Three international brands – Swarovski, Converse and Takasago – collaborated with LASALLE to give graduating fashion students a boost. The collaboration for the graduation showcase involved S$100,000 worth of products to be incorporated into the students’ collections – the largest external investment in a fashion showcase thus far – and invaluable consultation with the respective brands’ in-house product designers.
Themed Atelier, the curated showcase of innovation, creative skills and craftsmanship was held at LASALLE's Singapore Airlines Theatre on 11 May 2017. 11 bold and edgy collections selected from 26 graduands of LASALLE’s BA(Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles programme was presented at the runway show.
Second-year partner Swarovski invested S$45,000 worth of crystals that were used in the works of five students. Each student also had the privilege of mentorship under Swarovski’s designers to optimise the brilliance of their collections.
In celebration of Chuck Taylor's 100th Year anniversary, Converse partnered LASALLE’s fashion students to refresh hype for Chuck Taylor as the next leading fashion style icon. Students customised the sneakers as part of their collections, and a total of seven works were selected for the finale showcase on 11 May.
LASALLE continued to push creative boundaries by collaborating with leading flavour and fragrance company Takasago for the first time. Two graduands, Jamela Law and Morgan Le Fay, took up the challenge to develop scents and create four-dimensional collections, e.g. Jamela’s honey-inspired fragrance to match her collection’s three-dimensional-printed honeycomb structure; and Morgan’s cherry, rose and smokey musk composition to complement her childlike, mischievous collection.
This was achieved through workshops with Takasago’s international senior perfumers Ian Marr and Steve Williams to articulate their design thinking and to combine the right notes for the desired scent. The two graduands were selected for the collaboration after clinching top spots in the Fragrance Fundamentals Programme that Takasago held with LASALLE in January 2017.
Taking the collaborations further, Swarovski rewarded the most ground-breaking designer with S$10,000 worth of crystals that could be applied to the winner’s subsequent collection. Converse also offered cash prizes for the Overall Best Collection (S$800) and Best Sneaker Design (S$500) categories.
Fashion-with-a-message graduands also stomped the runway to convey strong messages about the community and environment. 1000MPH by Elisa Lim Shi En and Ethrisha Liaw Jiaqing spoke to people with disabilities. The two designers conducted multiple focus groups and created various prototypes of wearable therapy for wheelchair users.
Their collection played up dimensions to offer structural relief to a seated wearer, and used beadwork as a form of therapeutic massage. The completed line of wearable therapy, which included Swarovski crystals and carries customised Converse sneakers, aimed to improve the comfort level of wheelchair users, especially if they are seated in the same position for an extended period.
Another cutting-edge collection was Jamela Law’s Bεεing/Human. Apart from Law’s creation of a new complementary scent, the collection also featured Swarovski crystals and sneakers from Converse. The four-dimensional collection was a tribute to nature’s wonder and inspired by the purpose and structure of honeycomb.
Law fused geometric, architectural and biological forms on a human body to question the relationship between humans and nature, and how more people can do their part to save the environment.
