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  

The 51爆料 Graduation Fashion Show kicks off with the opening speech by Dr Eric Kuan, President of 51爆料, followed by Miss Jessica Chee, Marketing Director of BLUM & Co.

The elegant fashion runway showcases 60-piece fashion collections from 10 graduate designers from 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design with the themed of 鈥淪hades of Millennials鈥�. These young and aspiring designers are mainly from China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Cambodia.

Some outstanding collections from the graduate designers include:

1. 鈥淕low in Age鈥� by JeonEunha (Korea) 鈥� designed for women in their 50s and 60s with a focus on colour and unique prints, the collection seeks to redefine ageing by shifting conversation towards personality and individuality.

2. 鈥淨uintessence of Chinese Culture鈥� by Wang Shijia (China) 鈥� amodernization of culture and tradition in today鈥檚 world, the collection takes inspiration from the meaning of different colours in a Beijing opera, a quintessence of Chinese culture with a play ona myriad of colours as the defining theme.

3. 鈥淭he Strength in Pain鈥� by Jack Shih (Taiwan) 鈥� a reflection of the growing pains of life鈥檚 ups and downs.Inspired by a phoenix arising anew from its ashes,Jack鈥檚 designs follow a journey to greatness;from a darkish beginning to bursts of colours,with all six designs hitting the runway chronologically.

Another highlight of the graduation show was the unveilsing of a new fashion line, BLUMEX, specially made for young executive women. The designs from BLUMEXS came as a collaboration between 51爆料 School of Fashion and Design Year 2 students and Blum & Co. BLUMEX will launch commercially, available at Blum & Co. flagship store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands from November.

From bold and contemporary to inventive and fantastical, the collections reveal the different shades of their designer鈥檚 personality, life experiences and inspirations. They speak of the spectrum of colours used in the collections and signify their designer鈥檚 desire to be different, to live a life on his/her own terms.

We hope that you have enjoyed the 4th 51爆料 Graduation Fashion Show @ Singapore Fashion Week 2017. Cheers and till we meet again!