... a fascinating exploration of Singapore’s fashion identity through the lenses of craftmanship and heritage, both tangible and intangible.

Singapore-based designers featured in the exhibition include Lai Chan, Kavita Thulasidas from Stylemart, Priscilla Shunmugam of Ong Shunmugam, Letitia Phay and Jade Swee of Time Taken to Make a Dress, Hu Ruixian at Studio HHFZ and Carol Chen. Designers based abroad are also featured, such as Andrew Gn and Baëlf Design by Jamela Law and Lionel Wong.

This exhibition and digital catalogue celebrate the collaborative spirit and efforts between the College and the museum. In it, Circe Henestrosa, Head of LASALLE’s School of Fashion, and Jackie Yoong, Curator at the Asian Civilisations Museum, share an intimate conversation with the student curators of #SGFASHIONNOW. They give insights into their curatorial journeys and what motivates each of their practices. Barbara Fras, Deputy Director, Audience, Asian Civilisations Museum, highlights the importance of the education and outreach programmes that she and her teams have developed with our students.

Lecturer Nadya Wang takes us on a journey through the history of Singaporean fashion, where she highlights and proposes a hybrid identity as a visual language that characterises the city’s fashion landscape. Finally, lecturer Daniela Monasterios-Tan worked with our students to create a glossary of terms highlighting Asian craftsmanship, exemplified by the specific pieces showcased in the #SGFASHIONNOW exhibition.

To our intrepid student curators Guo Li Le, Jessica Suwito, Felicia Toh, Celestine Wong and Gabrielle Yeo, and the School of Fashion team at LASALLE, my warmest congratulations on the launch of the project! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kennie Ting, Director of the Asian Civilisations Museum for opening the doors of the museum for our students to put their curatorial ideas to the test. Thank you to Barbara Fras, Jackie Yoong and their teams for their time and dedication to work with us and our students, as well as Arielle Lau and her marvellous team for making this exhibition with Singaporean architecture studio FARM.

I look forward to many more exciting collaborations between our two institutions. Enjoy the exhibition!