The Asian Civilisations Museum's (ACM) first display of contemporary Singapore fashion, exploring creative practice in Singapore in the context of Asia’s cultural heritage’s is set to launch from Friday.
The showcase, branded #SGFASHIONNOW, is presented in collaboration with LASALLE College of the Arts’ School of Fashion and the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF).
Visitors will encounter cross-cultural works and fashion-forward ideas by Singapore designers organised in two sections; the first is the curtain-raiser display ACM x TaFF, where four ensembles by Singapore-based finalists of fashion design competition Singapore Stories 2020 are on show at the ACM Lobby; the second, ACM x LASALLE, showcases works by eight practising local designers, including established professionals Andrew Gn, Goh Lai Chan, and Priscilla Shunmugam, whose works are mounted alongside Singapore Stories 2020 winner Carol Chen’s debut creation.
“It is our first display of contemporary Singapore fashion, and in typical ACM fashion, we explore creative practice in Singapore within the context of Asia’s cultural heritage. It is made possible by way of a first-time, multi-party collaboration between museum, community and industry," Kennie Ting, Director of ACM and the Peranakan Museum, said.
He added that he hoped the exhibition would encourage new ways of thinking about the question “What is Singapore fashion?” from the perspective of Singapore’s essence as a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan port city. #SGFASHIONNOW will also be held in 2022.
The anchor display of Singapore’s fashion identities is located at the Contemporary Gallery in the heart of the museum.
The chosen designers drew from the rich heritage of fashion, craft, and cultural ideas of Singapore and Asia, an official statement read.
Emerging designers were selected alongside established veterans to highlight contemporary applications of traditional craftsmanship and ideas for the modern, international audience.
The display is set to showcase some of the wide range of approaches in craft and ideas taken by diverse designers in contemporary Singapore fashion.
The curatorial task of putting together this exhibition was largely ceded to 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 students proposed the central exhibition theme of “Craftsmanship” and proposed four designers’ works (Baëlf Design, Stylemart, Studio HHFZ, and Time Taken to Make a Dress) for display.
“Partnerships such as this between industry and education play a crucial role in cultivating the next generation of Singapore’s fashion designers and curators,” Steve Dixon, president of LASALLE College of the Arts, said.
Visitors can view the four ensembles of the #SGFASHIONNOW: ACM x TaFF display in the lobby. Presented by 2020 finalists of Singapore Stories, Singapore’s national fashion design competition, the designs pay tribute to the heritage of Singapore fashion and envision its future.
“Through the learnings and interpretation from ACM artefacts, the Singapore Stories contestants are encouraged to create a truly Singapore-inspired capsule,” Semun Ho, Chief Executive Officer of TaFF, said.
“TaFF’s vision is to position Singapore as the innovative fashion hub of Southeast Asia through three key areas of focus: Technology and Innovation, Sustainability, and Asian Craftsmanship,” she added.
The exhibition opens on June 25 and will run till December 19, 2021.
Members of the public will also have access to a series of student curator tours, interactive activities and workshops focusing on fashion, craft, and design available online and onsite. Entry is free for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.