Class Of 2023: Our Favourite Graduate Collections
We're talent spotting for the new vanguard of fashion designers.
By Aaron Kok,
Every year, around this time of the year, the graduating students from fashion design institutes in Singapore line up to showcase their collections. Without the weight of commercial success standards that designers are often held to, these collections are often an exploration of these aspiring designers’ creativities. From referencing childhood memories and puppet theatres, to manifesting fantasies and daydreams, the collections from the Class of 2023 will inspire surprise, awe and hold plenty of promise. Ahead, we spotlight some of our favourite student works from Lasalle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Raffles Design Institute (RDI) and Temasek Polytechnic – and show how they might just be next in fashion.
"OBELISK" BY MOHAMMAD FARIS
Faris’ collection takes its cue from our ever-evolving cityscape. “Living in an island that goes through constant development, has made me grow fonder in deconstructed urbanism and its raw structures,” he notes. “The cement has a coarse texture that compliments the glistening metal poles engulfed with long drapes of mesh and tarpaulin.” He explores various utilitarian shapes – think large pockets hanging off the sides of baggy cargo pants, roomy capes are fitted with drawstring toggles. The designs also have a sustainable element: deadstock bags and defected Crumpler bags, are turned into padded vests and patched pockets.
"FLEETING NOSTALGIA" BY ANJA TAY
Designers often reference personal memories in their work, and Tay does so by weaving in stories of her grandmother in her designs. Based on stories and memories of growing up with her grandma, Tay’s collection sought to “preserve the memories I have of her life.” She does this through referencing her grandmother's personal wardrobe. “I took in that 'ah ma' sort of aesthetic, especially in the gaudy floral and animal prints. I also researched her Chinese and Peranakan heritage to influence my fabric and design choices,” she tells us. Tay also used edible ingredients like chili and turmeric powder to create fabric dyes, another nod to her grandmother’s cooking.
“A JESTER’S ACT” BY DENISE 'MIAO' YEO
The world’s a crazy place – an ongoing war, the looming threat of climate disaster, constant upheaval – it’s like watching an insane show unfold in front of you. Denise Yeo, who also goes by the moniker Miao, aims to capture the dark humour and insanity that is the condition of human nature through her pieces. Cue the carnie folk silhouettes with puffed up bubble skirts and bloomers, exaggerated collars all done in a variety of jewel tones, gingham checks and harlequin stripes. It’s outlandish at first impression, sure, but deconstruct each look and there are plenty of crowd-pleasers to be found.
“ARRANGEMENTS” BY PRATYUSHA PRASAD BORGAONKAR
Pratyusha Prasad Borgaonkar’s collection explores the spiritual realm with a series of menswear designs that explore the complex ritualistic practices in India. Swathes of fabrics are lusciously draped, as if gathered up haphazardly, creating voluminous cape-like tops. Nods to India’s own colonial past can also be seen in the deconstructed military jackets. Even for a graduate collection, Pratyusha’s designs reflect a balance of elegance and dramatic flair that makes seeing her clothes so much more exciting.
“INTROVERTPARTY” BY FARAH SUDIRO
Peruse TikTok’s endless stream of introvert-centric content and the common narrative you’d find is that introverts sometimes have to turn on a figurative switch when they’re heading out to face the world. It's within this juxtaposition of a inward-versus-outward facing personality that Farah Sudiro finds her collection’s grounds. The six-look gender-neutral collection explores interchangeable pieces: from quiet clingy knits and easy draped tops to yeti-sized fur sleeves and wired skirts that scream “notice me” in every direction. The collection may be inspired by introversion, but the results certainly make a loud splash.
“THE COLOUR BRAWL” BY MICHELLE TAN
What if fashion could stand the same test of time like, say, buildings? That’s the thought that sparked Michelle Tan’s graduation showing. She cites the constant craving for newness in fashion as a driving factor that’s encouraging fast fashion and our throwaway culture. Tan’s simple question is this: if you knew that your garment was lovingly made by human hands, would you cherish it more? Her collection of colour-heavy pieces is entirely handcrafted on a manual knitting machine, and each piece is meticulously calculated and knitted per plan, to ensure as little waste generated as possible. This is easily one of the standouts of the grad fashion season.
“HOMELAND” BY LIM SU HUI
In an homage to Singapore in the 14th century, Lim Su Hui’s “Homeland” is a love letter to Fort Canning Hill. She draws direct inspiration from the area – beige bricks become nude underlays, and heavy metal doors lend their powdery gunmetal colour to a diaphanous dress. Deceptively simple to the viewer, Lim’s work employs a zero-waste approach to the garment creation process, where geometric shapes are favoured and scrap materials are turned into accessories or components that get added to other designs.
“1+1=3?” BY IM YEBIN
We didn’t see “fashion collection inspired by Singapore’s education system” on our 2023 bingo card, but here we are. Inspired by Im Yebin’s own personal take of the rigidity and rule-enforcing nature of the education system here, her collection explores this unbending principle with a dash of irony. Take, for example, a classic pair of pants. In a regular, rule-following world, it’d be cut straight up and down. But with Im’s approach, it comes with wing-like flaps jutting out stiffly on each side. Across her looks are a unifying sense of unyielding structure. Rigid? Sure. Rule-breaking? Definitely.
“UNDERNEATH THE VEIL” BY KHAIRINA SARI RAMLAN
Modest fashion can sometimes be misinterpreted and misunderstood as conservative, which is the perception that Khairina Sari Ramlan wants to challenge with her collection. Through her six looks, the focus falls on the hijab in particular. A black design features a mesh overlay across the eyes, as fabric gets sumptuously draped into an operatic sleeve. On another, it takes on a rich tone of olive green with a magnified bow in the back, paired with a Bridgerton-worthy ball gown.
“UNBEARABLE BODIES” BY JENNIE AMIO
The fashion industry still has plenty to do when it comes to size representation and inclusion, and Jennie Amio wants to discuss this through her pieces. Washed in saccharine pastels of pink and cyan, she draws upon themes of bodies and size through art to direct her creativity. Satiny drapes loosely cascade into minidresses, and several of her pieces employ a modern take on the classic Grecian drape.
“IGNORANT TO RULES” BY CHIKA ORSHI HERMAWAN
Indonesian-born designer Chika Orshi Hermawan’s collection aims to explore the rules of fashion through breaking them. For example, eschewing the two-only rule when it comes to sleeves by adding a few more for adornment, or weaving in karate belts into her designs. The result is a contemporary approach towards athleisure – one that combines delicate fabrics and elegant swishy skirts with sportier separates.
“CHROMA CAMP” BY DEVITA VERONIKA
Devita Veronika has often looked to the great outdoors as an escape to the city that she’s grown up in, and this love for camping has informed her debut collection. “The main objective of this collection is to express the atmosphere of a wild camping adventure with a touch of playfulness by implementing spot colours,” she explains. Her design explores tent-like shapes that balloon away from the body, and accentuates the earth-inspired tones with bright spots of colour. It’s playful, yet surprisingly wearable.
“SACCHARINE RUSH” BY QUEK YU TONG
In blinding fuchsia, Quek Yu Tong’s design is easily one of the most attention-grabbing pieces to walk the graduate runways this season. Citing herself as someone who lives often in her daydreams, she cites Simone Rocha and Noir Kei Ninomiya as some of her most admired designers and brands, and their influence can be clearly seen in the exuberant volume and maximalist ruffles employed in Quek’s design.
“STRING ALONG” BY NATASHA JOSEFINA
Given its geometric details and sculptural shapes, it’s hard to imagine that Natasha Josefina’s jumping point came from the centuries-old art of bunraku, or Japanese puppetry, as well as traditional Indonesian puppets and European marionettes. Polyester fabric has been laser-cut and individually applied and stitched onto the cotton fabric, creating a mesh of lines that resemble tangled puppet strings, or the print that appears on bunraku character Yoya Oshichi.
“REQUIEM OF A DREAM” BY SRI ANGGRENI WICAKSANA
If you’ve had one of those dreams where humans often appear disfigured, you’re in good company with this collection. Sri Anggreni Wicaksana’s design explores the human psyche that’s affected by modern technology. “The design embodies the idea of a futuristic dystopia filled with deformed human bodies due to the evolution of technology and a need for clothes as a layer of protection due to the rising level of radiation,” she explains. What she’s put out is a sturdy leather jacket that turns to reveal an artistic explosion of ribbons that resemble malformed bones protruding out the back. Tailoring is purposefully kept slouchy to resemble a hunched back. This could easily be one of those covetable It-pieces that most Fashion Week attendees would scuffle for.
“LISTEN TO THE SKIN” BY HUANG CHING-HAN, RDI
In an industry that celebrates perfection and beauty, Huang Ching-Han’s collection provokes the viewer by presenting the beauty of scars and tattoos – permanent marks that tell stories about a person’s life. “I have both scars and tattoos on my body that document the highs and lows of my life,” Huang says. “Through this collection, I want people to wear their marks proudly, and have people listen to their skin carefully.” Her collection uses two main colours: blood red and a nude shade that resembles dried skin – an effect that is further accentuated by the vein-resembling strands of yarn embedded against the roughness of the fabric.
“COMFORT CREATURES” BY ANGELIA TAMARA PUTRI
Citing a childhood affliction that she suffered known as Nephrotic Syndrome, Angelia Tamara Putri’s solace was always in art and plush toys. That became her point of inspiration, in which she translated it to rabbit-shaped sleeves, an elephant trunk harness and patched drawings of butterflies. It’s a little Moschino-esque, but tempered with an innocence that keeps it from becoming too referential.
“GRAFFITIME” BY SANSHIA MOHAN
Another designer that looks to her past for inspiration, Sanshia Mohan’s collection explores her love for graffiti and street culture. Her interpretation of the subject is surprisingly fresh, as she plays with fabric manipulation, shapes and surface decoration. Denim is excessively ripped or covered in a cacophony of patchworked colours and printed fabric. “Mayhem” is also spray painted over the fabric to resemble streetside graffiti.