APTITUDE GRADUATION EXHIBITION SHOWCASE JUNE 2012 - FASHION DESIGN by raffles singapore

APTITUDE

Graduation Exhibition & Fashion Showcase

18 JUNE 2012

FASHION DESIGN “As you see, I never stop drawing; it’s my favourite way of expressing myself. I have to be a little schizophrenic….and, as such, my precious notebooks of sketches accumulate. The evidence of a concept is never immediate. It requires a certain maturation, the intuition is verified, and time does its work.” - Antonio Marras I have always felt that a designer is like a painter, inspired by layers of colours and textures. The canvases in Fashion Design are the fabrics and textiles we use to create our work. These fabrics become garments that may be characterized by bold graphic prints, soft romantic floral, or just colours. Whatever the choice may be, your graduation collections create the tableaux for the catwalk. Many of the collections that we will see tonight are inspired by dramatic events or iconic individuals, at times folkloric, historical or visionary. The thread that runs between them all is that they each tell their own story, creating a modern mythology that pays tribute to the universal language we call fashion.

JOE

GIUSEPPE SPINELLI Programme Director

FASHION DESIGN | Bachelor Degree

Photographers : Alvin Wong , Mun Kong Assistants : Alfred Phang, Danny Lim Make Up : Kelly Chavel, Aileen Wang, Asmah Hair : Mahogany Holdings Pte Ltd

FASHION DESIGN | Bachelor Degree

Doris Ku Te Hsun Extinct Land of Inuit Once known as Eskimos, the Inuit inhabit the Arctic region, one of the most forbidding territories on earth. Unfortunately, because of the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global warming effect, today this group of people is facing the problem of extinction. Because of the greenhouse effect, this ancient group of people and their way of life may not survive the next century. We need to save the world, save them and let this ancient tribe pass into the next generation.

Sri Lukito Sari Poetronegoro Facade ‘Architecture is a small piece of this human equation, it has potential to make a difference, to enlighten and to enrich the human experience, to penetrate the barriers of misunderstanding and provide a beautiful context for life’s drama.’ – Frank Gehry This collection is inspired by the works of architect, Frank Gehry. His groundbreaking folded titanium sheet gives liquidity and movement to the otherwise very structural buildings. The idea of freeform and organic shapes within the rigid support of concrete and steel is what intrigues and inspires me to create the ‘Facade’ capsule collection.

Jessica Tjiptoning Meiji Ishin â&#x20AC;&#x153;I dreamed of a unified Japan, of a country strong and independent and modern... Now we have railroads and cannon and Western clothing. But we cannot forget who we are or where we come from.â&#x20AC;? - Emperor Meiji; The Last Samurai I was inspired by the struggle of keeping the harmonisation within the people of Japan during the Meiji Restoration period. On the one hand, Japan was insisting in westernising their lifestyle; yet they wanted to keep their pride and live as traditional Samurais. I have used in this collection the idea of the two opposing forces and the clashing views of a Westernised Japan and its traditional Samurai way.

Youyu Minami ‘Viva La Frida’ “I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration”. - Frida Kahlo My collection is a tribute to Mexican Surrealist artist Frida Kahlo. I was greatly inspired by her paintings, her use of bright colors and the Mexican style that fused with European influences such as Realism and Symbolism.

Felicia Raina Ardelia Femme Fatale â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cultivate your curves - they may be dangerous but they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be avoided.â&#x20AC;? -Mae West Inspired by the 40s classic film noir, this collection unfolds the glamour and the seductive nature of the femme fatale. Cunning as a fox, they will lure their lover with their beauty and charm them into a dangerous situation. Their chameleonlike persona - sweet and innocent one moment, a bad girl in another - are just the contradiction every man adores.

Joanne Lee Rebellious Machinery â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do believe that technology is not something we use, but something we live,â&#x20AC;? - Godfrey Reggio (filmmaker) Since the beginning of the 19th century, Man has become technically dependent on machines. As time passes and machines and technology continue to evolve, where will this technology bring us in the future? We ask ourselves the question of whether we have become too reliant on the machines. What will happen when the machines start to think for themselves? What will happen when these machines begin to take on human characteristics? Are we seeing a revolution in the future between man and machine?

Vinna Agustina Halim Tech No Socio â&#x20AC;&#x153;Style is a way to say who you are without having to speakâ&#x20AC;? - Chanel People have become addicted to technology and gadgets and rarely have the time to communicate with others face to face. We have become obsessed as a society with our devices; we are trapped by them and our lifestyle revolves around them. This collection plays on the idea of minimalism; it may appear to be simple at first glance yet it is this very simplicity that makes it complex. This simplicity defines us as an individual that is intriguing at first sight and demands closer attention from the onlooker.

Maureen Avista Kosasih Jolie Laide “I think there is beauty in everything. What ‘normal’ people would perceive as ugly, I can usually see something of beauty in it.” – Alexander McQueen

Delna Antia Surrealismo “We watch our dreams in the theatre of the night” – Sigmund Freud Dreams are a place where the mind runs uncensored, so that would in turn mean that our dreams are where we can really be ourselves and not worry about the rest of the world. Inspired by the collaborations between Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, the collection plays with the idea of Surrealism and portrays the concept of dreams from my perspective.

Sariel Yuting Rocaille For my final collection I was inspired by the French Rococo period of the mid-18th century. Rococo Art and architecture was ornate and made strong use of creamy pastel colours and asymmetrical designs, curvilinear lines and gold. I have always been fascinated by the elements of feminine undertones of this era especially in the fashion of the times with its delicate fabrics, laces and ornamentations; these were the starting point in creating the garments of the collection.

Venezia Koh Iron in the Soul ‘Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.’ - Margaret Thatcher The Iron Lady is what comes to mind went we think about a strong-willed female not to be trifled with. The collection embodies the spirit of The Iron Lady: strong, confident and powerful, well-balanced with femininity with a sense of seriousness and a feeling of empowerment.

Keren Angelina Suanda Tales of Peoples A collection inspired by Indigenous Tribes all over the world Everything has their starters Never let one perish without trace Surrounded by the futures Shall not be a reason to move on and forget their roots Beauty belongs to everyone and everything Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let them just sits there and rots Pride of heritage should no more be only in words Put them into action Wear them with pride From every nation and tongue From generation to generation The heritage shall live on!

Pooja Singh Lady Macbeth This collection is based on the poetic story written by William Shakespeare on Macbeth and his ambitious Lady (Macbeth). Lady Macbethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision of future was magnificent and powerful but in the process of achieving it she lost her soul and her sanity. I have drawn inspiration from this fictional character of women being mysterious, ambitious and full of desires. Her pretence of strength diminishes as she fights the consequences of her evilness. Lady Macbethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempts at suppressing her consciousness fails and in the end she chooses death when she could no longer bear the torments of her guilt.

Janney, Ma Jin Yan Military Retro My collection is inspired by the military look of World War II. The early 40â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was a time when most fashion ceased to exist as many fashion houses shut down because of the war effort. All over the world fashion came to a standstill, and clothing became either utilitarian or military. This military trend is still influencing us today almost 60 years on; we see it appear on the catwalks in new incarnations. Military is here to stay.

Elaine Chen Yi Shi Who Invented the First Flight? I was always fascinated by manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early desire to take to the air, and after hundreds of years of trials and tribulations, the first flight was made by the Wright brothers in 1903. What followed was the invention of flying machines, airplanes and rockets to explore the depths of outer space. This collection is inspired by the history of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to fly, from the Utopian mythology to the practical study of flying machines. This collection is a wardrobe of fashionable garments for the air travelers of the future.

Amber Chen Deconstruction When people break down something, the action of breaking is driven by its own desire and intent to create a new form; it is the reconstruction we talk about. In other words, destroying is also creating. Hope can be seen in this negative situation. From the very beginning that the idea of deconstruction appeared in the field of fashion, it has already connected with the role of trailblazer. I try to translate this cutting edge idea in my collection. I believe when it is imaginable, it is achievable. What I have done is exactly what I am desperate to express from the bottom of my heart.

Vika Octaviantri Boudicca ‘I am descended from mighty men! But I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth now. I am fighting as an ordinary person for my last freedom, my bruised body, and my outraged daughters. Considering how many you are fighting and why! Then you will win this battle or perish. That is what I, a woman. Plan to do! Let men live in slavery if they will ‘. –Boudicca Boudicca is a legend – this woman who fought and sacrificed her life to defend her tribe and her rights. She is so inspiring that she emerges throughout history in many incarnations. Her trials and tribulations becomes the root of the women’s liberation. Fierce, strong and heroic are parts of the “Boudicca” that inspire this collection.

Cayno Song Shanyu Tea Horse Road With a fascination for the traditional culture, my graduation collection has drawn inspiration from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tea Horse Roadâ&#x20AC;?, one of the three greatest ancient trade routes in history. This route which winds its way through the most difficult natural condition has shaken my faith. Tea is for a quiet heart and Horse is a free soul. I chose these to be my inspiration, sending the message of my selfidentity as well as my yearning for freedom and adventure. I blend the Zen spirit and, at the same time, show the abstract philosophy by a deconstruction, thus giving the collection a new aspect by combining ancient and modern ideals.

Melita Anthea Commedia Dell’Arte - Arlecchina For this collection I was inspired by famous Italian theatrical production of the Commedia Dell’Arte. Commedia Dell’Arte is an improvisational theatre that was popular during 16th century and was improvised around the several conventional situations such as love, jealousy, age and infidelity. One of the most famous characters is Arlecchina. She is fun, playful, smart, and a trickster; she is the female version of the character known as Arlecchino or the Harlequin.

Yong Xin Min The Moderns The nineteen twenties has been considered historically as the era of modernization, it broke from tradition, and developed a new lifestyle. After almost a century it still has a profound effect on todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle and will continue to affect us in the future.

Katrina Zhang Boy Meets Pop Art Pop art was an art movement that was founded in the mid 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The pop artists favored commercial methods of production, similar to the objects they were using, as it meant that unlimited reproduction could be made. Pop art was easy to understand, and easy to recognize because it was iconic and accessible to the mass public. It is one of those art movements that still continue to evolve today and it is something that is tangible to all people.

FASHION DESIGN | Advanced Diploma

Photographers : Alvin Wong , Mun Kong Assistants : Alfred Phang, Danny Lim Make Up : Kelly Chavel, Aileen Wang, Asmah Hair : Mahogany Holdings Pte Ltd

FASHION DESIGN | Advanced Diploma

Siah Kar Hoe The Road Warrior “Mad” Max Rockatansky  (What is the little square after “… tansky”? Is it a character I’m not seeing?) has long since forsaken Man’s laws as his humanity was lost to barren roads and a heinous revenge for his slaughtered family. He forged a new life in the wastelands as a scavenging vigilante, living on the razor’s edge of a brutal existence. (Another little square before “With”)  With the collapse of society following a nuclear holocaust, the last remnants of law and order have fallen and psycho scavengers, feral gangs and sadistic enterprisers rule what’s left of the desolate earth, where fuel is the key to survival. Max stands as a lone, black clad scavenger of the apocalypse, and a true anti-hero at its finest.

Nguyen Thi Nhu Y, Lin Portrait of Art “They are awesome. They are the best fans. They body paint. They scream. They get us pumped up. They’re awesome.” - Britney Brown This collection is inspired by the body painting of the Surma and Mursi in the Omo valley in Ethiopia. The idea of using body paint or body art has always been about conjuring health and power.

Michelle Angeline The Eccentricity Becomes a Person Anna Piaggi said â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always liked to mix my look, every dress tells a story. I am very careful about how I look.â&#x20AC;? There are no rules. The world is your oyster, whether you end up looking fabulously odd and asymmetrical or chicly reined-in and conventional. By listening to your own opinion, the possibilities are endless. The world thinks eccentricity in great things is genius, but in small things, only crazy

Caroline Indriana Purnomo Sedimented with Time Fossils are typically preserved when they are buried under many layers of sand and mud. Under great pressure the sand and the mud becomes sedimentary rock. Because of the pressure they become unique and beautiful, you can feel the softness and the hardness even when you are not touching it.

Wucheng Kejia The Romance Between Light and Shadow Light and shadow - both of them are visional yet they really exist. The changing process between light and shadow is like an endless game of hide and seek, every moment during the process is perceptible but untouchable; that is another depiction of romance.

Dessy Wijaya The Wild West One day, as I was sitting by my front window daydreaming, I happened to glance up just as the sun was setting. The sky turned an astonishing shade of red contrasted against the blue sky, it was very beautiful. It brought to mind the time of the wild west, it was an attempt to evoke a past that is clearly still with us today

Zhang Beijing, Stephanie Dark-Moon My inspiration is derived from tales of the great vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing. In most vampire lore, Van Helsing is the one who brings about the destruction of the Noble Vampire, Count Dracula, but not before he is attacked by a werewolf during the blood moon. These characters are the inspiration for the collection, stemming from the idea that all evil takes place during the rise of the dark moon.

Zuo Yuanna Tragedy and Comedy In classical Greek theatre, Tragedy was always depicted by a weeping mask and Comedy by a laughing one. It is the perfect idea that one can be happy and sad at the same time that inspired me, how one emotion cannot exist without the other.

Fenny Wong Sunken Legacy The protocol forced couples to separate, families to bid each other goodbye. It happened after midnight — when the cold North Atlantic Ocean was freezing enough to make people suffer hypothermia. Bodies were floating in the water, marking  one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history. (a little square before the word “one”) Inspired by the sinking of luxury superliner Titanic 100 years ago, Sunken Legacy portrays grandeur that mankind could boast about, but fate could as easily crush.

Ren Dongmei Inverted Reflection in Water My inspiration comes from a cup named â&#x20AC;&#x153;ANAMORPHOSEâ&#x20AC;?. It refers to a distorted image that only appears normal when viewed with or reflected from a special device. The Anamorphic Cup, made of stainless steel with a polished mirror finish, is the first product to employ the centuries old visual play of the anamorphic cylinder. The porcelain saucer is printed with distorted images or words, which look normal when reflected on the surface of the cup.

Natalie Lim Hui Yu Loved To Death The beauty of a destructive relationship can be told through the story of Sid and Nancy, a couple that was so broken yet so tightly bound together. They were often caught up in a world of their own, away from reality. In this world they craved misery and torment, at times one against the other while others may only dream of being so perfectly mismatched.

Huy Dong Clouds Have you ever wished you could fly? Imagine that the clouds could help you rise up to the sky and keep you away from all the social prejudices in this world. No matter if you are boy or girl; surely you have a soft and free dream floating with all the white pillows above. Fly once in your life, stay within your own sky and feel the freedom.

Michelle Cecilia Tedja Sacred Splendour Gothic Cathedrals from the medieval period are fancied with stained glass windows. The stained glass windows in this period are also known as rose windows, because sometimes the colourful glass pieces are arranged to resemble the petals of a flower. To see beyond the intricate framework, the pieces are fused together to depict an ecclesiastical story. This periodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stained glass was also influenced by the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, thus the colours of the glass are just as brilliant. The Gothic architecture lines are long, lean, elegant ad characterised with arches, ribbed vaults or flying buttresses. Gothic Cathedrals are also svelte, glorious with the splendour of the stained glass, which, when hit by light, brighten up the roomy sacred sanctuary.

Samuel Tran Nur-Chic It is all about the nurses that work at the clinics in 23rd century. They are super chic and fashion forward. Everyone follows the style. Minimal, clean and sleek looks are their signatures. I would describe my collection as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hygienicâ&#x20AC;? one since my theme is the breath of air, and the inspirations are clinics and nurses. Purity, cleanliness and futurity are the elements of this collection.

J.C. Makarios (Joy Chiang) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: something beyond, awesome, marvellous and beautiful. Looking into the Kaleidoscope, I saw a mini Universe; â&#x20AC;Żchanges between the patterns creating the scene when the world begins, where the firmament is formed by God as a Love gift to his people. Looking at the patch worked blanket; I saw Love and joy; between every stitched lines, and mix-matching of different swatches, indicate the silent Love from my Grandma to her new born grandchild. In capturing all these joyous moment, of creating something with Love that completes the story behind my collection.

Lucas Le â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Le Vu Kim Long Lonesomnia It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really matter who or how old we are, whether we are educated or illiterate, rich or poor, we all have our secret thoughts. And I believe we all have our hidden corners of loneliness. Lonesome is when you are all by yourself, in reality, in sub consciousness. The latter is the important one; even when you are surrounded by your beloved friends and family, sometimes you are still isolated. You close all doors and retreat in your gloomy world because the only one who understands you, you believe, is yourself. Lonesome is like a fierce creature, which can take over control of your whole body and thoughts if there is a burning motive; it destroys you slowly inside. And when the emotional pain does not hurt any more, you start to hurt yourself physically.

Azmin Khambata A Thousand Paper Crane Wish Sadako Sasaki was a symbol of peace, whose statue stands beside the Hiroshima World War II museum. She was about 10 years old when she realized she had leukaemia. Despite the war, she did not give up living and spreading love, hope and peace. One day when she was in the hospital her friend reminded her about an old Japanese story, that if a person folds a thousand paper cranes the Gods will grant them one wish, Sadako started to fold cranes immediately wishing she would get better. During her journey to achieve a thousand paper cranes she met some children who had given up on life; she taught them to live life again and told them that life was worth living. This story has moved me, teaching me how to value life. Sadako Sasaki has inspired me even beyond this collection.â&#x20AC;Ż

Lusiana Liauw THE WITCHING HOUR “Evil is always possible, and goodness is eternally difficult. Take me from this earth an endless night, this, the end of life. From the dark I feel your lips and taste your bloody kiss. In the very depths of hell, do not demons love one another?” - Anne Rice My collection is about the art of witchcraft, the art that people are rarely aware of. It was inspired by a book called “The Witching Hour” by famous writer Anne Rice. This book traces the history of the infamous Mayfair Witches beginning during the Dark Ages spanning to modern times. This story tells a tale that is pure horror, fantasy and seduction.

Tivani Tria Andini This Charming Man My collection is based on the iconic dandies of the past; Beau Brummell, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Mr. Darcy, to name a few. Dandies are people who dare to violate the rules of fashion and to show off to others who do not pay attention to details of demeanour and clothing.