When it comes to celebrating local talent, no one does it better than TANGS, which has been supporting local designers from the very first. Couple that with LASALLE, one of Singapore’s foremost fashion design colleges, and you’ve got the perfect match. In celebration of the nation’s Golden Jubilee, LASALLE has partnered with the homegrown department store to hold a showcase and to retail the collections of its graduating class of 2015. Featuring the work of 11 designers, the pop-up collection features over 150 pieces of clothes, bags and accessories that will on sale until September. We had a firsthand tour of the pop-up store and highlight three labels that you should be keeping an eye out for.
1. Plicated
Designed by: Ng Sunita Sumawi
The Look: Think samsui woman meets modern Bauhaus
Inspired by the folding techniques of the samsui women’s signature red hats, Sumawi draws on one of Singapore’s most enduring and iconic images of working class women for her collection. It is the deft incorporation of a nostalgic element from Singapore’s past into a minimalistic, modern collection playing with layers and colour blocking that make this a label to look out for. The raw, unfinished hems also add that subversive element, which takes the collection beyond its saccharine palette.
2. Canaan
Designed by: Ng May Ee
The Look: Think futuristic scene-stealer meets abstract cityscapes
Starting with the evening skyline of Singapore as its inspiration, Singaporean designer Ng May Ee created abstract prints that were splashed across futuristic cocoon shapes. The collection tells a sequential story of Singapore’s skyline from darkest night till dawn, which is reflected in the changing prints on the clothing. Ng also employs the use fibre optic fabric, a nod to futurism and the idea of wearable technology, taking the concept right down to the very base material of the collection.
3. Peranarock
Designed by: Sasha Afitriana
The Look: Think modern Nyonya meets tough biker
Riffing on the sartorial codes of Peranakan attire and fusing them with Western biker references, Afitriana presents an utterly contemporary collection that doesn’t head into the kitsch territory that many other East-West fusion collections tend to find themselves in. Case in point: The designer applies feminine bead embroidery of floral motifs on tough-as-nails leather jackets, turning the traditional into the unconventional, while the kebaya gets an edgy update as well, its conventional lace being replaced with laser-cut cotton.
The LASALLE x TANGS pop-up is located at Tang Plaza (Orchard), Level 2, and will run till 13 September 2015.
Text by Pakkee
