Thursday, February 23, 2012

Singapore, Malaysia and China finalists wow judges of Star Creation 2011 but Japan also drawn in
as a fourth winner of the region-wide fashion design competition.

It was a showdown that, by some judges’ accounts, turned up creations that could easily go from runway to rack. But by the end of the night of fierce deliberation at Star Creation, the Asia-wide fashion design competition, the judges named Singapore’s Tsai Ming Hung, China’s Chen Zhi Gang and Malaysia’s Tiang Boon Tieon as the winners.

For taking the top spot, they each won S$10,000 in cash, an internship with leading fashion retailer, F J Benjamin, and the chance to launch a capsule collection at Star Creation 2012.

It was a tough call to make, said judge Douglas Benjamin, who heads leading Asian retailer F J Benjamin, speaking at an exclusive Audi gala event last night.

“The quality of the pieces has really been very good. There has been a lot of use of technique and craft which we did not see last year. A lot of the finalists have also been on trend in terms of colour-blocking and the use of leather, so the judges have been quite impressed,” Mr. Benjamin said.

The winners were picked from a total of 144 entries received this year – double the number that was received last year. China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam made it to the finals.

The submission of entries was followed by an intense first round of judging, culminating in a pre-judging session early yesterday that allowed the judges to see the sketches as actual outfits and hear each designer’s interpretation of this year’s theme, Internationally Asian.

By the end of the pre-judging session, the judges each had their favourites, but it was anyone’s guess as to who would emerge tops.

Judge David Wang, who chairs the Designers and Retailers Group of the Textile and Fashion Federation (Singapore), said: “These young designers have such a great attitude to fashion. The fact that there was such intense deliberation shows that the quality of submissions was great and that the level of competition was very high. I am so pleased with the vast improvement that we have seen between last year and this year.”

Among the winners was Singaporean (PR) Ming Hung, 28, whose unusual collection infused modern menswear with ancient Asian design philosophies. It caught the eye of judge Desmond Yang, owner and designer of fashion label Abyzz, who said: “It was very wearable and technically strong, yet also very different from run-of-the-mill menswear.”

Along, an offbeat collection submitted by 27-year-old Boon Tieon from Malaysia, also drew high scores for how daring it was.

“I was very surprised to win. The judges seemed interested in the collection during the pre-judging, but I couldn’t really express myself too well because I had so little time and there was so much tension in the room. It would be great to see someone in my outfits but I’m not sure if they are practical enough to be worn yet,” said Boon Tieon, with a laugh.

The competition does have an additional prize – the Audi Young Designer Award (AYDA), a collaboration with Harper’s Bazaar magazine – a S$10,000 cash prize usually given to the winner whose creation best embodies the Audi design spirit of innovation, technology and progression.

However, given the close fight for top spots, the judges finally decided  that the AYDA would go to a fourth finalist – Japan’s Hiroyuki Watanabe, 24, whose collection, Modern Folk Costume, infused colourful ethnic elements into women’s wear, giving it a modern twist.

“The cultural identity of Hiroyuki’s collection was very strong. At the pre-judging, Hiroyuki also talked about how he was very inspired by both Audi cars and anime, and he managed to bring these two disparate concepts together in a very cohesive way. I loved his play on colour, and his youth and optimism also really came through,” said Harper’s Bazaar editor, Giselle Go.

Managing director of Audi Asia-Pacific, Mr Reinhold Carl, also said: “Hiroyuki’s collection was very adventurous, and here at Audi, we appreciate how daring it was. It is in Audi’s DNA to be trend-setters and ahead of the crowd. In this spirit, we want to spot the bright design stars of tomorrow.”

While some of the judges’ choices could be considered controversial, the winners were deliberately chosen because they pushed the boundaries of fashion, explained judge Colin McDowell, Creative Director of the Audi Fashion Festival.

The designs of both the four winners and eight finalists will be showcased to industry players, fashion experts and their peers on May 16. At that event, winners of Star Creation 2010 will also launch their personal capsule collections, which they have been developing over the last year.

Star Creation, organised by the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (TaFf), is part of the Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX), and aims to uncover new local and Asian talents and groom them into becoming tomorrow’s fashion stars. The event, now into its second year, ultimately aims to develop the long-term sustainability of the region’s fashion industry by building capability and profiling local talent on an international platform, here in Singapore.

Mrs Kee Ai Nah, Director of SPRING Singapore’s Lifestyle Division, said: “Star Creation has gained prominence among upcoming designers across Asia. It reflects their growing aspirations to be Asia’s leading designers. It is heartening to learn the stories behind the Star Creation entries, some of which stem from personal experiences and some that were inspired by our rich Asian heritage. We hope Star Creation will be a stepping stone to a successful design career.”

The winners at a glance

Chen Zhi Gang, 28, China (Star Creation 2011)

The story that inspired Zhi Gang’s collection, We’re Inseparable, is a sad one. The student in China’s Raffles Design Institute had to help a close friend deal with having been sexually abused, and it left a deep impression. The collection aims at capturing two different states – a sexy woman being undressed, and the idea of being safely shielded by a man and his coat. He also hopes to convey a sense of the ‘now’ – how, in an instant, things change.

Tiang Boon Tieon, 27, Malaysia (Star Creation 2011)

Boon Tieon’s inspiration to go into fashion design came from an unusual source – comic books. As a boy, the Raffles Design Institute (Singapore) student used to spend hours trying to draw the costumes in them. His collection, Along, is inspired by the humble handbag, which has become so much more than just a functional accessory and can say a lot about the person carrying it. In an attempt to capture that shift in mindset, he has deconstructed details in handbags and incorporated them into his outfits. The silhouette is loose-fitting to capture a sense of escapism, and the use of light, monotone materials lend the outfits a modern touch.

Tsai Ming Hung, 28, Singapore (PR) (Star Creation 2011)

Ming Hung, a fashion design graduate from the University of Northumbria who has lived in Singapore 10 years. His collection, Internationally Asian, attempts to infuse modern menswear with ancient Asian design philosophies, and incorporate Asia’s rich cultural legacy though in a wearable way. Boundaries are broken as East and West combine to create something completely unique.

Hiroyuki Watanabe, 24, Japan (2011 Audi Young Designer Award, in collaboration with Harper’s Bazaar)

Hiroyuki is a freelance fashion designer who studied at the Hiroshima school of fashion – the Hiroshima Fashion Speciality College. His collection, Modern Folk Costume, was sparked by a long-time interest in Asian ethnic costumes from all over the world. In his collection, he ventured to offer women the opportunity to delve into the ethnic, yet look modern and chic.

Please download images from: http://yousend.it/SC11_gala

 

For more information about Star Creation 2011 or to arrange for interviews with this year’s winners and finalists, please contact Word of Art:

 

Arti Mulchand
+65 9066 6152
Arti@word-of-art.biz

Pamela M. Devied
+65 8180 3776
Pamela@word-of-art.biz

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