Foreign Policy launches Design Pasar to inspire and celebrate creativity in Singapore

Design Pasar is a festival organised by design bureau Foreign Policy, furniture maker Roger&Sons and leather store The General Co, celebrating the trio’s move into a new warehouse building in Singapore’s industrial district. Known as Jalan Besar, the district is home to the majority of the city’s traditional hardware businesses as well as a myriad of cafés and restaurants. Design Pasar is about bringing affordable and locally-made art, design and goods to the neighbourhood. The name is inspired by and adapted from the Pasar Malam, a local term for a night market that usually sells snacks, street food, clothes, toys, ornaments and more. As the first edition of the festival, the theme was ‘sticking together as a community’, whilst paying tribute to Singapore National Day and celebrating the rapid development of the city’s creative industry. Naturally, Foreign Policy designed the identity for the festival, taking cues from the shape of objects found in and around the industrial district. The playful geometric forms were presented as stickers so attendees could make their own tote bag or poster, reflecting Design Pasar’s primary mission: to get everyone to be creative and to participate in design together.