This Exhibition Offers A Snapshot Of Contemporary Singapore Fashion
The museum's latest exhibition breaks from tradition with its multi-party curatorial approach.
The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) has had some major fashion exhibitions – one prime example being the blockbuster Guo Pei: Chinese Art & Couture one from 2019. Last year, the museum also opened two new permanent galleries dedicated to historical fashion and textiles, as well as jewellery.
Fast forward to this month and the latest exhibition at the museum, titled #SGFASHIONNOW, takes a decidedly different direction from previous works.
For one, it's the ACM's inaugural display of Singapore contemporary fashion. What's also notable is that the exhibition was executed in collaboration with Lasalle College of the Arts’ School of Fashion and the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF), marking the ACM's first multi-party partnership within Singapore’s fashion ecosystem.
Designs by the finalists of last year's Singapore Stories fashion design competition organised by the TaFF are on display in the museum's lobby. TaFF is one of two key partners for the #SGFASHIONNOW exhibition.
#SGFASHIONNOW comprises of two sections: the first being ACM x TaFF, where four ensembles by Singapore-based finalists of TaFF's fashion design competition Singapore Stories 2020 are displayed in the lobby.
The second segment (ACM X LASALLE) is where things get heated up. It showcases creations by a total of eight practising local designers: Andrew Gn, Baelf Design, Laichan, Ong Shunmugam, Studio HHFZ, Stylemart, Carol Chen and Time Taken to Make a Dress (a.k.a. the studio behind the striking dress Constance Lau wore to the Hollywood premiere of Crazy Rich Asians).
The second section of the exhibition, co-curated with students from Lasalle College of the Arts's School of Fashion, presents works by eight practising Singapore or Singapore-based designers.
Admittedly, the list of names in the Lasalle segment comes across as a tad unusual, given the contrast between well-established veterans such as Andrew Gn and Lai Chan with younger emerging labels. Just take Baelf Design, for instance, which specialises in using 3D printing technology to address ongoing social and environmental issues.
The rationale behind this unusual roster of designers is down to the fact that, for the first time, the museum has shared curatorial duties with external parties.
In this case, the latter are five final-year students at Lasalle College of the Art’s School of Fashion: Gabrielle Yeo, Celestine Wong, Jessica Faustine Suwito, Felicia Toh, and Guo Li Le.
The look by Baelf Design, which is known for its technology-driven approach to fashion (notably usage of 3D printing).
As part of the partnership with ACM, the five students proposed the central exhibition theme of “craftsmanship” and proposed four designers’ works (Baelf Design, Stylemart, Studio HHFZ, and Time Taken to Make a Dress).
Meanwhile, ACM's Fashion and Textiles curator Jackie Yoong selected Andrew Gn, Lai Chan and Ong Shunmugan. Lastly, TaFF is represented via Carol Chen who snagged the win at the Singapore Stories 2020 fashion design competition.
Piqued? Ahead of #SGFASHIONNOW's opening this Friday (June 25), we spoke to ACM curator Yoong on the thought process behind this exhibition and why it's not intended to be a retrospective of Singapore's fashion history.
"By no way were the designers of this exhibition chosen to be representative of the best of Singapore fashion now. During our discussions (with Lasalle), we said that in terms of a Singapore designer, we meant either a designer who is based in Singapore or a Singaporean abroad like (the Paris-based) Andrew (Gn, who usually shows at Paris Fashion Week).
We believe that's very important because it reflects Singapore's history as a migrant nation; that's something we wanted to showcase. (A central tenet of the exhibition is Singapore's heritage as a port city, emphasising its 'cross-cultural flows and artistic exchanges with the region and the world'.)
And of course, these designers ought to have a distinctive style. I think having a distinctive style is very critical because museums around the world want to collect important moments of change in society, to document how people change – in particular their way of thinking through a material medium like fashion..."
Pictured: Andrew Gn's contribution
"This is very critical because we do know that last year was a very difficult year for designers. So it is our emphasis that the names you see in the show are designers who are currently practising today.
It's not that we do not recognize the contributions or the efforts of people who are not practising anymore. But this particular show is about giving hope, to the community and to Singapore, that there are people who are survivors and for designers who are trying to really continue their craft.
From the start, this was conceptualised to be a small community show with impact – for this current moment we're living in. We may do a show in future for a Singapore fashion retrospective when we have build up our collection, but this is not that show."
Pictured: Back view of Time Taken To Make A Dress's contribution
"We asked the students to respond to the three pieces (by Andrew Gn, Lai Chan and Ong Shunmugan) in the museum's collection, and Carol Chen's design under TaFF. We selected this particular group of students (whose proposed theme was craftsmanship) because we feel that it really aligns with the museum's emphasis on appreciating slow fashion and good quality.
Their proposed theme of craftsmanship also resonated well in a climate of fast fashion and the urgent issue of sustainability. I particularly like the one by Baelf Design (the label by Jamela Law and Lionel Wong) as I feel their (3D printing) approach really shows the future of fashion.
There were things (during the conceptualising process) that we advised the students to be aware of. That this exhibition is not just about what they wear; it's about what you think a museum should connect for the collective memory of the nation in time to come – a record of the pandemic of this period. We are very happy that their findings and choice showed that sensitivity."
Pictured: Stylemart's contribution
"The students also chose a very interesting design, by Hu Ruixian of Studio HHFZ (known for its bespoke cheongsams with a contemporary edge). Ruixian is one of the youngest designers in the line-up and her design (pictured here) was about protecting yourself from the negative messages of social media.
Perhaps I personally wouldn't have picked it but the students' choice shows to me what appeals to a younger crowd. I think it was an interesting choice – not only about the design itself but also how it speaks to different demographics. At the museum, we want to encourage this kind of thinking; the museum isn't just for one particular audience.
In short, this is not meant to be representative of the best of Singapore fashion, but a snapshot of different designers in Singapore or those based abroad. I am very sure that others might select different designers and they have different opinions from us. But that's fine, because (the point of a museum) is about encouraging discussion and debate."
Pictured: Studio HHFZ's contribution
"As a national museum, we must support our local community. I think it's a topic that museums around the world are also thinking about. For example, the Metropolitan Museum Of Art's theme for their annual Met Gala this year is 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion'. It's an extremely challenging time for the fashion industry: How do you show the challenges that the designers face and also to celebrate their achievements and create awareness for partnerships and discussions?
At ACM, I think we have been shifting our identity towards being not just a museum of antiquities, but also a museum of decorative arts. So we're really supporting the idea that fashion is an important material medium that deserves to be represented in museums (on the same scale as the arts). This is especially crucial because, in Asia, there isn't as much emphasis as museums in the West in recognising the cultural and artistic importance of fashion."
Pictured: Baelf Design's contribution