CEREMONY

SOME FASHION SCHOOLS MIGHT HAVE INTRODUCED DIGITAL VERSIONS OF THEIR GRADUATION SHOWS THIS YEAR, BUT LET’S BE HONEST: THEY JUST DON’T HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AND MEANING AS A TRADITIONAL RUNWAY PRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE DESIGNERS WHO’VE SPENT MONTHS OF LABOUR AND RESEARCH ON THEIR COLLECTIONS (THANKS, MISS RONA).

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

SOME FASHION SCHOOLS MIGHT HAVE INTRODUCED DIGITAL VERSIONS OF THEIR GRADUATION SHOWS THIS YEAR, BUT LET’S BE HONEST: THEY JUST DON’T HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AND MEANING AS A TRADITIONAL RUNWAY PRESENTATION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE DESIGNERS WHO’VE SPENT MONTHS OF LABOUR AND RESEARCH ON THEIR COLLECTIONS (THANKS, MISS RONA). SO HERE’S OUR WAY OF GIVING THEM THEIR MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MEET 11 OF THE MOST PROMISING NAMES FROM THE CLASS OF 2020 (AND FOR EVEN MORE OF THESE BRIGHT YOUNG TALENTS WHO COULD CHANGE THE FUTURE OF SINGAPORE’S FASHION SCENE, HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE).

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SAMUEL XUN, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“I found this vintage ’90s balloon sculpting instructional book for children while clearing out my work space and just thought it’d make fab sculptural elements on the body. As always, the method to my madness that followed was a mixture of collaging and draping. Something that I haven’t talked about much is how I have an archive of random loose articles like weird shiny packaging that I collect to form collages. First of all #recycling. However, this collection also drove me to a point of realness: What I’ve created feels more genuine; this idea of unpolished rawness juxtaposed with very polished outcomes. I also made a conscious effort to do more experimentation with textiles, which I think oddly enough, sets a path for how my accompanying work in digital graphics will evolve.”

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HAMKAH LATIB, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“I’ve always enjoyed the fusion of fashion and art. I have thus reinterpreted an idea from remix culture – an art form that mixes two new or existing ideas into one. This collection took inspiration from both the imagery and fashion culture of the 21st century and the Renaissance with the cut-and-paste technique being in its design. This was translated through purposeful slits and segmented pieces that are detachable – a reference to the slashing of garments during the Renaissance. Logo branding was heavily used throughout as decorative details while prints were done in a graffiti style for a contemporary element. Plush fabrics like velvet and satin were paired with more casual ones such as denim and for a seamless blend of the two periods, I kept silhouettes oversized and worked exclusively with varying shades.”

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FELICIA AGATHA, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“By using science and technology know-how, I tried to create a collection that integrates both areas into fashion for a new take on modernism. In this collection, biomimicry (the practice of imitating systems and elements found in nature to solve human problems) was used as a methodology to rethink fashion and create garments with a temperature-regulating function as a reaction to climate change. The perspiration mechanism in human skin inspired the textiles and led me to experiment with unconventional materials. For example, I combined PVC with hydrogel, which traps water, to create what I call Hydropuff – a quilted fabric that facilitates the absorption of sweat and in turn helps keep the skin cool. The silhouettes are inspired by the idea of invisible body extensions and led me to contrast rigid materials with more fluid ones as well as played with transparency – a reference to the term ‘second skin’.”

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TAY YI XIANG, DIPLOMA IN APPAREL DESIGN & MERCHANDISING, TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC

“Anemone is a collection inspired by the beauty of the sea flower. Despite its floral name, anemones by nature are not outstanding in appearance. However, these understated creatures play an important role in the coral reef ecosystem. Inspired by the anemone’s ability to thrive freely underwater, I took reference from the patterns of their rhythmic and fluid movements, translating them into linear effects on the collection’s silhouettes and textile prints. Besides a structural yet fluid approach of draping, I incorporated various techniques of digital printing, silkscreen and embossed printing to create looks that are organic, soft yet sculptural.”

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ANNIE CHUA, BA (HONS) IN FASHION, NANYANG ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

“My collection is inspired by the deconstruction and reconstruction of garment engineering by applying contrasting elements: the raw against the refined, translucency against opacitytranslucency against opacity, smooth against rough. Elements that one might not expect to go well together translate into unique and beautiful garments that break away from the stereotype of how deconstructed garments should be. Nothing about my collection is conventional. I chose canvas interfacing as my main fabrication;fabrication; it is a material that is typically used in the constructions of menswear jackets. Tulle and raw silk are the secondary fabrics in my collection... I also did a grgreat deal of experimentation before getting down to designing – distorting, reshaping, deconstructing, reconstructing and overlaying garments as a form of draping without being too complex. This created new silhouettes that greatly inspired my designs. The outcome: loosely fitted garments that flatter and give shape to the body, giving women a sense of freedom and a distinct, individualistic style.”

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KENNETH LEE, BA (HONS) IN FASHION, NANYANG ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

“My inspiration came from various channels, including Frankenstein, the 1818 book by Mary Shelley. In the book, the protagonist scientist constructs a human body with the claim of bettering mankind. Fascinated by this, I thought, ‘Why not use fabrics to represent this idea of modification’? For example, I used goose feather duvets as stuffing to create sculptural forms that give the human body a new dimension when worn.” 

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PHANG KUAN YI, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“(I was inspired) by a being in the virtual world. Referencing Japanese anime and the notion of cyber spaces during the creative process, I ultimately hoped to come up with an alternate body that allows one to cross over to the virtual realm. During the initial stage of developing the collection, I experimented a lot with electronic textiles to create animated garments that would allow the wearer a surrealistic experience. Due to inadequate engineering knowledge though, I ended up basing my collection on the outcome of these experiments. For example, I contoured a woven pattern to accentuate the 3D form of the human body, creating an illusion of a different figure – an alternate “body”. 

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KWOK MINH YEN, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“1.5°C is a project that’s meant to draw attention to how close we are to a global disaster – such a seemingly small rise in global temperature can in fact trigger significant and lasting changes. My inspiration came from coral bleaching, an event that occurs due to global warming and the effect of rising ocean temperatures that can destroy the entire global coral reef ecosystem. The designs are based on the structure and texture of the corals and its many stages of death. Using white as the dominant colour, I employed advanced textile applications to create solar/UV reactive pigments that depict the signalling of help for change – certain garments can transform from white to intense blue, purple or yellow under natural or UV light. To mimic the structure of coral skeletons, I manipulated crochet, macrame, knits and embroidery, adding Swarovski crystals to elevate these textures and give another dimension to the garment’s textiles.”

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CLAUDIA LEE, BA (HONS) FASHION AND MARKETING, NANYANG ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

“Taking inspiration from utilitarian elements, the collection explores the functionality of utility workwear as well as the CC41 Utility Clothing Scheme (to ration fabrics) introduced in England during World War II. The collection translates its designs into an updated and elevated play on classic shapes while also toying with the idea of restraint. It studies the practical function of these details, tears them apart and reconstructs them into key layering pieces, allowing for varied styling options. The collection combines workwear suiting fabrics donated by the defunct uniform factory Patterns and pairs them with dressier, less structured materials like silk chiffon, crinkled chiffon and cotton nylon blends.”

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EMILY KIONG, DIPLOMA IN APPAREL DESIGN & MERCHANDISING, TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC

“My collection is a silent applause for those who go through each day struggling mentally; a message to tell them that it is strong to be vulnerable. To capture the minute details of the brain and create different patterns and textures, I took images of brain sections and brain scans and carved them onto lino as well as turned them into etchings. Using digital manipulation, I then created my own prints, settling on two of them to go onto fabrics. For texture, I manipulated malleable copper filament wires to create subtle embellishments that mimic the look and movement of brain neurons as well as print-press metallic paint onto the fabrics. The result is a collection featuring silhouttes that resemble the shape of the brain, complemented by a play on panelling that alludes to the different facades a highly depressed individual builds up to fit in and hide their suffering.”

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MAZRI ISMAIL, BA (HONS) IN FASHION DESIGN AND TEXTILES, LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

“My graduate collection Palpitate was based on my health diagnosis Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a heart complication that causes the heart to have palpitation episodes at any point in time. It is definitely a very personal collection... I tried to recall all the episodes I’ve experienced – what actually happened, the emotions I went through and how my body reacted – and translated all of that into scribbles that inspired the silhouettes in my collection. I used ruching to interpret these scribbles (note the sculptural gathers). I also traced my ECG scans onto organza fabric and laser-cut them into strips that I then sewed on closely together, creating a distressed effect. This is meant to represent the feeling of chaos and of being overwhelmed whenever I get these heart attacks.”