Rio FS 🪬 🧿

End of 2025, I finally stopped. It was one of those years. The kind that looks amazing on paper. Work was great, both agencies grew, we hit goals I’d been chasing for a while. I should’ve felt on top of the world. But I was tired. Properly burnt out. And in the middle of it all, I lost my best friend of 28 years, my best friend since army. Completely unexpected. Still doesn’t feel real when I think about it. Losing him broke my heart. So I did the only thing that felt right. I left. Packed a bag and got on a 19 hour flight from Singapore to New York. Longest commercial flight in the world. First stop of my US + Canada trip, but honestly, it felt like more than just a holiday. I just needed distance. Space. Time to think. Or not think. New York… a place I used to call home more than 10 years ago, the east village, Chinatown, alphabet city, the UES. Coming back was strange. Familiar, but not. The city’s still the same in all the ways that matter. Loud, fast, full of energy. Everyone going somewhere, chasing something. You feel it the second you step out. And weirdly, in all that noise, I felt calm. I walked a lot. Didn’t rush anything. Let myself just be there. Somewhere between the cold air, the long walks, and the city doing its thing, I started to feel a bit like myself again. And I saw snow. Real snow. The kind that softens everything for a moment. This wasn’t about finding answers. Just a reset. And I think I needed that more than I realised. Coming back to New York, really felt like coming home.

Claude Monet once said, “I must have flowers, always and always,” and truth to say, same. ‘Tis the season to be in full bloom as my love for all things floral comes up roses, in all shapes and forms. And yet, the beauty of fresh flowers lies in their quiet inevitability: they wilt, they brown, they die. There’s something deeply comforting in that. Honestly, it’s a reminder that beauty was never meant to be permanent, only experienced, touched by the hand of god. Perhaps that’s why I’ve started seeing flowers beyond the vase - piped delicately onto cakes, pressed in silk taffeta, hand beaded one by one. Floral design becomes something you can taste, touch, something that disappears even faster than petals on a stem. A different kind of fleeting, but just as meaningful. Lately, it feels like flowers are everywhere. In cities waking up to spring, in markets spilling over with colour, in quiet corners of cafés, in places you don’t expect. The world, in its own way, always finds a reason to bloom again. On the cusp of the launch of Devil Wears Prada 2, “florals for spring?” Groundbreaking no. Timeless, yes.

Been awhile. Life currently revolves around work as a founder/business owner/ creative director and all round arty clown, Pagliacci + Mark Romanek would be so proud. Just being the best human I can possibly be being all round family man, partner, boss, aspiring powerlifter and slightly obsessive collector.

January, you were everything. From the quiet tail end of a long journey Montreal, Toronto, back to New York to landing home in Singapore and stepping straight onto set creative directing the final chapter of a year-long dream, the rebranding and launch of Paragon Club. Then off again. Paris, to visit my family. London, for a graduation that meant more than words January was my birthday month, and a crazy ass month of movement, of milestones, of people I love, of work that shaped me and moments that held me and became core memories. This is the shape of my heart. #paris #newyorkcity #lifeasacreativedirector

Never had time to post nor to edit but here’s Seoul from a trip last year. #seoul

Let it snow. So lucky to have experienced the city’s first snow day for the season. #snowdays❄️ #nyc

Falling in love again (and again) with this one. From 25 for 25: Paragons of Excellence video and photo exhibition, to the key visual aptly named State of Grace, to the unforgettable 25th anniversary event, it’s truly been a journey of craft, vision, and collaboration. So proud of the Major Minor and BBTBC fam, made up of our amazing teammates, and the talented creatives who poured their artistry into every detail. Grateful to co-create with @division_events and @paragon.sg on this milestone moment. Most of all to the 25 groups of people we shot, thank you for being stars! Here’s to 25 years of timeless luxury, again and again and to many more ahead. 🖤 #Paragon25 #ParagonsOfExcellence #StateOfGrace #MajorMinorAgency #BehindTheScenes #BTS #TimelessLuxury

Rio Furqan Saini, founder of @major.minor_agency and co‑founder of BBTBC Studio, is an award‑winning creative director whose fashion‑image work for clients such as Paragon, Prada, and Bottega Veneta blends storytelling, emotion, and high‑culture references. His practice thrives at the intersection of fashion, narrative, and memory. Discover the artistry and vision of Rio Furqan Saini at the 25 for 25: Paragons of Excellence exhibition. #ParagonSG #ParagonOrchard #SGMalls #ParagonSG25

My name is Rio Furqan Saini and this is me version 3.0. The upgraded me (firmware update and all) is a creative director that runs a fashion rebranding creative agency @major.minor_agency with clients that span luxury, retail, and property across South East Asia. On top of that I’m an aspiring powerlifter with a current 1RM 140kg for squats, 120kg deadlift and 90kg for bench. You might find me every other day at the gym working on my SBD and perfecting that ass. lol. I have a puzzling predilection and penchant for Prada, Thom Browne and Simone Rocha and you will see me dressed in them every day. I love the idea of uniformity because even within it there can be freedom of expression. In the absence of colour and in the presence of conformity, how can one simply be oneself through the medium of clothes. I also hold a masters with high distinction from Goldsmiths and would eventually love to do my doctorate/ phD when I get the chance (or a sponsor lol). So it’s been a crazy year for me beginning with a health scare that made me reassess my life. I was at my unhealthiest with a 28.8% body fat percentage with my doctors saying that I was close to a heart attack. Right now it’s December the body fat has gone down to 10%. It’s an achievement for sure and one to be proud of but it wasn’t enough for me. I went through an emotional rollercoaster in my personal life and rediscovered spirituality and the power of meditation as a way to deal and heal. I looked inwards and was cognisant of my failings but never let it get me down. I believe in the power of karma. Karma is real, and the more you hurt others, it will come back to you. Do good and the universe will reward with abundance, softness and love. This year was also an introspective one for me. As the business grew, it also made me explore the vagaries of being a business owner. Being one made me reconsider who am I as a human being, as a brother; son, partner, friend, boss, business associate. Staying ethical, kind and authentic resonated with me. Right now, at the tail end of 2024, I can say that I’m truly happy. I strive to be a better person everyday. #thombrowne #creativedirector #musings