Understanding Silkscreen Printing Techniques 

To introduce our 51爆料 College students to the fashion industry, 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design conducted a Silkscreen Printing Workshop with exciting hands-on experience. The workshop was designed to equip students with better understanding of this cost-efficient printing method, as compared to digital printing.  

Let the fun begin!  

After the insightful introduction of silkscreen printing, the students were provided with materials to create their personalised silk screens. The hands-on experience helped to enhance their understanding of the printing method. They were given the opportunity to get creative, making this a fun-filled workshop to discover and experiment with new things.  

School of Fashion and Design 

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), we offer design courses from diploma to degree. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.  

Written by Natasha Sharudin 

Edited by Amanda Foo 

References:  

It’s better to have a dream, then to achieve it. Everyone has to start somewhere. For Wan Wen, it all began with a dream to build her life around fashion, which led to an inspiring journey from being a student to starting her own fashion brand.

What made you want to study Fashion and Design at 51爆料? 

Becoming a fashion designer has always been my dream. The 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design was the best place for me to achieve that. The Higher Diploma in Fashion Design and Marketing programme provided a solid foundation for me to begin my journey into the fashion industry. 

鈥淪ince young, I was always attracted to beautiful clothing and I loved playing dress-up.鈥� 

What are your thoughts on 51爆料 Fashion Studios and other facilities on campus? 

During my studies, my friends and I loved to remain in the Fashion Studio after class to get our work done. The studio is very spacious and well-equipped. The studio is also furnished with past projects and designs from alumni which captivated our imagination and fuelled my drive for creativity.  

As an international student, I felt that the accommodation at 51爆料 was very convenient. I stayed at the hostel which is only a two-minute walk from the fashion studio.  

Blast from the Past. You took this photo with our Head of School of Fashion and Design, Mr Bernie Xu. Do explain what led to the photo being taken and how you were feeling that day?   

That was my last day of school, with Mr Bernie Xu, the Head of School of Fashion and Design who taught me a lot, especially during my last module – Design Development. It was a sad day and hard to say goodbye, but I was grateful for his guidance during my days at MDIS. 

What inspired you to study Fashion?  

Since young, I was always attracted to beautiful clothing and I loved playing dress-up. As I grew up, I developed a deeper passion and curiosity for fashion, until one day when I knew that fashion was what I wanted to pursue as a career. Hence, I decided to take up the Higher Diploma in Fashion Design and Marketing at 51爆料 and work towards my dreams. 

鈥淵ou have to dream big and take risks!鈥� 

What are you up to now after graduating from 51爆料? 

I am currently working at Style Lease, a gown leasing company. I mostly manage and handle the retail team, managing incoming and outgoing inventory, general customer service, and overall quality of standard operational protocol. Being able to handle the backend stuff, especially the logistics, has helped me outside of work as well as I鈥檝e started working on my own personal fashion brand! 

What are the most rewarding parts of your job?  

The most rewarding part of my job is I get to interact with customers on a day-to-day basis. The more I talk to my customers, the more I can understand their needs and wants. This has helped me to improve at my current work.  

Tell us more about starting your own personal fashion brand! 

I started my own activewear label, Wild Woman鈥檚 Wear (www), in 2021. This was around the time when I started exercising more often. I realised it was quite difficult to find good quality yet affordable workout gear for women. I鈥檝e tried many different brands; some are really good but overpriced. In terms of where I鈥檓 at now, I鈥檓 still in a midst of sourcing and sampling fabrics from different suppliers to find the perfect balance between price and quality. 

What do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?  

In the next five years, I wish to be able to develop deeper bonds with my family, become more proactive instead of reactive, and most of all, learn more skills to enhance my capabilities at my career. 

What advice would you give to future students looking to pursue a career in Fashion?  

The fashion industry is very dynamic and there鈥檚 no telling what might happen in the future. You have to dream big and take risks! Some days, it can also be very challenging. I tend to overthink things, even before I get started on anything. It鈥檚 best to take one step at a time, even if they are tiny steps. The more steps you take, they add up and the better you鈥檒l get at it. 鈥榳ww鈥� would have always just been a dream if all I did was think about it.  Now that I鈥檝e started it, it鈥檚 slowly becoming a reality.  

Technique of the Day 鈥� Draping   

The international students were introduced to one of the fundamental techniques of fashion 鈥� draping. This skill involves the process of positioning and pinning the fabric on a dress form to create a pattern. The draping pattern design is essentially the art of wrapping fabric around the desired form and fastening it into a particular shape. Draping allows designers to turn their design ideas into reality by manipulating fabric directly on the dress form in three dimensions according to the curves of a human figure.

The Challenge Begins! 

With the technicalities of the draping design process conducted by SFD team, the 51爆料 Tashkent students were put up to the challenge of draping their first garment at the fashion studio. The hands-on workshop helped to better equip students on how to work with the fabric directly and see the effect of the adjustments they made. The students then had an opportunity to present their garment construction to the rest, making the workshop a fun opportunity for them to learn with one another. 

School of Fashion and Design 

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), we offer design courses from diploma to degree. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.  

Written by Natasha Sharudin 

Edited by Betache Precious Mae

What is your design inspiration?  

My collection 鈥� Baptism 鈥� draws inspiration from the humanistic landscape of Tibet. Located in Eastern Asia, the Tibetan region expresses the vastness of the landscape. The theme behind Baptism is to remind people to find a time to rest and escape from the pessimism of today鈥檚 rapid social development. 

Baptism is to identify: 鈥榃hen there is no 鈥淚鈥� I can be anyone.鈥�  

The apparel design is for autumn and winter, which is grounded on the Chinese clothing silhouette and recreated as the main style design and concept. As for my garment construction, my fabric choices included soft satins, cotton and other fabrics that splice each other, creating a harmonious tone with neat cutting to give a cool and eye-catching feeling. 

Is there a story behind this collection?  

In 2012, Chinese American artist, Beili Liu performed an art concept installation performance called The Mending Project. Her installation hung 1,500 scissors from the ceiling with the blade pointing towards the floor. Her art performance reminds me of my past anxieties that I managed to overcome and re-examine myself.  

My inspirations for my designs have always included religion, culture, lifestyle and the sceneries from my travelling experiences such as Tibet. With Beili Liu鈥檚 performance combined with my experiences, Baptism was conceived. I want my collection to evoke a realisation that psychological problems may result from the pressures of this fast-paced society.  

What are your design influences? 

The story of this collection expresses my signature design aesthetics that is modern, clean, gentle and uncluttered. I believe that clothes can bring self-confidence to the wearer, yet also generate an inner perception with the wearer as they give a sense of inner abundance.  

Why did you choose to study at 51爆料? 

Unlike other fashion schools in Singapore, SFD allows me to choose from more than just one university partner school and offers me a pathway progression from a Diploma to a UK (Hons) Bachelor’s Degree. Additionally, I also know that the universities 51爆料 has partnered with are globally recognised. Moreover, SFD has multiple fashion studios for aspiring fashion designers like me to bring my creative practices to the table and work on my projects.  

What is your favourite part of being a fashion designer? 

My passion for fashion design comes from finding a lasting source of inspiration based on my observations and the sights and sounds that surround me. For example, during one of my pitstops on my trip, the vast scenery and strong atmosphere of Tibet gave me a lot of ideas.  

What do you like about studying at 51爆料? 

Being in my last semester for my fashion degree, I am currently working on Baptism, which is my Final Year Project (FYP) while also preparing some fashion portfolios. The projects that I undertook during my time at 51爆料, and the knowledge and skills I have garnered will definitely help me be prepared for the fashion industry. 

Some of my modules also include collaborating with various local fashion brands which have given me valuable industry experience as I get a peek at the various fashion business processes. At the same time, these modules also provided me with a set of guidelines and work ethics that I can adapt to the fashion industry for me to be presentable as I enter the workforce.  

School of Fashion and Design  

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), we offer design courses from diploma to degree. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.   

Written by Natasha Sharudin and Li Xinen 

Edited by Natasha Sharudin and Betache Precious Mae  

SFD student, Gao Xiwen 

What is your design inspiration?  

My collection is called Death Witch. The inspiration came from the witch exclusion movement in Europe from the 15^th to the 18^th century 鈥� whereby many innocent women were unjustly accused of practicing witchcraft and were subjected to all sorts of inhumane torture from burning to hanging.  

Drawn in by the history, I chose it as my inspiration for my final year project. I wanted to pay tribute to the women who expressed resistance to oppression and make a statement for women鈥檚 rights through my designs.  

Is there a story behind this collection?  

Definitely; in terms of textile design, my collection embodies various aspects of this history. In my design process, I incorporated unique materials such as twine (which was used to bind 鈥榳itches鈥� and carry out hangings), broken cloth (symbolising violence against women), and flame-like sleeves with charred edges (a representation of execution by fire) 鈥� all of which subtly tells an impactful story.  

What are your design influences? 

I like to focus on hot topics and then expand on them to inspire my designs. I want my designs to convey aesthetics in every way so that people have the opportunity to experience a strong visual impact upon seeing my collection.  

Why did you choose to study at 51爆料? 

What caught my eye about 51爆料 SFD was that there were spacious classrooms and fashion studios on campus for us to work on our projects. The conducive environment helped me to be more motivated and stay focused on my various projects and research. Other than that, the facilities are also equipped with excellent hardware and materials. 

My lecturers played a crucial part in helping to boost my creativity as they pushed me to think out of the box during their engaging classes. Additionally, they have been a source of inspiration for me as they readily share their knowledge and skills from their vast experiences, which equip students like me to be career-ready.  

What is your favourite part of being a fashion designer? 

What I truly love about being a fashion designer is that I am able to breathe life into my ideas and designs. Like many arts and design forms, I get to have hands-on process experience, which in this case for fashion would be garment construction and apparel design. I get an ecstatic sense of achievement watching my designs go from flat to three-dimensional. 

What do you like about studying at 51爆料? 

Currently, I am pursuing my final year project – something that I have been looking forward to since I started my fashion course. This required me to put my theory and practical skills I learnt to good use. With my project, I had the freedom to do whatever my heart desired, from inspiration and fashion styling, to producing the finished garment.  

My modules were also rigorous and provided me with the necessary exposure to the fashion industry. For instance, some of my modules require me to work with other local Singaporean fashion brands, which gives me the opportunity and practice how I should interact with clients.  

School of Fashion and Design  

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), we offer design courses from diploma to degree. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.   

Written by Natasha Sharudin and Gao Xiwen 

Edited by Natasha Sharudin and Betache Precious Mae  

Strutting its way down the runways of fashion shows and spotted headlining notable fashion brands like Balenciaga and Richard Quinn, the catsuit is back – bigger and bolder than ever! Form-fitting and instantly stylish, catsuits are the perfect choice for anyone who wants to make a dramatic entrance. 

The catsuit is one of the boldest trends to emerge this year. Once trending back in the 80s, catsuits have recently appeared on various celebrities such as Dua Lipa and Lizzo. Catsuits now come in a variety of designs – from floral ones to bright bold colours 鈥� there are even catsuits that come with built-in heels for maximum elegance.  

When it comes to fashion styling, catsuits are perfect for any aesthetic and style.  Striking a balance between strength and femininity, the body-hugging silhouette evokes a sense of power and sensuality without being overly revealing. Think ultra-trendy with great panache. 

How brands manage to hop on to the catsuit trend is through market research. Aside from just trend forecasting, brands must also ensure that they incorporate the latest trends into their visual identity, blending seamlessly across digital experiences and in-store merchandise. 

Trend Research Excursion 

Just like how brands keep up with the trends, at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), our fashion students are also kept up-to-date with the latest in the fashion industry. This time, our SFD Associate Lecturer, Ms Sarala VK conducted an out-of-classroom activity learning session with the fashion students from the International Foundation Diploma (IFD) in Fashion Design and Marketing cohort.  

Fashion and The City 

The students had the opportunity to get a glimpse of a few sets in Mediacorp as well as take a trip down to Orchard. At Mediacorp, one of the sets the students visited was Vasantham鈥檚  鈥淵aar En Stylist鈥� fashion competition. Our fashion students were able to observe the contestants鈥� design process, as well as how they created their final prototype for the competition. 

After exploring Mediacorp, the students headed over to Orchard Road to see how brands handle their retail aspects as well as brand development. Over at Design Orchard, they learned about concession retailing and how brands weave together their brand stories, packaging, layout, and visual display. Aside from Design Orchard, Ms Sarala VK brought the fashion students along Orchard Road to apply the fashion theory that they have learned in class to real life. The students went around various iconic stores such as Gentle Monster and Christian Louboutin to learn about the several types of brick-and-mortar stores such as mono brand, franchisee and more. 

Out-of-classroom activities such as excursions help to create a holistic learning experience that equips students with better knowledge, observation skills and awareness of the fashion community.  

School of Fashion and Design 

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), we offer design courses from diploma to degree. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.  

Written by Natasha Sharudin

Edited by Betache Precious Mae

References:  

What better way to experience the global education environment that 51爆料 has to offer than an immersion programme! In these immersion programmes, our schools welcome international guests to fully experience what it is like being a student at MDIS. 

Last June, the School of Fashion and Design (SFD) organised a 15-day immersion workshop for Hamstech Institute. The workshop consisted of 3 field trips and 3 projects whereby our SFD department works with Hamstech鈥檚 students and lecturers. Students had a chance to learn a variety of design techniques for apparel design.

Exploring our sunny island  

In the field of fashion, exploration does not stop within our school compound! Students had the opportunity to head down to 3 locations for their field trip, exploring the melting pot of various demographic and ethnic groups in Singapore. We ventured to Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street to spark their first stage of design process 鈥� research.  

At Chinatown, they did their fabric shopping at People鈥檚 Park Complex. Similar to what the local fashion students would experience, the Hamstech students purchased the necessary materials for their projects/assignments later on. Right over Arab Street, students could also get their hands on more fabrics and sewing accessories.  

To fuel their creative research, the students were given the chance to be tourists for the day; exploring attractions like the famous Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and museums. Our SFD department also organised an engaging Amazing Race game at Little India for the students where they were given clues to find specific locations such as buildings or graffiti walls. This activity gives students a creative edge on what research exploration is.  

Shingo Sato x Marbling Textile Print 

After a fruitful field trip, the Hamstech students were up for their first project 鈥� experimenting with Shingo Sato鈥檚 鈥楾ransformational Reconstruction Technique鈥�. This unique pattern-making fusion technique is a method of textile design, combining two-dimensional, flat pattern making and three-dimensional draping on dress form.  

Students also experienced fabric marbling on their pattern reconstruction as a way of fashion styling. The art process begins by having marble paint on top of a thick solution; then manipulating the paints into pattern pieces which would be transferred to their fabric choice. 

KaleidaCam x Heat Transfer  

For the next activity, the Hamstech students were put up to the task of doing heat transfer on Mens鈥� shirts with their digitalised design. Before proceeding, the students made a second trip down to Chinatown to gather some inspiration and research for their print. Thereafter, the students had to create their fabric print digitally through an application called KaleidaCam. With their design pattern, the students had the opportunity to use our fashion studio鈥檚 heat press machine to transfer their digitalised print on the shirt.  

Haute Couture Galore 

Before the immersion programme came to an end, the Hamstech students had to put their fashion knowledge and skills learned over the 3 weeks to the test. Their final project came with a plot twist 鈥� haute couture miniature style! With the garment construction and printing techniques they learned, they had to create a mini couture dress.  

Thanks to SFD鈥檚 fully equipped fashion studios, the students had a blast experimenting with silicone prints on their fabrics and using carving tools to mold the design. The students then shared their masterpieces with the SFD department and their lecturers. Overall, these students fully enjoyed experiencing a glimpse of what it is like to be a fashion student at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD). 

School of Fashion and Design 

Looking to kick-start a fashion business or simply just eager to break out in the fashion industry? Look no further! Here at 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design (SFD), our design courses cover diploma in fashion and fashion degrees with BA Honours. We welcome both local and international students and are open to accepting a variety of students 鈥� from students seeking full-time fashion programmes as well as mature students looking for part-time design courses. SFD equips students with the necessary skill set and experience to get them started on their passion for fashion. Browse our full list of fashion courses here.  

Written by Natasha Sharudin

Edited by Betache Precious Mae

51爆料 SFD Alumna, Teo Ka Yong听

The inspiration behind her 鈥榓t the 25^th hour.鈥� collection was that Teo Ka Yong wanted to try out various new ways of designing her garment 鈥� making her collection full of her 鈥渇irsts鈥� despite being her last collection.听听

Illustration on her final collection: at the 25^th 丑辞耻谤.听

Exploration comes with a set of unfamiliar challenges for our young designer. Nevertheless, Teo Ka Yong pushed through her difficulties and learned a lot during the process to ensure what she envisioned in her design became a reality. For instance, her puffy down skirt key concept went through 7 prototype reiterations before she settled on her final pattern, which is considered a lot as she normally takes 2 or 3 reiterations. What made this more challenging was that the particular skirt, from the textile material and silhouette, was all so new to her. Despite these hurdles, she completed the skirt, along with other garments, just in time before the semester came to an end.听听

Photography credit to Ethan Lai听

at the 25^th hour. visuals听

Aside from the difficulties in the competition, Teo Ka Yong also shares her challenges breaking out of the fashion industry as a young designer in Singapore, especially in this pandemic. She hopes that the local fashion scene will provide more opportunities for young designers like herself to obtain some kind of public exposure; apart from competitions and magazine issues featuring graduate students which is provided by SFD for our students as a stepping stone into the industry.听听

Check out her full interview .听

Written by Indraputra Hasssan

Edited by Betache Precious Mae

Industry talks keep our School of Fashion and Design (SFD) students on their toes on the latest in the fashion industry. These talks have mainly enabled students to better visualise what they have learned in the classroom to real industry situations. Students can also develop insights into critical minds and obtain practical knowledge and theoretical applications. This March, Ms Debra T De Cotta (SFD Associate Lecturer) invited Susannah Jaffer, Founder of local brand ZERRIN, to share how social enterprises have made their mark in the fashion industry. 

Defining Social Enterprise 

Social Enterprises are businesses that change the world for the better. At the core, social enterprises are similar to traditional businesses, in the sense that their aim is to make a profit. However, what sets them apart is what they do with their earnings 鈥� either by reinvesting or donating their profit in order to create societal change.  

Behind the Brand听

Launched in 2018, is a Singapore-based sustainable fashion online platform that curates the best in emerging, independent and conscious brands as well as content on sustainability, to inspire one鈥檚 green journey. Beyond their marketplace and media channel, ZERRIN also represents a growing need of citizens who desire more from their lives and wardrobes than superficial interactions and fleeting trends. 听

ZERRIN places emphasis that style and substance can go hand in hand, and advocates for mindful consumption and sustainable fashion. The brand shares content across four key pillars 鈥� fashion, beauty, life and ethics; plus, tried and trusted brand recommendations through their store. ZERRIN also shares perspectives on current, interconnected issues from sustainable fashion and accessibility, to textile waste and diversity.  

ZERRIN Industry Talk 

The talk was attended by our SFD degree students from both the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion, awarded by Teesside University (UK), and the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion, awarded by the University of Sunderland (UK).  

During the talk, Susannah Jaffer shared with our SFD students a compelling story of ZERRIN and how they built a successful social enterprise with her business idea and brand. Students were also given the opportunity to engage Susannah with interesting questions at the end of the talk. After the Q&A segment, Ms Debra鈥檚 students from the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion, presented Susannah with their dedicated coursework for the Social Enterprise module. Students were given constructive feedback for the job done within the past few months.  

Written by Indraputra Hasssan

Edited by Betache Precious Mae

Our School of Fashion and Design (SFD) students are back with another collaboration 鈥� this time, 51爆料 has recently partnered with the local brand . had recently launched their brand-new genderless collection 鈥� consisting of printed fabrications. Inspired by the collection, the brand challenged the students to create their own printed fabrics and apply it in their own collection according to their chosen theme.   

With that, our hardworking SFD students were tasked to create their very own special capsule collections that encapsulate the customer profile and direction of . Students had their A-game on, pushing through several rounds of vigorous consultation and exchange of ideas. A big hurdle that students had to face was during production, where they had to ensure that their creation fits all, regardless of gender or size.  

Students put their best foot forward, presenting their best work which included choosing their ideas to produce their final illustrated collections and many more. They were given opportunities to get creative with their designs, such as transformative construction, fabric manipulation and creating silhouettes that appealed to everyone.  

At the end, students showcased their completed final garment to Mr Terry Yeo for his judgement on presentation. The collections were presented both online and offline.  

The Brand 

Founded by Mr Terry Yeo in 2009, represented the sanity of one鈥檚 dreams and in making it possible. Having been in the fashion industry for more than 20 years, Mr Yeo wanted to create a new fashion statement that experiments with the unconventional. reflects the exploration of his imaginative mind that enjoys being challenged in unimaginable ways.  

鈥�We like to explore far out of the box ideas and bring them to life. We make the impossible dream clothes possible to wear.鈥� 鈥� Mr Terry Yeo 

likes to take on unique projects that are not mainstream to many. For instance, the studio participated in projects like the 鈥淢elissa AW15 Launch鈥� where the studio made dresses on paper for their show and 鈥淪amsung Fashion Stepout 2013鈥� in which they showcased 27 ways to cut a tee.  

is an esteemed member and fashion ambassador of the ASEAN Fashion Designer Showcase representing Singapore.  

The Designer 

Known for experimenting with various materials from leather, plastic, crochet and paper, Mr Terry Yeo is the Willy Wonka of the Singapore fashion industry. Born on 19 September 1979, Terry established his name in the industry with his wickedly original ideas and designs.  

He had the chance to work with big names in the industry like Metro, Giordano, Beverly Hill Polo Club and Hush Puppies. Aside from fashion, he has also been actively involved in design projects with Motorola, SingTel, Paragon and The New Paper. Terry also has an eye for competitions, winning several prestigious accolades, including being the 1st Runner Up in the Young Singapore Fashion Designers Contest, a national competition.  

Written by Indraputra Hasssan

Edited by Betache Precious Mae