“I HATE A BORING BAG” is the title of one of content creator and art student Sheearam’s TikTok videos on his page where, besides vlogging his daily life, he also shows off his eclectic wardrobe.
The “not boring” bags you would find in his collection would be a hyper–realistic salmon bag, a bright orange carp or pigeon bag. No Birkins to be seen, even from a high fashion collector like Mr Sheearam or @sheearam on TikTok and Instagram.
The 24-year-old has collected dozens of pieces from brands such as Issey Miyake and Dior, buying them at discounted rates from resale markets and thrift stores. “I don’t really see the collection as an investment because I’m still young. My favourite pieces are those that I can actually wear every day,” he said.
One of his first major finds was when he lived in Australia in 2023. “Walking past a Maison Margiela store, I noticed shoes in the store display that looked like hooves, and I thought they were so cool. I would walk past the store every day until finally I went in and got them,” he said. The Maison Margiela Tabi Boots retail for about S$1,800.
The boots were an anomaly and a splurge for Mr Sheearam, who usually buys items second-hand. One of his biggest steals was from the same brand, getting the Fall/Winter 2009 Maison Martin Margiela Giant Souvenir Snowball on Carousell for S$50. Normally, the resale value goes for up to S$500.
While Maison Margiela is his favourite brand, he also keeps up with Indian artists. “One of the designers is Gaurav Gupta. He’s really high-end, but I hope when I get married I can wear one of his designs.” Gaurav’s work has been showcased at the MET Gala, worn by celebrities such as Isha Ambani and Mindy Kaling.
He has been interested in fashion since he was a teenager, with ballroom being one of his major influences. Ballroom is an underground fashion and dance subculture that originated in the late 1800s among LGBTQ+ African-American and Latin communities. “Everyone dresses up, so it really helps you to find your own style, and also gives you confidence to dress up,” he said.
Despite his quirky bag choice, Mr Sheearam’s favourite colour to wear and collect is black. “I feel more grounded with the design and the clothes when I wear black, and I feel like it flatters my skin tone the best,” he said.
Aside from just collecting, local brown representation, or the lack thereof, is another topic Mr Sheearam uses his platform to address.
He believes that most local fashion companies do try to have good representation, but the responsibility goes to marketing and public relations agencies who are in charge of inviting influencers or casting models and talent.
“I have not been rejected so far, but I have been the only dark-skinned person at events before. For editorial shoots, it gets embarrassing when the make-up artists don’t have the right shades for your skin tone,” said Mr Sheearam.
Mr Sheearam funds his collection from his savings and also from freelance work such as modelling for editorial shoots and life-modelling for art workshops. Life modelling is the practice of modelling, usually in the nude, for artists to sketch the form of the human body.
He says that people who don’t understand life modelling may consider it to be vulgar, even though it is a foundational concept for artists. Earlier this year, 63-year-old life model Lim Kim Hian was featured in mainstream media, and Mr Sheearam says that this helps educate society and reduce judgement.
“I don’t really care about judgement or comments from people, my family know what I do, and I have their biggest support,” he said. “I enjoy doing it, and it pays okay, but I wouldn’t say it sustains my collection.”
Mr Sheearam said that interest in fashion continues to be niche in the Indian community, for reasons beyond conservative communities and the lack of representation. “I think conservative is one thing, but most people don’t really know about fashion,” he said, “When I talk to my family about it, they are honestly quite blank. So, TikTok is my safe space when it comes to fashion because I feel like my followers understand what I’m talking about.”
