The recent Paris Men’s Fashion Week marked a lot of firsts: for Jonathan Anderson, who made his Dior debut; for Julian Klausner, who introduced his menswear for Dries Van Noten; and for Singaporean streetwear designer Mark Ong, also known as Mr Sabotage, who unveiled a new creative project.
The project, titled Punk Stitched Portraits, is a collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring Ong’s artworks of pop culture icons, including Kurt Cobain, MF Doom and Amy Winehouse. (The standout piece is a tweed jacket adorned with Ong’s take on the Mona Lisa.) As he famously did with his sneakers, Ong infused a DIY spirit into his artworks by creating them using pieces of bandana fabric and assembling them with raw contrast stitching. Each piece is made by hand, and no two are alike.
Ong presented Punk Stitched Portraits at SAIKO//PSYCHO, a pop-up showroom in Paris that put the design, craft and culture of Southeast Asia in the spotlight. Aside from an opening party that included a performance by Yung Raja, the SAIKO//PSYCHO showroom hosted an array of buzzy brands from close to home, including the Indonesian footwear brand Kanky Sportstyle, the Malaysian fashion label Bev C, and Pharaoh’s Horses, a homegrown label by Feroze McLeod.
The showroom, which offered clothing, accessories, lifestyle pieces and exclusive artworks, represented a major milestone for Southeast Asia’s creative community. Ong is one of its most established figures, having started his label SBTG all the way back in 2003. And yet the streetwear icon still felt a sense of pride in showcasing his creations in Paris, the fashion capital of the world, during one of its most exciting menswear seasons.
Ahead, Mark Ong tells us more about his time at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, the inspirations behind his Punk Stitched Portraits, and other creative projects that he has lined up in 2025.
How would you describe the energy at Paris Men’s Fashion Week this season?
Mark Ong (MO): As always, the energy at Paris Men’s Fashion Week was infectious. There’s a brand event on every block, and the FOMO is real—you constantly feel like you should be in three places at once. The adrenaline keeps you going, and it’s only after leaving that the exhaustion hits. Honestly, I feel like I need a vacation from Paris. With that said, I would do it all over again!
Can you tell us more about your Punk Stitched Portraits series? What sparked this series?
MO: Every now and then, when I get tired of my own design rhythm, I dive into a rabbit hole of self-reflection and search for new forms of expression. Punk Stitched Portraits came out of that space. It’s my way of creating a new visual language that still feels familiar. It’s subcultural distortion through a handmade, tactile approach.
Which is your favourite piece from this series and why?
MO: It has to be my take on the Mona Lisa. It feels like the tip of an iceberg, just the beginning of something bigger. I’m excited by the unknown and can’t wait to dive deeper, get lost in the process, and see where it takes me. I took this piece to Paris and it’s now coming back to Singapore with our very own rap icon, Yung Raja.
How do you feel about presenting your designs at the SAIKO//PSYCHO showroom this year, together with other brands from Southeast Asia?
MO: It’s a rollercoaster of emotions—proud, nervous, excited, even a bit anxious. But above all, I feel a strong sense of duty and joy to represent, alongside other Southeast Asian brands. It’s a meaningful moment, and the energy is overwhelmingly positive.
How do you think Singapore’s design scene has evolved since you launched SBTG in 2003?
MO: Since launching SBTG in 2003, I’ve seen the Singapore design scene mature alongside many of us who started during that era. We’ve evolved not just in our craft, but in the ways we express ourselves—some branching into new mediums, others taking on mentorship roles. At the same time, we remain students of the game. Today’s generation has access to incredible tools and resources that allow them to achieve in months what used to take us years. It’s inspiring to witness.
What other creative projects are you excited about in 2025?
MO: 2025 is shaping up to be a big year. I’m especially excited about my first-ever collaboration with a sneaker brand—it’s a milestone for me. On top of that, we’re planning our next showrooms in Tokyo and Shanghai, which is a huge step forward. I’m also working on several capsule collections with different brands and retailers, each offering a new creative challenge.
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