LASALLE College of the Arts and Ong Shunmugam have announced the launch of the Fashion Forward Bursary and LASALLE x Ong Shunmugam Mentorship Programme, a first-of-its-kind initiative to support the next generation of fashion creatives in Singapore.
The Fashion Forward Bursary has been kickstarted by Priscilla Shunmugam, founder of Ong Shunmugam, in aid of talented and financially challenged students who otherwise may not be able to pursue their passion in fashion. The bursary will be awarded annually to two Diploma students or one BA(Hons) student from LASALLE’s School of Fashion.
It is complemented by the LASALLE x Ong Shunmugam Mentorship Programme, which is envisioned as a comprehensive programme to provide sustained, holistic support towards the personal and professional development of LASALLE’s School of Fashion students. The LASALLE x Ong Shunmugam Mentorship Programme comprises an industry-led project and a dedicated mentorship for final year students.
In the industry-led project, students from BA(Hons) Fashion Design & Textiles and BA(Hons) Fashion Media and Industries collaborate with Ong Shunmugam to design a capsule collection LASALLE x OM Ed, while the mentorship includes critique sessions and project consultations with Ong Shumugam to share best practices, intellectual property rights, business knowledge and entrepreneurial guidance as students prepare to graduate and enter the workforce.
For Priscilla Shunmugam, the launch of the mentorship programme and bursary is her chosen way to commemorate the brand’s ten years in the fashion industry. Priscilla first reached out to LASALLE in October 2020 to discuss the idea, after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a temporary relocation back to Singapore as well as the cancellation of travel for the foreseeable future.
“My tertiary education was only made possible because I was the recipient of various forms of financial aid that weren’t necessarily tied to academic excellence—a tuition grant from the Ministry of Education, an interest-free tuition loan from DBS Bank, a loan to purchase a laptop in my first year of university and even a cheque from a family friend, for the purpose of purchasing textbooks. My years in law school changed my life and I always knew that one day, when the business was in a good place, we would do the same thing for young adults on the cusp of carving out a future for themselves,” said Priscilla.
“Over the past decade, LASALLE is an institution I’ve maintained a strong connection with, whether through engagements with the students or members of the faculty. We keep coming back to each other for reasons that always put the interest of students first. So it was a natural fit for me to initiate this bursary and mentorship programme with LASALLE’s School of Fashion, and I hope to give back in a targeted, multifaceted way that will really match my available resources and experience to this next generation of fashion graduates,” she elaborated.
Circe Henestrosa, Head of LASALLE’s School of Fashion, said: “We have always enjoyed great rapport and collaboration with industry in the School of Fashion, so for us, this comprehensive bursary and mentorship programme really takes it to the next level in terms of capacity building. Ong Shunmugam’s vision to foreground contemporary Asian aesthetics in dialogue with traditions and craftsmanship fits perfectly with what we do, and Priscilla’s experience will be invaluable in guiding students as they prepare to embark on their own careers.”
“With the launch of this first-of-its-kind partnership for us, it is our hope that other potential mentors will eventually come on board as well. We would love to expand the programme to include more local designers who are inspired to give back to the next generation,” Circe added.
