May 2013 Issue
RAFFLES DESIGNERS CREATE BONIA INSPIRES SHOWCASE To celebrate 39 years of its local heritage, classic leatherwear brand BONIA and Raffles Design Institute collaborated exclusively to create its pop-up store on Orchard Green (next to Singapore Visitors Centre @ Orchard), in conjunction with the Samsung Fashion Steps Out 2013.
The mammoth sized ‘BONIA Inspires’ pop-up store at 4,305 square feet.
Entitled “BONIA Inspires” and measuring a total of 4,305 square feet, the pop-up store is one of the largest showcase of its kind, displaying BONIA’s Spring/Summer 2013 concepts with five different art themes, namely Art Deco, Pop Art, Surrealism, Cubism and Fauvism, all designed and created by 100 Raffles Designers of Fashion Design, Visual Communication, Interior Design, Multimedia Design and Jewellery Design. Between 10 to 19 May 2013, 25 fashion garments fabricated by Raffles Fashion Designers, as well as various jewellery and accessories from Raffles Jewellery Designers, were on display to complement BONIA’s capsule collection exhibition, along with an exclusive preview of its Italian-inspired Fall/Winter 2013/ 2014 collection. “I am especially privileged to unveil the ‘BONIA Inspires’ designed by these 100 Raffles students. In this project, Interior Design students were tasked to work with Graphic Design students to conceptualise and design the look and feel of the pop-up store, while Fashion and Jewellery Design students made the garments, jewellery and accessories for the launch party. The students were very excited and thoroughly enjoyed working with peers from various design faculties on this real-life industry project. I thank BONIA for providing this great opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship, and it was a very worthwhile endeavour for them to explore working with the industry expertise. I look forward to working with BONIA on future fashion events and design projects,” said Mr. Giuseppe (Joe) Spinelli, Principal of Raffles College of Higher Education.
Crew members were doing final touch up and getting ready to open the pop-up store in just a few minutes
Mr. Giuseppe (Joe) Spinelli, the Principal of Raffles College of Higher Education being interviewed by the media
ART DECO – The combination of sleek geometric lines, luxurious metallic colours and rich texture, gives the elegant deco look a modern and edgy touch
POP ART – The electric and vibrant colour, playful and cheerful composition, bring life to the brand’s signature monogram, the classic look become young and energetic
CUBISM – With contrasting materials and intricate geometric lines and shapes, transition between the graphic collages to vibrant three dimension structures is sharp and futuristic
SURREALISM – Element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and exaggerated proportion, create a surreal, poetic and dreamy scene with strong visual impact
FAUVISM – With the rich and wild colour palette, intricate shapes and bold volume, delicate garden scene become vivid and dazzling
“internationally appealing collections that draw from the canvas of possibilities Asia presents in terms of colour, culture and fashion history”. After rounds of stringent short-listings, 12 finalists were selected to showcase their collections and compete in the runway showdown at the Marina Promenade.
RAFFLES FASHION DESIGNER JEAN TEOH SPARKLES IN AUDI STAR CREATION
2013
Amongst them was our very own Raffles Fashion Designer and alumnus, Jean Teoh, who graduated from Raffles Design Institute Singapore last December. Her womenswear collection, entitled Resonance, was inspired by vibrations, which can be both desirable – in the creation of music – and undesirable – noise generated from motor engines, for instance.
A model showcasing Jean Teoh’s collection at the Audi Star Creation 2013
Raffles Fashion Designer and alumnus, Jean Teoh
Back in its fourth instalment, the Audi Star Creation (ASC) 2013 saw a record number of submissions, with 355 entries from aspiring fashion designers from Singapore and Asia for the region’s top fashion design competition.
Jean cleverly manipulated common fabrics such as jersey knit, cotton, silk chiffon, organza and mesh, and applied techniques such pleating, knitting, layering and embroidery to create visual vibrations. Her ingenious combinations allow one to feel a variety of vibrations which resonate through human interactions.
The ASC event is a regional fashion design competition that identifies and nurtures emerging Asian fashion design talents. The competition is open to aspiring Asian designers between the ages of 16 and 35. In this year’s competition, 8 countries were represented in the Audi Star Creation finals, including first-time participant Mongolia, competing for a fashion face-off for the most coveted titles Audi Star Creation 2013 and Audi Young Designer Award. The theme for this year’s Audi Star Creation was “InspirAsian”, where designers were tasked to create
Jean Teoh did Raffles proud with her ingenuity and creativity
We went up close and personal with Jean to find out more about her achievements.
Describe the challenges you faced in this competition and how you overcame them.
Share with us your passion in fashion design.
Conceptualisation is the first and most important stage for the design process so I spent most of the time researching to gain inspiration for my collection.
Since young, I have loved drawing and sketching, creating my own characters and story plots. To me, drawing is a way of life, I can’t live without it. I decided to become a manga (comic book written and drawn in Japanese style) artist or an animation maker to achieve my dreams. Eventually, I had an opportunity to design costumes for my high school theatre club and it set me off in the direction of fashion. Do you have an idol in the fashion industry whom you look up to and aspire to be like him/her? My favourite designer is Hussein Chalayan. I am fond of wearable art and I really respect him as he sticks to his own philosophy to create fashion in a unique way. I love how he fuses engineering and different techniques into his collection. Whenever I see his new collection, it never fails to amaze me. How did your inspiration come about? I was inspired to develop my collection, Resonance, after thinking about vibrations and how they help people communicate. Resonance refers to the occurrence of vibrations in the environment that help transmit sound. This got me to think deeper about how we experience a variety of vibrations and hear them as sounds in the environment. I want my collection to tell a story about how vibrations resonate in the interactions between people. In most of my designs, I combined common fabrics such as suede cotton, jersey knit, pure cotton, silk chiffon, organza and mesh. I manipulated them through several design techniques to create a different fabric texture entirely. Then I used techniques such as twisted pleating, knitting, layering, folding and embroidery, to make the fabric look as through vibrations are spreading throughout my creations. Tell us about your personal style in Fashion Design My personal style is all about simplicity so my designs will have clean cuts and are comfortable to wear. Then I would complement my outfits with shoes and other accessories.
I had a challenging time with fabric manipulation. I struggled to find an appropriate fabric manipulation technique that would produce the resonating vibrations effect while still ensuring simplicity in my clothes. I did a lot of experiments with the design techniques and even had to re-sketch some of my clothing designs a few times to in order to find a solution. My lecturers and friends were very encouraging. Without their support, I would not be able to make it! Sometimes when the pressure got too much that I couldn’t handle, I would go for a nice meal or dessert to make myself feel better. Is there anyone whom you would like to thank in helping you achieve your goals? I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Programme Director, Giuseppe (Joe) Spinelli. He supported and encouraged me from the beginning. Of course, I am grateful to my family and friends who are always by my side. I am also thankful to Raffles Design Institute for the skills, techniques and for providing such a good environment to help me achieve my goals in fashion design. I learnt a lot in school and now I am ready to be in the fashion industry.
On behalf of Raffles Singapore, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jean Teoh for emerging as the top 12 finalists in the Audi Star Creation 2013.
CEO OF WHITE MOON MENTORS RAFFLES JEWELLERY DESIGNERS Students from Raffles College of Higher Education (RCHE) were in for a treat when they attended an insightful seminar in the afternoon of 3 May 2013. The Jewellery Design department of RCHE had invited to the school Ms. Eileen Chan, CEO and founder of White Moon, a renowned jewellery maker and retailer in Singapore, to share her experiences in jewellery design as well as how she set up her own label singlehandedly a couple of years ago.
From left to right: Ms. Eileen Chan, her assistant, Senior Lecturer for Jewellery Design, Ms Sandra Fie and Programme Coordinator of 3D Design Department, Mr Hector Salazar on a guided tour of the Jewellery Design workshop.
White Moon CEO and Founder, Eileen Chan (in red dress), shared her jewellery design and entrepreneurship experiences with Raffles Jewellery Designers
The young label epitomizes luxury in its purest form: rare, exclusive and totally unexpected. Uniquely inspired by nature, freedom and the attraction of positive energy, the White Moon collections and creations seamlessly blend classic beauty with contemporary creativity and hand-made craftsmanship. White Moon is specially designed for the discerning women who recognise quality craftsmanship, seek that special and rare luxury item and are captivated by the heart and soul behind the design. Although Eileen, a Ford Supermodel of the World Singapore Finalist 2003, established her brand only recently, she shared many enlightening tips about entrepreneurship and covered interesting topics about the industry during the 1-hour session. Midway through the seminar, Eileen generously passed some of her most popular clutches and jewellery to the audience, who was wowed and totally amazed by the exquisite collection.
Senior Lecturer, Ms Sandra Fie, explains to Eileen Chan how Raffles grooms our Jewellery Designers
“I am completely astonished by the amazing collection that Eileen has. I learnt a lot through this seminar,” a Jewellery Design student gushed. Equally excited was another student from the same faculty, who said that, “the seminar was great! It was very rewarding and perceptive.” As she spoke, she revealed that she was inspired by Eileen’s designs and already had some design concepts in mind and would be discussing with her lecturer to explore the feasibility. Eileen is yet another successful home-grown designer who rose above challenges presented to her along the way and achieved her goals eventually. “Challenges are a daily affair, especially so when this is a start-up and the brand is still new but this is my passion; I enjoy what I do. I reckon that by having faith, being positive and persistent, everyone can overcome all difficulties,” Eileen shared. RCHE would like to take this opportunity to encourage any would-be entrepreneur to take the bold step forward and be successful.
A NIGHT OF SAVOURY FARE AT
RAFFLES
Attendees enjoyed a wide variety of international cuisine from various cultures
Happy faces before the start of the event
On 11 May 2013, the Raffles Student Executive Committee (EXCO), made up of students from various nationalities, organised the inaugural savoury fare to welcome both new students and alumni in the new campus premise, with a magnificent crowd turning up for a night of fun, food and live entertainment.
Aside from the gastronomic menu, goodies such as movie vouchers were given out to participants of funfilled activities and best-dressed couple, plus a grand lucky draw prize consisting of two entry passes to the latest S.E.A Aquarium attraction in Sentosa. The highlight of the event was a live acoustic performance by two Raffles Interior Designers, Ai and Sneha, performing a track list of five songs to enhance the audience’s palate. There was also a prop-filled photo-booth where guests were able to snap pictures with their friends.
The Indonesian ‘Tumpeng’ Rice was a hot favourite
Themed “Savour the Flavour – The Welcoming”, the main focus of the event showcased cuisines from various international cultures, with an interesting variety of 15 different foods from 6 countries served to over 100 attendees at the event, encouraging students to bond and get to know each other while filling their bellies with spectacular food. Guests were treated to popular international fares such as Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls, Mediterranean Tabouleh, Malaysianstyle Satay, Indonesian Tumpeng Rice, Chinese Stirfried Noodles and many more.
Bonding time with props!
Asked about his thoughts on the event, Justin Kok, who currently majors in the Applied Psychology programme and also a member of the EXCO, shared, “This event heralds the first-ever joint collaboration between the EXCO and the official Indonesian Student Organisation (PPI-RDI) within RCHE. While we experienced initial challenges managing the distribution of tasks and duties, as well as maintaining steady progress, everything turned out brilliantly and thus the relationship between both student bodies was strengthened through this collaboration.”
EFFORTS IN ENGLISH GAIN RECOGNITION The English Language Programme (ELP) department of Raffles College of Higher Education (RCHE) has recently introduced the English Language Programme Student Awards, namely “Most Outstanding Student”, “Most Improved Student”, and “Excellent Effort and Participation”. The objective of all students who come through the English Language Programme at RCHE is to complete the programme successfully and move on to their chosen course. RCHE and the ELP lecturers are always happy to see our students achieve this aim. However, as ELP lecturer Michael Henderson says, “We also feel that it is important to recognise those students who have shown real commitment and dedication to their studies, demonstrating a strong desire to better themselves. The introduction of the English Language Programme Student Awards is intended to reward such students and encourage others to follow their example.”
challenge is getting students to realise the importance of practice. As ELP Lecturer Harveen Kaur says, “Naturally, students should pay attention in class to grasp the concepts being taught, but it is also crucial that they continually practise what they have learnt, and have the drive and determination to apply these concepts outside the perimeters of the class, during their free time.” These four students – Polly, Dior, Mengting, and Tram – certainly did so, and the pay-off was evident. Harveen recounts, “One student, for example, went from speaking very little English to having full-length conversations with us in just a matter of six months. It obviously takes a lot of practice out of class to do that. That is why we decided to award them for their exemplary effort.” “We are proud of these students,” says Queenie Chan, ELP Senior Lecturer, “and they should be very proud of themselves. Mastery of a language takes a lifetime, so the students’ learning is by no means over, but with the great study attitude they have shown, they can definitely go far. We hope that in everything they do they continue to put in their best effort to always improve and strive to be outstanding.”
According to the ELP department, “Most Outstanding Student” is judged on all-round performance during the full eleven-week course; it takes into account the student’s final grades, in-class participation, and level of improvement. This award for the January-to-March term went to student Ren Jie (Polly). “Most Improved Student” is to reward the student who has shown the most significant progress with their language skills. This progress is assessed by comparing students’ initial proficiency test results and teacher assessments with their final grades and teacher evaluations. Based on that, student Cai Hongmin (Dior) was the recipient of this award. Finally, the “Excellent Effort and Participation” award, created to recognise students who have maintained a consistently high level of effort in all of their respective classes and projects, was awarded to two students: Cheng Mengting and Nguyen Thi Quynh Tram. Michael reveals, “Deciding on a winner for ‘Excellent Effort and Participation’ was the most challenging as there were a number of worthy candidates. A poll was taken among the ELP lecturers to identify those students who displayed outstanding effort and participation. The top 6 students in the poll were then discussed until the faculty agreed on the two most deserving candidates.” When asked about the difficulties of teaching and learning ELP, the lecturers point out that the biggest
The ESL team (left to right): Ms. Harveen Kaur, Ms. Esther Lam, Ms. Queenie Chan, Mr. John Brummel, Mr. Michael Henderson.
CULTURAL LEARNING JOURNEYS BENEFIT
ENGLISH LANGUAGE COHORT Having lessons within the four walls of a classroom is not the only means by which to learn a language; practising it is also crucial. As such, to provide our students with this opportunity, the English Department organised a field trip for its Foundation and Advanced English Language classes. On 3 May 2013, students from Raffles English classes took a break to go on a field trip to visit historical sites such as Chinatown Heritage Centre, Kampong Glam and Little India.
A student getting the henna design of his choice
Overall, students enjoyed the trip with many commenting that it was a good break from the daily lessons as well as an interesting opportunity to learn new vocabulary.
A group shot of the English students, alongside guide from Journeys Singapore, Weena (extreme right), and lecturers, John and Michael (extreme left). Students paying close attention to the guide as she gives insightful information of a mosque
Students got a chance to practise their learning experiences in a real-world setting. Since the tour was conducted in English, students had to use their listening skills while answering a number of questions in a competitive setting. Besides that, students also practised the spoken language in various activities such as conveying to the henna tattooist the henna designs that they desired. On top of it all, students tried their hand at playing traditional games found in Singapore.
GIVING NEW LIFE TO ABANDONED OBJECTS
The Ventilamp made from used fan grills, laminate sample chips and wooden pegs
Held from 25 April to 11 May 2013, this intriguing exhibition was the brainchild of Frank Chen, an interior designer from Singapore. The exhibition was a self-initiated project organised by F2D – formerly Frank’s interior design firm and now a product design studio – together with Hong Kong product designer Kevin Cheung, and Australia-based designer Kasia Jarosz, showcasing their creations, with the aim of offering new perspectives on recycling, reusing and reviving products.
the team, through the organization of the workshop, to the execution of the actual exhibition. It was a unique way to show the students how a design-based SME can develop collaborative projects while exploring new business possibilities.”
From left to right: Raffles postgraduates from the Master of Design programme and Dr. Anna Lottersberger
Melvyn Ting, a postgraduate from the Master of Design Programme with specialisation in Graphic Design was visibly impressed by the exhibition: "I was amazed by some of the products such as the 'Boom Table' and the laptop sleeves made out of items such as recycled carpet, fan lights, reused sofa and corrugated box paper shelf. Kudos to the designers and their creative effort as it is not an easy task to design something new from already used materials. All in all it was a fun and inspiring trip that I enjoyed and I hope for more creatively satisfying trips like the F2D exhibition as well as the President's Design Awards Forum 2012." All the creations from the three exhibitors were the result of a re-design activity that originated from abandoned objects, such as carpets, fabric samples, bottles, electronic devices, containers etc. Another postgraduate, Demy Septiana, from the Master of Design Programme with specialisation in Interior Design, gave her thoughts after the event:
The ‘Fa-Brick’ sofa made from patchworks of colourful leftover sample swatches
Dr. Anna Lottersberger, Lecturer delivering postgraduate programme shared, “Thanks to the Design Council, Raffles was invited to the exhibition, even though it was an independent project. It was an intriguing example of a spontaneous initiative in Singapore. The project was related to the crucial theme of eco-sustainability in combination with craftsmanship. Frank Chen, the designer behind the whole idea, also used to organize special talks to undergraduate and postgraduate students to present the entire creative process, from the construction of
"I found it very inspiring. Most of the ‘new’ objects were processed, thanks to the designers' creative ideas, which increased the value of discarded materials. The most interesting object I noticed in the exhibition was the ‘Folder Speaker’. It was a very creative idea to pick up some abandoned paper folders and transform them into speakers! Other products that caught my eye were jewelleries made from machine parts from an old TV. It was brilliant how the designer reused and created beautiful and unique creatures from the materials."
NANSHAN TEXTILE GARMENT DELEGATES VISIT RAFFLES EDUCATION SQUARE
witnessed how classes are conducted, and the conducive learning environment students are immersed in. The group also met up with a few Chinese students from Fashion Design to understand their learning experience at RCHE.
On 14 May 2013, 7 delegates from Nanshan Textile Garment Co. Ltd, China, became one of the first industrial partners to visit the new Raffles College of Higher Education (RCHE) campus located at Raffles Education Square. They were warmly greeted by Mr. Ong Kai How, Vice President of Raffles Education Corporation (South East Asia). The guests were impressed by the magnificent external faรงade and openness of the campus. Without further ado, the team adjourned to the seminar room where Mr. Ong gave the visitors an introduction of the college.
Delegates visited Fashion Design workshop to understand how students learn through practical lessons
Throughout the entire walkthrough, the delegates were deeply impressed by the excellent study atmosphere in Raffles and were continuously singing praises about the place. RCHE would like to thank Nanshan Textile Garment Co. Ltd delegates and the Economic Development Board of Singapore for visiting the campus and we hope that it was a fruitful trip.
Mr Ong (far left), welcomed the guests and introduced student work at the display gallery
The excited team spared no delay after the brief introduction and headed off to a campus tour. Each level of the building is themed in accordance to the 3 guiding principles of teaching and learning adopted by RCHE. They are Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Empowerment. It is through such principles that the college wishes to impart students with skills and knowledge that are relevant and highly sought after by the industry when they enter the workforce after graduation. It is with due credits to this philosophy that the schools, students and alumni have enjoyed successes and won numerous awards in their respective fields of expertise. In order to demonstrate and reiterate this culture of positive and rewarding studying experience unique to RCHE, the campus tour walked the delegation through classrooms and workshops where they
RAFFLES PSYCHOLOGY PRACTITIONERS APPOINTED
COUNCIL MEMBERS OF SINGAPORE PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The SPS Council 2013-1015 with Dr Monica Walet (Academic Director of Raffles), Co-opt Council on Membership (4th from Left) and Dr Anna Leybina (Programme Coordinator of Raffles), Public Education Chair (5th from Left).
Congratulations to Dr. Anna Leybina and Dr. Monica Walet, our creative practitioners of the Psychology faculty for being appointed as council members of the Singapore Psychological Society! Founded in 1979, the Singapore Psychological Society continues to aspire in the advancement of psychology as a science and as a profession in Singapore As two of the thirteen council members of the Singapore Psychological Society, Dr. Monica Walet and Dr. Anna Leybina were honoured to be able to contribute to the psychological field in Singapore as well as to be able to bring knowledge and opportunities to the Applied Psychology students of Raffles College. Dr Monica Walet, Co-opt Council on Membership and Dr Anna Leybina, Chair of Public Education and Communication, who are, respectively, the Academic Director and Programme Coordinator for Psychology Department of Raffles College of Higher Education, were invited to join the council due to their qualifications, work experiences and dedication to their profession.
“Initially, my idea was to join Singapore Psychological Society to learn more about standards, problems, requirements of teaching and practising in Singapore as I did not know much about that back in 2010 when I first arrived here from Russia. Now, going beyond my initial intention, I am able to share more with my students on what they should do to succeed in the profession and to build a career in psychology in Singapore and Asia. My network through Singapore Psychological Society also allows me to help arrange internships, voluntary work, work placement as well as to establish research collaborations for our students. Another advantage is that many Singapore Psychological Society events can now be held in Raffles College for the management has generously supported the society to use the premises for the events. Thus our students get free admission to many of those events, which give them an opportunity to learn from other professionals, participate in professional discussions, establish useful contacts, and to gain knowledge beyond the school curriculum,� shared Dr. Anna. Other than being appointed as the council member, Dr. Anna was also appointed as an official representative from Singapore to attend the closeddoor meetings at the International Congress of Psychology, Cape Town, South Africa to discuss global psychology policies and issues. Being part of the council, both our creative practitioners were also able to learn more about the organization of educational processes, structure of lessons and methods of assessments from different institutions, which they can implement in their teaching of students of Raffles College. Raffles College is proud of the achievements of our creative practitioners and will continue to give them our support, to bring greater opportunities and exposure for our students.
DR. FREDERICK HALCON: AN ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Dr. Frederick Halcon, Raffles College’s creative practitioner in Applied Psychology shared a research paper on environmental economics and sustainability, and won the Best Research Paper nd Award at the 2 Annual International Conference in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. The research paper advocating environmental sustainability, reminding our generation to be conscious of how we use our natural resources so that it will not compromise the needs of the future generations, gained the recognition from the judges at the international conference. It was one of Dr. Frederick’s first attempts to do a text-based qualitative research on issues which concern the environment, and he was honoured beyond words when he was one of the three winners, amongst all the presenters at the conference. “I always start my first lesson in Applied Research Methods by making my students imagine a world without research. We would still be living in the Stone Age. Advancements in science, technology, education, business, economics and even the arts will not be possible. This helps my students understand the value of research,” shared Dr. Frederick. He added, “I believe research helps me upgrade my skills and knowledge. As someone imparting knowledge to the future generation, I strongly believe we should constantly stay relevant by attending conferences and presenting papers so we don’t saturate ourselves with data from textbooks which could have been published a number of years ago.” Raffles College of Higher Education would like to congratulate Dr. Frederick Halcon for winning the Best Research Paper Award and thank him for his contribution thus far in sharing his knowledge with our Raffles Business students!
The man himself, Dr. Frederick Halcon, Lecturer, Business, Raffles College of Higher Education
RAFFLES APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT HOSTS PSYCHOLOGY
Coordinator, welcomed the students and gave them an overview of the Applied Psychology course in Raffles College and shared some of the research she has conducted together with Singapore Psychology Society where she acts as a council member.
STUDENTS FROM
UNIVERSITY OF TARUMANAGARA
Raffles Psychologists exchanging views with students from the University of Tarumanagara, Jakarta
Dr. Anna Lebyina (centre in white top) with the Indonesian visitors
On 14 May 2013, 18 students from the Psychology Department of the University of Tarumanagara, Jakarta, visited Raffles College of Higher Education.
After Dr. Anna’s sharing, the students were split into groups of five or six, with two Raffles Psychologists in each group. Raffles Psychologists enthusiastically shared what they learnt in Raffles, the research study they have done, the modules they are undertaking, the projects they are working on and the field trips they have been to. An hour of comparison study helped students from both schools understand more about psychology. Many even made friends by exchanging contact details.
The enthusiastic teens were brought on a tour to explore the school’s facilities. Many were impressed by the new campus, the classroom facilities, the myriad of resources in the library, and the comfortable student lounge. Most of them were also impressed by our award winners’ works which were showcased at the Raffles Concierge.
Dr. Anna Lebyina receiving the token of appreciation from the University of Tarumanagara, Jakarta
The visitors were highly impressed with the new Raffles campus
After an exciting school tour, the students were brought into Dr. Anna’s psychology class to have a comparison study. Dr. Anna, the Programme
Raffles College of Higher Education is pleased to host students from external universities, giving our students the opportunity to be exposed to and gain knowledge from various sources and further extending their network beyond the school environment.
BREAKING INTO THE EUROPEAN OUTDOOR FURNITURE MARKET
We hope to discover and nurture more new talents from China through this competition,” said Mr Uwe Hoelzer, President of METRO China. He added that “this new generation of designers surprised us with their vitality and innovative ideas. They represent the future and hope of China’s creative industry. METRO will continue to build a bridge towards the international design market for these outstanding students.”
Two promising designers from Raffles Design Institute, Shanghai would soon have their creative works on sale in Europe and China, following their win at the 2013 Summer Outdoor Furniture Design Competition, which was jointly organised with METRO GROUP Buying (MGB) China on 6 May 2013.
Mr Uwe Hoelzer with Leon Liu during the unveiling of his design prototype, which will be available in METRO stores in 2014
Leon Liu Zi Hua receiving his first prize from Mr Uwe Hoezler, President of METRO China and Mr Ren Li, President of China Arts
Leon Liu Zi Hua and Amy Zhang Yue won over the judges with their cutting-edge designs and unique concepts. Their design pieces will be put into largescale production and sold in METRO stores worldwide. The 2014 Tarrington House product catalog – an exclusive brand by METRO outdoor furniture – will also feature the winners’ designs. Leon Liu, who came in first in the competition, received a cash prize as well as an internship opportunity with an outdoor furniture supplier of MGB.
Mr Andre Bilbao, Outdoor Product Manager of MGB China, revealed that it was a bold move to introduce fresh ideas from Chinese student designers to the outdoor furniture collection. He said, “We are very pleased to see the talent of this new generation of designers. Their creations are refreshing and exciting. The products they created combine functionality together with fashion and quality, all of which are in line with Tarrington House’s unique brand positioning.” Since the launch of the competition in January 2013, MGB China and the Interior Design Department of Raffles Design Institute have held a variety of activities to boost their designers’ creativity as well as to give them a better understanding of market demands. The programme attracted 40 students who attended campus lectures, field trips, live demonstrations and expert critique sessions. “The product, industrial and market orientation of this design competition helps students to broaden their horizons and enhance their practice. Through such real-world experience, students can greatly improve their design concepts and innovation capabilities,” said Mr Meng Kok Tan, Program Director of Interior Design at the Institute.
Amy Zhang receiving the second prize from Mr Stefan Loewe, MGB Director and Mr Ren Li, President of China Arts
“This is the first time METRO has worked with an academic institution in China to create outdoor furniture.
He added, “As products marked with their names and labels are introduced and sold in the overseas markets, these future designers will step onto the European furniture stage, and face tests from a broader market.”