BIG DREAM ENERGY

Now in its ninth year, the Harper's BAZAAR NewGen Fashion Award is a staunch champion and incubator of young talent. Jeffrey Yan introduces you to the future stars of Singaporean fashion.

- Jeffrey Yan

The Harper's BAZAAR NewGen Fashion Award has been this publication's biggest initiative in discovering and nurturing new fashion design talent since 2013. The 2022 edition saw six finalists from Singapore's top fashion institutions compete for the grand prize of $10,000 in cash and a scholarship to further their studies at Istituto Marangoni London worth over $50,000. The winning collection will also be retailed at the brick-and-mortar Design Orchard and online at oneorchard.store.

While every iteration of NewGen has been a key moment in the local (and oftentimes, regional) fashion calendar for young designers, the most recent one was extra meaningful coming off the heels of the previous two years. The competition was put on pause in 2020 in favour of a special edition of NewGen that provided retail and editorial support for our previous winners, while in 2021, the affair was scaled down-instead of a grand finale, a series of intimate presentations were held in which contestants presented a single look that encapsulated their vision instead of a full-fledged collection. The 2022 iteration marked a return to the runway where we can fully celebrate the fruits of the designers' seven-month NewGen journey in front of a live audience, with all the palpable energy that entails.

The contestants this time around were equally energised. Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Goh says, "This year, the NewGen designers were very invested in making their journey with us matter in their future fashion careers. They were intent on taking away active conversations from the courses they were on by seeking advice and guidance from our mentors, and they showed a great deal of maturity. Each of them has the perseverance to get stronger and better-not just as individuals but as a collective whole."