Last month, LOOQAL celebrated its third anniversary, marking three years of cultivating a conscious community built on mindful living, craftsmanship, and sustainable values.
Situated in the heart of Singapore, LOOQAL has become a space where conscious shopping feels like a natural choice. It brings together a carefully selected range of sustainable brands that focus on thoughtful design, ethical making, and a shared goal of living responsibly. For Katruss, the connection with LOOQAL is deeply personal, as it was where we held our first long-term pop-up last year, introducing our plant-based garments to a wider audience.
In this feature, Joyce Teh, the founder of LOOQAL, shares her reflections on the brand’s journey, the people behind it, and the collective mission to make sustainability an integral part of everyday life.
For Joyce, sustainability is rooted in the preservation of both people and nature. It is about conserving the planet while cherishing the values, heritage, and cultures that define different communities. To her, respecting the land and those who inhabit it is as essential as celebrating the traditions that give each place its colour and depth.
Rooted in her Southeast Asian heritage, J
oyce envisioned LOOQAL as a space to bring regional craftsmanship to a global stage. Each piece showcased at LOOQAL reflects the spirit of its origin, carrying forward the artistry and stories of the communities behind it, weaving generations of knowledge into each creation.
Over time, this vision has evolved into a broader mission to nurture self-sustaining economies among artisans and maker communities worldwide. Guided by the pillars of People, Planet, and Heritage, LOOQAL continues to connect purposeful brands and founders who share the goal of creating positive social and environmental impact.
LOOQAL aims to create both 
social and environmental impact by partnering with brands that share these values. In Southeast Asia, the market is rich with socially conscious businesses that empower native artisans, local communities, and marginalised groups.
The environmental aspect, however, remains more complex, often challenged by higher costs and inconsistent supply. Nevertheless, Joyce observes a promising shift, with more brands in LOOQAL’s lifestyle category and across Singapore beginning to use natural, recycled, and upcycled materials in their products.
From the beginning, LOOQAL has stood for more than commerce – it represents a shared movement. The #LOOQALMovement grew from the belief that collaboration strengthens impact. The brand continually encourages its merchant partners to work together, share opportunities, and support each other’s growth. This collective mindset has shaped a network where sustainability thrives through connection and mutual support.
Community is everything,” Joyce explains.“Sustainability grows through collaboration, not competition.”
Human experience lies at the heart of LOOQAL. Joyce and her team have cultivated an environment that feels genuine and welcoming – a place where customers feel comfortable to browse, ask questions, and engage with the stories behind each brand. The team approaches every interaction with care and attentiveness, ensuring that each visitor feels seen and valued.
To create this atmosphere, Joyce has built a team defined by personality, confidence, and a genuine desire to make every visitor’s experience meaningful. Whether helping someone find a gift, discovering a new brand, or sharing a moment of conversation, the team brings warmth and care to every interaction.
Their approach to connection has become part of LOOQAL’s identity – a reflection of what Joyce calls the “Gold Star standard” of customer experience, where kindness and authenticity at the core.
“People remember how you make them feel,” Joyce says. “We want everyone who walks into LOOQAL to feel a sense of warmth, care, and purpose – that’s what stays with them.”
Every journey comes with challenges, yet Joyce chooses to focus on the moments that make it worthwhile. Among the most rewarding are the words of customers who say they can’t walk past LOOQAL without stepping in, or leave without finding something that speaks to them. Many appreciate its thoughtful curation and the diversity of products, describing each visit as a journey through different cultures and parts of the world.
These moments reveal what LOOQAL has become – more than a store, it’s a place that brings people closer to creativity, culture, and conscious living through the stories of the brands it houses.
Joyce sees the coming years as
a turning point for conscious living. The next generation, especially Gen Z, already gravitates toward slower lifestyles, local businesses, and values rooted in authenticity. Their choices are reshaping how brands create and connect.
She believes this moment calls for deeper intention from designers: to study natural materials, refine their use, and craft pieces that balance beauty, function, and ethics. When aesthetics, quality, and value come together, sustainability becomes an inherent part of design.
While this shift unfolds, LOOQAL continues to be a space for aesthetic, high-quality products with meaningful social and environmental impact. The team keeps evolving its curation, strengthening the experience both in-store and online, and ensuring that every collection reflects thoughtful creation and purpose. Each LOOQAL store remains a place of learning and discovery, where visitors can explore sustainable brands, connect with their stories, and find meaning in the creations they bring home.
LOOQAL’s journey demonstrates that sustainability thrives when passion meets purpose and when people come together to create something that lasts beyond trends.
This belief is what connects Katruss and LOOQAL – a shared understanding that true progress begins with thoughtful design, respect for nature, and care for the communities behind each creation.
Explore more about LOOQAL and their community of sustainable brands through their website and follow them on Instagram for the latest updates.
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