Few are shaking up Singapore’s fashion climate — but a new breed of local, underground designers has taken the matter into their own hands. We give you the lowdown on those elusive names and the stories behind what they do.
Wai Yang The collections of Myanmar-born designer Wai Wai are created entirely by herself at her home in Singapore, making her one of few designers who directly work on the garment at every step of the creation process — her pieces are only available for pre-order as a consequence. Wai has accustomed herself to such intensity. She trained with London avant-garde designer, Faustine Steinmetz, while studying Fashion Textiles (specialising in printmaking) at London College of Fashion. “Steinmetz started out in a very small studio and she was willing to teach me. It involved doing a lot of time-consuming tasks: setting up weaving machines alone can take up three hours, deconstructing yarn had to be done by picking apart individual strands… A garment took almost a month to create.”
Through experiences, Wai’s work has developed complexity. The collection Patches of Memory, for example, showcases how structure, colour and texture come together to create a sense of déjà vu, which she felt strongly during her first trip to Prague.
“I’m interested in the play of materials and, as a result, illusions — as in when you look closer at something, it’s not what you think it is.” Instead of traditionally drawing her prints, she directly scanned flattened trash (corrugated cardboard, scrap metal, paper) before abstracting them into what we see on the fabric. Because of this dedication to process, Wai says she prefers to be recognised as a textile designer and not a fashion designer – “because there’s so many of them out there”.
You can count on her to deliver something fresh, given her technical prowess. “With printmaking, you can be very experimental. Although there are recipes to create certain pigments, you can invent your own ways of doing it, too.”
Alchemist
Bu hikaye L'OFFICIEL Singapore dergisinin August 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye L'OFFICIEL Singapore dergisinin August 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Boost UP
In the same way that Pilates fanatics say the exercise is a complete coordination of body and mind, the fashion cognoscenti believes that Celine ticks both the fashion and lifestyle boxes. Next month, the French Maison goes further with the launch of a Pilates collection
World PREMIERE
Literally in-tune and connected with modern needs, Chanel reinvents its timeless jewellery watch, introducing the bold PREMIERE SOUND timepiece
Joys to BEHOLD
The Kate Spade New York Fall 2024 Pop-up, at ION Orchard's Level 1 Atrium until 11 September, spotlights kate spade new york's blooming Spade Flower Jacquard collection, which is boosted by fun-filled activity stations that beckon
LIFT ME UP
A few weeks ago, Oasia Spa became the first hotel spa in SINGAPOFE tow m 8 launch facial treatments featuring Swissline by Dermalab products. VOFFICIEL* SINGAPORE was there to try one of them
Dynamic DUO
Bell Ross proves that the underrated gold-and-steel combo still slaps
LIGHT & DARK
Piaget presents a dichotomous pair of Polo timepieces: one, a radiant rainbow, the other, a jet-black skeleton
NATURAL WOMAN
Wearing pieces from Cartier’s latest Nature Sauvage High Jewellery collection, Emma Chamberlain speaks to L'‘OFFICIEL about her career highs, from being a successful YouTuber to establishing herself as a true fashion insider
Golden AGE
Serving as Hedi Slimane’s muse for Celine’s Winter 2024 collection are the swinging 60s
Meaningful ESCAPE
Connecting with nature was daunting for this city-dweller but it ended up being exactly what the doctor ordered
MODERN SIMPLICITY
Thai actress, hanaerng Kanyawee Songmuang makes a fresh fashion statement in Bottega Veneta’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection. Inspired by global cultures, the collection reimagines everyday wear for modern women with sharp, minimalist designs crafted from exceptional materials. The colour palette and patterns evoke the spirit of travel and sunset, creating an effortless and sophisticated contemporary sensibility