Can craft help unravel mental health stigma among youths? Geneco thinks so

Geneco is turning crochet into a platform for youth mental health conversations this National Day, partnering creators Edwin Goh and Rachel Wan on a campaign that uses handcrafted fashion pieces to explore themes of grief, renewal and personal growth.

Titled "Begin again", the campaign centres on a collection of nine crochet creations designed by Goh and Wan, inspired by their own experiences navigating loss, burnout and rebuilding. The pieces will be exhibited at youth wellness centre grovve at *SCAPE from 1 July to 31 August.

The campaign was developed in partnership with mental health movement Beyond the Label and grovve, Singapore's integrated youth wellness centre. Visitors can vote for the crochet pieces that resonate most with them through a dedicated campaign page, with each vote contributing towards Geneco's SG$10,000 donation to Beyond the Label.

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According to the latest figures from the Institute of Mental Health, one in three young Singaporeans aged 15 to 35 experience severe or extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress.

Several of the crochet pieces draw from themes of identity, perception and emotional growth. One design, titled "Dissolve", explores the idea of identity as something constantly evolving, beginning with a structured silhouette before gradually unravelling into a looser form. Another piece, "Rorschach (What do you see?)", takes inspiration from the psychological inkblot test and reflects how people can experience the same moment in very different ways.

The collection is rooted in Goh and Wan's own experiences with grief and healing. Wan, who learnt crochet from a young age, introduced the craft to Goh early in their relationship. What began as a shared hobby eventually became a creative outlet that helped the pair process emotions and navigate difficult periods together.

"Starting over can feel uncomfortable, scary even, but we've learnt that it is often in these moments that the most growth happens," said Goh. "There were moments when everything felt uncertain, and we didn't always have all the answers, but crocheting gave us a way to slow down, be present, and process what we were going through. Through 'Begin again', I hope more young people see that it's okay to pause, reset, and take things one step at a time."

Wan added: "'Begin again' is very personal to me because it reflects my own journey with grief, healing, and rebuilding. There's often pressure to move on quickly, but we've learnt that healing takes time, patience, and self-compassion.

"Crocheting became a quiet, grounding practice that helped me reconnect with myself, and sharing that through this campaign feels really meaningful. I hope it encourages youths to be kinder to themselves and understand that beginning again is not something to fear," said Wan. 

Beyond the exhibition, the collection will also be showcased at Orchard Road Fashion Week, where Geneco will host a dedicated runway presentation on 13 August at *SCAPE. Following the show, Goh and Wan will take part in a sharing session about their experiences and the inspiration behind the collection.

The campaign builds on Geneco's ongoing mental health initiatives. Now in its third year partnering Beyond the Label and second year collaborating with grovve, the brand said "Begin Again" forms part of its broader efforts to support mental wellbeing through accessible creative outlets and community engagement.

The campaign microsite will allow members of the public to view the collection and cast votes for their favourite designs. Geneco said every vote will contribute towards its SG$10,000 donation to Beyond the Label, bringing its cumulative contributions towards mental health support initiatives to SG$50,000.

The campaign builds on Geneco's broader efforts to support youth mental wellbeing through creative storytelling. Last year, the electricity retailer partnered actor and artist Chen Xi on "Lost to be found", an initiative that used a series of illustrations inspired by Singapore's green spaces to explore themes of uncertainty, resilience and self-discovery. The campaign was exhibited at grovve and included donations to Beyond the Label and Mindfull Community.

In 2024, Geneco launched "Here, Sunrise x Sunset" with singer-songwriter Sherman Zhuo, using music as a vehicle to spark conversations around youth mental health. The campaign featured an original song, public installations and donations to Beyond the Label and NParks' Garden City Fund. Together with "Begin again", the initiatives reflect Geneco's ongoing use of creative platforms to encourage conversations around mental wellbeing and reduce stigma among young Singaporeans.

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