’s Creative Retail Spaces Transform Urban Culture

Urban discovery

In the eyes of the Southeast Asian man, new creative and retail spaces are emerging across his dynamic region. They blend high-end fashion, art, and lifestyle experiences, with a focus on creating communities that reflect his values and the mix of tradition, heritage, and contemporary style.

In the Philippines, he appreciates UNIVERS d’homme et femme, a multi-brand boutique located in the heart of Manila. More than just high-end clothing, the Southeast Asian man spots luxury fragrances, collaborations between international designers and Filipino artisans, and home decor items here. Through the use of the store’s minimalist interior design as a canvas for avant-garde and contemporary brands, his perception of Southeast Asian retail is elevated.

Indonesia’s The Goods Dept. catches his eye, as it’s a space that harbors a range of local and international fashion brands alongside art exhibitions, a café, and cultural events. The Southeast Asian man finds himself looking for handcrafted leather goods made by Indonesian artisans, limited-edition sneaker collaborations with local artists, and vintage-inspired cameras from boutique manufacturers. He recognizes its role in promoting the country’s designers and artists, making it a hub for Indonesia’s creative community.

Vietnam’s Lam Boutique, located in the urban district of Hanoi, combines fashion, home decor, and a charming café. This concept store focuses on sustainable items from both Vietnamese and international designers—providing a shopping experience that introduces him to Hanoi’s evolving creative scene. It features limited-edition Vietnamese coffee sets, traditional conical hats (non la) reimagined with modern designs, and even bespoke bamboo bicycles.

Creative communities

In Thailand, he finds that Open House, located on the top floor of the Central Embassy, has become a cultural space for the city’s creative crowd. He discovers rare art and design books, vintage-style home furnishings, full-selvedge denim jeans, and bespoke suits inside. This space combines a bookstore, a working area, an art gallery, and restaurants, setting it apart from the array of high-end fashion brands found in the rest of the building.

At the crossroads of Malaysia, he encounters the Zhongshan Building, a restored colonial-era structure in Kuala Lumpur that houses an ensemble of businesses catering to his appreciation for heritage. This place is home to rare punk and rock records, skateboard apparel, tailoring services, and underground music memorabilia. It serves as a hub for bespoke services and music-focused gatherings that intersect with art, culture, and commerce.

Lastly, New Bahru, nestled within Singapore’s capital, impresses him as a lifestyle development project that has converted a former high school into a creative cluster. He sees it as a treasure trove of items that appeal to every man there is: exotic plants in handcrafted ceramic pots, leather crafting workshops, coffee equipment, and pleating workshops where he can create his own pleated bag.

The Southeast Asian man recognizes that these spaces are incubators for local talent and cater to the discerning taste of the modern VMAN—providing platforms for emerging designers and artists to display their work and attracting both locals and tourists. To him, it’s a retail revolution where shopping is transformed into a cultural experience, and stores become community hubs that capture the essence of the diversity of Southeast Asia.

This culture story appears in the pages of VMAN SEA 01: now available for purchase!

Photography Frank Callaghan, Lam Boutique, and New Bahru