Pieces of art

EVERY year I look forward to the Raffles College of Higher Education graduation fashion show, as these young designers never fail to impress with their boundless creativity and impeccable attention to detail.

Many also use eco-friendly material in their designs.

Last week, this year’s graduates showcased their graduation projects at the “Mirrors – 25th Graduation Exhibition and Fashion Show”.

A multinational group of 18 graduates in the diploma and degree fashion design courses took on the runway with no less than four creations each, all of which wowed the crowd and judges.

Although grey, black and white hues ruled the runway, there were bursts of bright orange, yellow and pastel colours to brighten up the show, too.

Of the group, four designers stood out and received accolades from the industry experts who were there that night.

Graduates Alan Ooi Hau Yau, Vivienne Khong Zhi Yi, ManChien and Andreas Dimeitri Pranoto shared what their collections were about, and the inspirations for their work – all photos by Raja Faisal Hishan

Alan Ooi Hau Yau
Gender Bender

Alan’s collection Gender Bender was partly influenced by surrealist painter Salvador Dali, whose works were inspired by his dreams.

“I like the idea of a world that we could just line and shape ourselves, by imagining and observing,” said the 22-year-old Alan from Ipoh, Perak. His favourite designers are Maison Martin Margiela, Hussein Chayalan and Alexander McQueen.

'Gender Bender'

In the spirit of creating your own world, Alan used strong androgynous elements.

“Interpretation, like how a woman could wear pants and ties, and how a man can pull off a corset or even a bust, just depends on how it is styled and presented,” he explained.

Alan’s collection emphasises confidence and power through sharp edges, slick silhouettes and geometrical shapes which come alive through the wearer’s movements.

“Through the collection, I hope to reach people who do not restrict themselves to conventional dressing,” he noted.

Vivienne Khong Zhi Yi
Metaphor

Inspired by Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita’s shadow art, 21-year-old Vivienne named her collection Metaphor because she believes every artist has a story they want to tell or feelings they want to express through their artwork.

“Kumi’s artwork makes me feel unstable and confused. This inspired me to develop my collection with the theme. The concept for this collection is creating illusions and constructive mess, and enlarging silhouettes,” explained Vivienne.

“When I feel insecure or depressed, I usually wear loose fitting or big clothing, and most of the outfits in this collection are created with that concept in mind,” said the diploma graduate from Johor.

Metaphor

One of the key elements in Vivienne’s collection was gathers, which according to the designer, create a confused, messy mood. She deliberately places gathers on the curve cutlines, creating a bulky effect – a unique element among all the collections shown that night.

“As this is a fall/winter collection I used wool and cotton linen and colours like dark olive green, slate grey, black and white,” she explained.

ManChien
We Are Not Amused

Born Chan Man Chien, this Seremban, Negri Sembilan, native took home the prize for best collection in the advanced diploma fashion design category, winning a partial scholarship to further her studies at the college.

ManChien, 26, explained that her collection was inspired by Misanthrophy (dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature), which she says is part of her personality.

'We Are Not Amused'

“It may seem negative and disturbing but I believe everything in life exists balanced, there needs to be something to balance up the heavy, dark mood to this collection and that is where the colours and polka dots come in,” she said.

To avoid predictability in this collection, she sketched the designs with her eyes closed.

To fully immerse herself in Victorian era fashion –when ladies made their own lace and ornaments – ManChien did the same. She personalised and hand-made the merry-go-round horses lace, the stitched-yarn red checkers pattern, and the polka dots.

In her collection, ManChien printed her patterns with environmental friendly paint, and used mainly natural material like 100% cotton, wool, and recycled paper fabric.

Andreas Dimeitri Pranoto
Fragmented Dialogue

Andreas, who won the honour of “Best Collection for Bachelor Degree in Fashion Design”, based his collection on a historical landmark in his hometown of Semarang City, Indonesia.

Lawang Sewu, or “building of a thousand door” in Javanese, was built in 1908 by the Dutch. It was later used as a torture camp in World War II, during the Japanese occupation, and is said to be haunted to this day.

The dilapidated condition of the building and the spirits that haunt the premises served as the inspiration for Fragmented Dialogue.

Fragmented Dialogue

“Draped details represent the presence of ghostly spirits wandering the building, pleats translate to the steps on the starcases and the huge doors that line the corridors,” said Andreas, 21.

“The colours for the collection are inspired by the cream beige plastered wall, greyish marbled floor, and the black metal frames on the stained glass windows.”

The fabrics used in the collection – poly-organza, rayon drill, pleated smocked and embroidered lace – are based on the architectural elements of Lawang Sewu: stained glass panels, sand-papered bricks and marbled floors.

Check out some of the other designs from the graduates who showcased their collections that night: