Benjamin Barker Recreational Club at Cineleisure Orchard
For Nelson Yap, going beyond limits is not about chasing trends or expansion for its own sake, but about deepening relevance in the everyday lives of his audience. As the founder and CEO of Benjamin Barker, he has guided the homegrown label from a menswear brand into a broader lifestyle ecosystem anchored by community, culture, and self-expression. With the launch of Benjamin Barker Recreational Club (BBRC), Yap explores how fashion, music, and connection can coexist under one roof.
Today, Benjamin Barker has evolved beyond its menswear origins. What was the turning point that made you realise the brand could go further and how did that spark the vision for BBRC?
Benjamin Barker’s current motto is “TO LIVE GREATLY”.
While Benjamin Barker has evolved beyond its menswear origins, our focus has always remained the same: Serving the modern man TO LIVE GREATLY. Helping him show up as the best version of himself, through identity, style, and confidence.
The turning point came when we asked ourselves a deeper question of “How can we make a greater impact in our customers’ lives?” Not just at work or formal occasions, but at home, at the gym, on weekends – in the moments that truly shape how people live.
BBRC is a creative extension of that core belief. It allows the brand to play, to express itself more freely, and to create a space for community-driven experiences. A place where like-minded individuals can come together over shared interests – whether through running, listening to music through analogue vinyl, seeking out vintage and pre-loved fashion, tailoring, or simply gathering to connect and celebrate.
BBRC is, and always will be, a work in progress. It’s designed to evolve with the needs of the present – reflecting how people connect NOW. And, as culture and lifestyles continue to shift, BBRC will evolve alongside them.
BBRC brings together dining, pre-loved and vintage fashion, vinyl culture, and community experiences under one roof. In a market where niche concepts are increasingly growing, what boundaries are you hoping to break with this hybrid lifestyle club?
BBRC felt more like a natural extension of what Benjamin Barker has been building over the years. The company has established itself as a serious menswear player, but from the beginning, our ambition was always to be more involved in our customers’ lives. We started by serving the office crowd, then moved into bespoke tailoring, hosting trunk shows, and then we started inviting tailors from different countries to connect directly with our community.
Having run a cafe as a separate business for over a decade, the opportunity came together quite organically. Our two-storey space at Cineleisure felt like the right scale and setting to bring all our passions under one roof. The brand has always been inspired by vintage and heritage clothing, so it made sense to feature more of that. As for music, it has always played a big role in the Benjamin Barker identity, so creating a space around vinyl and listening culture felt natural.
In that sense, BBRC isn’t about creating something radically different, but it’s about bringing together the elements that have always existed within the brand, in a way that feels authentic, cohesive, and human.
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