In a luxury industry dominated by European brands, a Singapore company is making inroads with an exclusive line of colourful handbags made from crocodile skin.

Selling for as much as $20,000 apiece, Kwanpen bags are made in a spacious, brightly lit workroom where about 50 staff work meticulously to meet the exacting demands of fashionable women the world over.

Kwanpen is a family-owned enterprise operating in one of Singapore’s industrial suburbs, the only luxury leather goods brand from a city-state better known for electronics, petrochemicals and finance.

Singapore‘s Merlion is a mythical beast (that’s part mermaid, part lion) — frozen in time in the shape of an eight-meter tall statue – who is supposed to keep watch over the city’s waters and bring wealth and good fortune to its citizens.

As of March, though, the Merlion will play a entirely different role when its structure is transformed into a hotel as part of this year’s Singapore Biennale.

According to the Singapore Tourism Board, work on the project will start on February 7 and the “Merlion Hotel” will be open for overnight stays from March 9 until May 15.

Lamborghini is celebrating its 10 years of presence on the Singapore market with the unveiling of a new special edition Gallardo Singapore Limited Edition.

What sets this limited edition Gallardos apart from the regular Raging Bulls are the red stripes on the sides and a Merlion logo that’s labeled on the exterior of each car.

They will be available in two colors only (black and white) and in a limited run of just ten units worldwide.

Just one year after opening its first casino, Singapore has emerged as Asia’s hottest new gambling capital with a revamped cityscape and billions of dollars pouring into the economy.

“Singapore has made a dramatic entry to the casino gaming market,” financial consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers said in a report estimating the city-state’s casino gaming market at $2.8 billion in 2010.

The first casino opened in Malaysian-controlled Resorts World Sentosa on February 14, 2010, with US-based Las Vegas Sands following two months later as the world economy was still clawing itself out of recession.

Local firms using Facebook and other social media to market themselves are garnering brand recognition on a par with luxury heavyweights like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, a study showed Thursday.

Findings by Firefly Millward Brown showed Singapore retail chains being identified alongside famous international labels as the most recognisable brands.

Social media users in Singapore placed yoghurt chain Soghurt and local grooming firm Juup Nails alongside famous names such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Adidas in terms of brand recognition, the study showed.

The world’s first Aston Martin Club Lounge has just opened its doors. The club is located at The Prime Society in Singapore’s Dempsey Hill neighborhood.

Created by Ingrid Prasatya, the lounge features custom-made tables crafted out of authentic Aston Martin wheel-rims as well as large-format prints of different car models.

Specially mixed cocktails in martini glasses referencing Aston Martin are also named after the different cars.