Old Chang Kee adds spice to your steps with curry puff socks

In a first-of-its-kind collab, Singaporean snack icon Old Chang Kee is stepping into the fashion spotlight, from the toes up.

Partnering with local sock label Talking Toes, the iconic curry puff brand has licensed its logos and visuals for a limited-edition sock design, the "Old Chang Kee x Talking Toes – Keep calm and curry on" athletic sock.

Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Ng Bee Lin, marketing communications manager at Old Chang Kee, said the brand is always looking for creative ways to connect with consumers beyond food.

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“With fashion being an important aspect of lifestyle, it offers a great opportunity to bridge food and fashion — two powerful forms of self-expression — in an interesting way,” she said. By translating Old Chang Kee’s iconic elements into wearable designs, the brand hopes to bring its story into “a dynamic lifestyle space” that deepens emotional connection with consumers.

The collaboration is also part of Old Chang Kee’s broader SG60 plans, which align with the theme “Building our Singapore together”. Ng said it celebrates both Singapore’s and Old Chang Kee’s shared journeys of growth.

“It showcases the progressiveness of our brand, similar to Singapore’s own growth, and we hope it makes Singaporeans proud of a local success story,” Ng added. The socks also tie back to Old Chang Kee’s own after-school snack heritage, with its curry puffs long serving as a familiar and comforting part of local everyday life.

Launching as part of Talking Toes’ 2025 "After school hours" collection, the sock nods to childhood memories of sharing snacks and slurping ice pops under HDB blocks. The collection itself celebrates Singapore’s golden days and features eight sock designs, two t-shirts, and a cap, including four exclusive collaborations with heritage brands.

According to Lucas Saw, founder and CEO of Talking Toes, Old Chang Kee was the ideal partner because of its “instantly recognisable curry puffs and strong emotional resonance with Singaporeans”. The collaboration also aligns with Talking Toes’ purpose-driven mission, with 10% of gross profits from the Keep Calm and Curry On socks going to the Samaritans of Singapore.

Saw told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the design incorporates Old Chang Kee’s black-and-yellow colour palette, vintage Chinese characters, and the distinctive curry puff silhouette to create a playful yet heritage-driven look. The aim, he added, was to blend nostalgia with modern appeal in a way that feels fresh but still familiar.

The socks will be available from 1 August online and at a pop-up at Design Orchard until 24 August. The pop-up will feature weekend activities including a DIY acrylic keychain station, a sock embroidery booth, and a claw machine challenge where a S$20 spend offers the chance to win Old Chang Kee vouchers.

Saw said the collaboration would resonate with those who view socks as a form of self-expression and who connect with shared experiences of growing up in Singapore.

The release is a limited-edition run, with Old Chang Kee hinting at more lifestyle collaborations. Some of the local brand's past partnership included Giordano, which featured T-shirts, caps, tote bags, and umbrellas reimagining Old Chang Kee’s iconic food imagery.

Old Chang Kee isn’t the only brand stepping into fashion this SG60. Mamee Monster’s “Mamee & Me: Our SG60 story” campaign blends nostalgia with local cool through new packaging and collaborations with streetwear label Musoka Club and Smashed. Musoka Club’s T-shirt designs tap sensory memory and playful local references, with prices starting at S$59.

Meanwhile, adidas marks Singapore’s 60th birthday with a hyperlocal collaboration with MILO. Launched under “Fuelling goodness”, the limited-edition collection includes t-shirts, pins, charms, and a special sachet kit, designed to celebrate both MILO’s 75th anniversary here and everyday Singaporean moments.

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