From inclusivity to sustainability, Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) Graduate Fashion Show 2019 featured design collections informed by powerful social messages.
Themed ‘Singularity’, the show is a culmination of the best works created by 10 young designers as part of their graduation showcase on Friday, May 3, 2019.
The designers drew inspirations from iconic landmarks such as the Red Fort in India, Dominion Building in Moscow. They also incorporated important social messages in their work, including women empowerment, modesty in fashion and environmental awareness.
One of the designers is Meghna Sharma, an Indian raised in Indonesia. She revisited her homeland in search of her roots and inspiration for her collection. In her journey, she was motivated to create modest wear that empowers women in a bid to bring awareness to gender equality and violence against women.
‘Shakti’, a representation of divine feminine energy in Hinduism, formed the conceptual basis of Meghna's collection. “My collection draws inspiration from women who have lived valiantly in a society where they are harshly critiqued. The design emphasises on creating a feminine yet powerful silhouette that celebrates the liberation of women,” she said.
The winner of the Best Academic Award, Miss Nur Ili Binte Norazip, presented ‘Fractals’, a collection inspired by the Shah Mosque in Iran. She hopes to open up more meaningful conversations about the concept of modesty and the lacking representation of Muslim women in fast fashion through her works. She explained, “I aim to challenge stereotypes and show possibilities in modest fashion. I hope this collection can contribute to getting more people to think about greater inclusivity and diversity in fashion.”
Miss Ng Pei Shi Amanda took home the Best Collection Award for demonstrating excellence in originality, workmanship and techniques used with ‘Genesis’. Inspired by the most primitive art form of cave paintings of Chauvet in southern France, the collection is a contemporary interpretation of the hand painted prints and shadowing in Palaeolithic cave art.
Amanda incorporated the concept of sustainable fashion through the intentional layering of scrap fabrics and yarn in her design to mirror the life of prehistoric humans who used basic materials they saw or possessed. “The purpose of my design is two-fold: raising awareness for sustainable fashion by giving scrap materials a new lease of life and discovering the depth of historical art,” said Amanda.
Concluding the Graduate Fashion Show as a representative of the judging panel, Mr Fabio Panzeri, Creative Director of Braun Buffel, said, “We saw really interesting themes and messages in these 10 collections. The young designers stayed true to their passion, and their creative directions did not blindly follow market trends and demands. Such bravery is important as they continue in their journey to be professional fashion designers.”
Here are some highlights from the event:
