Uncovering your potential - Raffles Singapore Open House 2014
Singapore - Raffles Singapore premiered its first Open House on 22 February 2014 since its move to a new campus at Raffles Education Square last year. More than 300 prospective students attended the Open House to find out how Raffles could help them uncover their potential.
For the first time, Raffles alumni, students and industry partners were invited to be part of this informative and exciting event themed “Uncovering Your Potential”. Luminary Raffles alumni such as Alfie Leong, who was “Designer of the Year” at the “President's Design Award 2013”, set up a fashion pop-up store to retail his Mu label. Others included To-a-tee by Luke Elijah, Eve by Eve Tan, Elska by Ace Chia and Pleatation by Chiang Xiaojun. Raffles students from Fashion Marketing were appointed to manage the stores. Industry partners also hyped up the atmosphere with their generous sponsorships of goodie bags and lucky draw prizes.
Team spirit was evident with Raffles students helping out at the event and presenting a series of entertaining performances. Some of the programmes put up by these Raffles Designers included martial arts, singing and flash mob.
On top of the fun element, participants of the Open House got to fire their creativity to make their own punk tee shirts, jewellery, smart phone docks, canvas painting and clay sculptures, just to name a few. Raffles creative practitioners were also present to conduct hands-on workshops for participants to gain an overview of the different programmes that Raffles offers.
The Open House was a success mainly because of the great support it received from its alumni, students and industry partners. Raffles Singapore would also like to thank the sponsors for their tremendous support. They are: Samsung, Nippon Paint, 3M, Bonia, The Citrus House, Shiseido, Tony & Guy, Teenage, Nescafe and Hotel Clover.
Outfits designed by Raffles Shanghai steal the limelight at star-studded event
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Shanghai, China - While the star-studded annual “China Trends Awards” in Beijing paid tribute to local and international top brands of haute couture, it also rolled out its red carpet to the avant-garde outfits, which were designed by students from Raffles Shanghai and worn by celebrities.
These outfits were the result of a strategic partnership that Raffles Shanghai had with Pepsi. Raffles students would also design outfits for all stars attending the Pepsi Academy Project and emerging ones from the Pepsi Design and Music College.
The star-studded awards ceremony in Beijing provided the opportunity for Raffles Designers to showcase their talent and creativity, alongside well-known designers. Furthermore, Beijing Television featured the event and undeniably helped to elevate public recognition towards the talent of Raffles Designers. |
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Personalities who wore the outfits at the ceremony included Wu Zujun and Li Minze, who were the winner and first runner-up at the “Cool Guy Competition” respectively. Pepsi China Marketing Officer Richard Lee’s eye-catching dark suit and Pepsi Ambassador Momo Wu’s lavishly accentuated red dress were all created by Raffles Designers.
Raffles Shanghai is committed to deepening co-operation with well-known international corporations to provide students with an invaluable platform to unleash their creativity and talent. The recent collaboration with Pepsi is an excellent avenue for Raffles students to display their talent to a mass audience.
Enterprising Raffles
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Singapore - The road to entrepreneurship starts with Raffles, and its graduates are making an impact in the design and creative fields. The latest additions to the Raffles success stories are two alumni of Raffles Singapore, who have each made waves in the fashion industry.
Regina Fang graduated from Raffles Singapore in 2003 in Fashion Design. She ventured into the industry and established her own label, NEWFOUND, in Singapore in 2006. Today, there are more than 150 NEWFOUND stores across China. Apart from dressing top Chinese celebrities, Regina’s collections have also been showcased on mega fashion runways.
It was Regina’s dream to become a fashion designer and she attributed her success to Raffles Singapore, for the college helped her to acquire the essential knowledge and skills to realise her dream. Regina said, “I am really grateful to Raffles Singapore and its Principal, Joe Spinelli, because they have made an impact in my career development. Joe’s endless encouragement provided me with the strength and persistence to believe in what I do and overcome all obstacles. They made me what I am today.” |
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The other success story is that of Elska, an online shoe boutique founded in December 2012 by Raffles alumnus Ace Chia and Raffles Singapore student Jessalynne Woo.
In January 2014, Elska expanded into an all-rounded fashion brand with shoes, clothes and accessories. Its latest “Fresh Novelty Collection” comprises timeless silhouettes made up of posh fabrics with fine details. Under this collection is the exclusive line of “Artisanal by Elska”, where all handmade pieces are sewn in-house.
The skills that Raffles students acquire will far exceed the knowledge and expertise of the profession. Regina, Ace and Jessalynne could best testify to this Raffles Promise of entrepreneurial success.
Raffles Interior Designers win top awards in India
Mumbai, India - For their originality, Interior Design students from Raffles Mumbai not only won top accolades but also in two categories at the “Park ELLE DECOR Student Contest”.
This is the first time that the students participated in the contest, which is an integral part of “India Design 2014” that aims to showcase the furniture, lighting, interior, as well as lifestyle works of the who’s who in the design industry.
Under the guidance of their creative practitioners, two teams from Raffles Mumbai each came in first in the Furniture – Small Space category as well as the Lighting category. Raffles Mumbai is the only institute whose students won in two categories of the contest.
The students’ winning designs were displayed alongside works by designers from around the world at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, which is the design district in New Delhi. ELLE DECOR will also feature the winners in the magazine’s April-May 2014 issue.
The best of Raffles work was brought to the world’s attention. The students have certainly done the college proud and displayed the true Raffles quality. Well done!
eBay partners Raffles Bangkok for an innovative runway show
Bangkok, Thailand - Fashion Marketing and Management students from Raffles Bangkok recently organised a special fashion show as part of their course module.
The fashion show, sponsored by leading global e-commerce company eBay, was designed as a team-building exercise for employees of eBay Singapore to foster stronger relationships, especially when placed in a situation outside their comfort zone.
Raffles students were empowered to organise the event and manage all aspects of the fashion show, including budgeting, procurement and choreography.
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The participating teams from eBay were tasked to design and create practical costumes from recycled materials such as newspapers, bottle caps and cardboards. The finished creations were modelled on the runway where the judges – creative practitioners from Raffles Bangkok – assessed their work based on innovation, practicality, inventive use of materials, team work and the overall look and feel of the outfit.
The innovative runway show was not only a showcase of the success of an industry-focused Raffles curriculum, but also the strong relationship Raffles has with the industry. The students tapped on their essential skills in organising the eBay event and at the same time, gained invaluable hands-on experience by working closely with the global company.
Raffles student Yamin said, “Now I understand why our creative practitioners stressed so much on planning every detail to the maximum because when the event took place, there were a lot of demands on us and time was short. As we were well prepared, the event was a success. We were even complimented on our professionalism.” |
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Raffles Bangkok will continue to forge extensive strategic industry partnerships and collaborations, thereby opening up a wealth of opportunities for students and the industry.
Talent on display - Raffles Fashion Designers at Indonesia’s prestigious competition
Jakarta, Indonesia - Two up-and-coming designers in the Indonesian fashion industry – Raffles alumnae Diana Nathania from Raffles Jakarta and Natalia Kiantoro from Raffles Shanghai – emerged as top 10 finalists in the prestigious “Lomba Perancang Mode”, which is a fashion design competition with a steeped history.
Since its inception in 1979, the competition has been a stepping stone for Indonesian designers and has produced numerous talented designers such as Samuel Wattimena, Chossy Latu, Itang Yunasz and in recent years, the likes of Sally Koeswanto, Billy Tjong and Jeffry Tan.
This year’s theme of “24 HOUR STYLE” challenged the designers to interpret the concept for active, urban women.
Natalia’s inspiration for her collection was taken from Jadis, the Ice Queen from the Chronicles of Narnia.
As the character is a heartless, cold-blooded lady, it was illustrated by the use of sharp lines as well as black and dark blue in the colour palette. Meanwhile, Diana chose the peony, a flower associated with wealth and good fortune in China and with bravery in Japan, as her theme. To her, the peony symbolises key attributes of women – beautiful, well-educated, yet brave and daring to take risks.
Natalia and Diana’s journey on this competition was not without challenges. As Natalia has just started her own label, she was juggling her time between the competition and her new career.
For Diana, it was not easy to translate the mood of the sketches into garments, as the competition did not allow for alteration. She was grateful to Raffles Jakarta’s Creative Practitioner Sanjay Razora for being a source of inspiration and encouragement. “I really have to thank him for his advice and support, or I might not have made it this far in the competition.”
Natalia shared the same gratitude. “If the creative practitioners at Raffles Shanghai hadn’t pushed me to my limits, I’m sure I would not be who I am today,” she said.
Both alumnae have sound advice for fellow juniors: Raffles Designers should pay close attention to the sharp, practical insights imparted by their creative practitioners and not underestimate any school project, as each project will always bring about meaningful lessons.
Diana and Natalia have certainly proven themselves in the competition, illuminating the true Raffles quality of “Success by Design”.
Raffles Singapore gives Rendezvous Hotel a fresh look through art
Singapore - Raffles Singapore collaborated with Far East Hospitality Trust to organise an exclusive “Art-Inspired Contest”, which saw more than 15 Raffles Graphic Designers getting their creative juices flowing to illustrate the transformation of the new, art-inspired Rendezvous Hotel Singapore.
Two teams emerged winners in the “Management’s Choice” and “Most Voted” categories. Etisha and Afri, winners of the “Management’s Choice” category, set out to represent Singapore with minimal, geometric expressions. The result was a creation that is modern, edgy, classy, and symbolises a perfect balance of the advanced infrastructure and rich natural heritage of Singapore.
Inspired by Rendezvous Hotel’s dragon logo and minimalistic colour field art movement, winners of the “Most Voted” category – Alessandra, Evelyn and Jojo – projected a bold but balanced design through the use of distinct colours and shapes. A clean and consistent layout compliments the minimalistic concepts while sending out a clear message that the hotel bears a fresh new look.
Raffles Creative Practitioner Pedro Gonçalves was very pleased with the success of this collaboration. “It was an enriching experience for Raffles Graphic Designers to practise what they have learnt in a real-life situation. They developed several intermediate project presentations and received exposure to client’s observations and critiques. An environment of positive competition was promoted and students fully embraced it, always with a positive attitude towards their classmates. I thank them and Far East Hospitality for making this a success for all participating stakeholders.”
Raffles Mumbai students put their creativity to work for a
good cause
Mumbai, India - As part of a community effort, Fashion Design students from Raffles Mumbai created costumes for Vanashakti, a non-governmental organisation that advocates the conservation of nature in India, in its participation in a marathon.
Guided by Raffles Creative Practitioners Verena Ott and Anthony Alphonso, the group of 12 Raffles Fashion Designers came up with the theme “Garbage to Garden” for the costumes. The Vanashakti team would wear them during the run at the “Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2014”. The runners were so impressed with how the designs resonated with their organisation’s mission that they rained praises on the students for their imagination and originality as well as their dedication towards conservation.
This meaningful partnership is one of the many examples that illustrates the dedication of Raffles Mumbai towards empowering students in applying their skills to a real-life event. It creates a win-win situation – students put forth their creativity for a good cause, while Vanashakti presents their mission at an international event through the creations by the Raffles Designers.
Raffles Singapore collaborates with Health Promotion Board to deliver training programme
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Singapore - Raffles Singapore and the Health Promotion Board joined forces to deliver a three-day “Youth Support Youth” training programme on mental health and peer support to Applied Psychology students.
Through the programme, Raffles students would gain practical knowledge and skills, have better efficacy and feel more empowered in reaching out to their peers and inspiring those around them to build a caring and supportive environment.
The training sessions were conducted over three days by external trainers Evelyn R Koh from Health Promotion Board, Ang Suying from Institute of Mental Health and Community Health Assessment Team, Tan Yoke Yin from Samaritans of Singapore, and Porsche Poh from Silver Ribbon (Singapore). It is well worth a mention that Porsche is a proud graduate of Raffles Singapore who co-founded the non-profit organisation that aims to combat mental health stigma. |
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The hands-on sessions exposed students to organising peer programmes in healthy settings, practising peer counselling and support, and applying their theoretical psychological knowledge to practice.
Raffles Creative Practitioner Dr Liza Berezina, said, “It was a good opportunity for students to exchange experience, receive practical information and open new ways as to how they can contribute to the society.”
Raffles Designers win Bossini Singapore’s Print Tee Design Competition
Singapore - T-shirts designed by Raffles Singapore students will soon make their way into Bossini outlets in Singapore.
The “Print Tee Design Competition” was launched by Bossini Singapore to encourage budding talents from local design schools to showcase their creativity. T-shirts printed with the winning designs will be sold at Bossini Singapore outlets.
Raffles Graphic Designer Denise Claire Phua Mun-Yi and Raffles Fashion Designer Agnes Angelin Tjioe emerged top in the “Singapore-themed” and “Happy-themed” categories of the competition respectively. Ten other Raffles Designers were also awarded consolation prizes for their participation.
Besides walking away with cash and Bossini vouchers, Denise and Agnes also won a one-week industrial attachment opportunity to work with Bossini’s design team at its headquarters in Hong Kong. The students will definitely benefit from this excellent opportunity, where they can gain industry experience in a leading brand apparel company.
Raffles Foundation Studies launched in Jakarta
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Jakarta, Indonesia - Raffles Jakarta recently launched the “Raffles Foundation Studies” programme at a joint event with its collaborative partner Join & Trust Learning Centre.
The one-year programme is targeted at graduating junior high school (SMP) students who wish to further their studies at Raffles. Students who complete and pass the programme are awarded a certificate by the Raffles University System, thereby granting them entry into the Advanced Diploma programmes offered by Raffles.
Raffles Designer Maria Valentine Lydia, who graduated in 2013 from Raffles Jakarta< as the top Fashion Design student, also shared her learning experience with the participants. |
Maria won the first prize in the “Indomaret Uniform Design Competition”, and finished top 10 in both the “Fashion-Pro Magazine Illustration Competition” and “AMICA Fashion Designer Competition 2013”. She described how Raffles’ practice-oriented pedagogy and experienced creative practitioners have helped unlock her potential to be an award-winning fashion designer.
Response from the participants was positive and encouraging. The first intake for the “Raffles Foundation Studies” programme starts in July 2014; graduating junior high school (SMP) students who are keen to register can contact Raffles Jakarta.
Exclusive invitation to Raffles Delhi from Volkswagen
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New Delhi, India - Product Design students and creative practitioners from Raffles Delhi were invited to an exclusive session organised by Volkswagen to hear from its Head of Interior Design, Romulus Rost, who shared his insights on design.
Using Volkswagen’s upcoming “Taigun” model, a SUV concept developed specially for the Indian market as a case study, the participants learnt how an automobile design flows from an initial sketch to a working prototype. The industry veteran Romulus also presented topics such as design strategy, prototyping and production manufacturing.
Sharing his passion for design with the students, Romulus said, “You have to tell a story with your designs. You have to feel what you are doing and you must be passionate about it. You have to love your designs and be proud of them and stand by them.”
Raffles Product Designers appreciated the invaluable opportunity to gain insights from the expert himself and felt that their studies have been enriched by such a visit. ” |
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Vidyut Jacob said, “College life is great but it is important to get into the corporate world and see what other designers are doing. This Volkswagen session gave me that experience. When you see what is happening in the industry and get to talk to these people, you will be aspired and challenged to make your own work better.
Creative Practitioner Devon R. Foster could not have agreed more. “It is important for students to complement their studies by seeing the skills and techniques they have learnt in class to be applied to a real-world Product Design process. Romulus gave a very in-depth overview of how this particular product was brought to market, including how Volkswagen designers work with their marketing team and board members. On an educational level, it couldn’t have been better,” he said.
The design interaction session is an affirmation of Raffles’ strong industry relationship and focus on equipping students with industry-relevant skills. Raffles Delhi is always seeking opportunities for students to interact with the experts to broaden their knowledge.
Practical tips from a Raffles alumnus
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New Delhi, India - Interior Design students at Raffles Delhi gained practical tips from fellow alumnus, Stuti Gawri, who was invited as a guest speaker for their “Creativity and Concept Development” module.
It was a meaningful initiative by Raffles Delhi to give students a glimpse of work-life of an interior designer, and it could not be more apt than to hear it from an alumnus who studied the same programme in the very same classroom.
Harshita Sinha, who attended the talk and found it relevant, said, “We can relate very well to Stuti because as a former student of Raffles, she knows what kind of questions were running through our minds.”
Stuti imparted practical tips and highlighted how important it is for a designer to have his or her own perception. She also presented her work and drew a number of questions from the eager audience.
Another student, Shreya Agarwal, also found the talk interesting and useful. “The talk is really inspirational. The showcase of her work helped us to think on the technical aspect of design and think beyond our imagination. It is a learning experience. We would love to have more of this kind of seminar in future,” said Shreya. |
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New additions to the Raffles Creative Practitioners family
Singapore - Raffles Singapore recently welcomed two new faces to the Creative Practitioners family – Federico Fiore for Visual Communications and Jelena Baturan for Interior Design.
Being experts in their own professions, Raffles creative practitioners are committed to imparting their knowledge and skills to students in an international learning environment, which is rich in creativity and conducive for growth.
The extensive experiences of Federico and Jelena will add on to the wealth of cultural and industry knowledge of creative practitioners at Raffles Singapore, thereby bringing an added learning advantage to students.
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Federico Fiore - Visual Communication
Federico has over a decade of experience in the animation and broadcast industry, and has worked for clients including BBC and Microsoft. His professional experience spans from operations to director of production. Federico holds a Master of Design degree in Animation with distinction from the Glasgow School of Art. Before joining Raffles Singapore, Federico was an active freelancer in the United Kingdom for established animation boutiques such as Seeds Animation Studio (London) and AProductions (Bristol). |
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Jelena Baturan - Interior Design
Jelena is an architect with seven years of experience in interior design, project management, marketing (graphic design) and façade design. She has worked on numerous interior design projects including residential and commercial projects all over Europe, Russia, Asia and Africa. Jelena graduated from the University of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, Serbia with a Masters in Architecture. During her studies, she completed a professional practice in Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Belfast (Craigavon), United Kingdom. Jelena joined Raffles Singapore in order to fulfil her strong desire to share her knowledge and help develop students into competent and creative professionals.
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Inspiring story from fashion veteran for Raffles Delhi students
New Delhi, India - Some bright and promising Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing students from Raffles Delhi were recently given a glimpse into the fashion industry by fashion veteran Varun Ravindernath Rana, who is the Fashion Features Director of Harper’s Bazaar India.
Trained in Fashion Design, Varun started his career as an assistant to top designers including Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi Mukherji. As he found his interests in writing, he decided to switch over to Fashion Journalism; he has since worked for renowned companies such as Condé Naste India and Genesis Luxury. Varun said it was his strong belief, hard work and determination that propelled him to a successful career in the fashion industry.
His story has inspired the students. Fashion Marketing student Manorama Baswa said, “Varun’s emphasis on hard work made me realise that giving my 100 percent is not enough anymore. Things that I have learnt during that one-hour talk will stay with me for a long time.”
Besides sharing his experience, Varun also gave an insight into the current developments and progress of India’s fashion industry, highlighting topics such as fashion culture and ethics, intellectual property rights and sustainable design. Raffles Creative Practitioner Maria Cuadrado attested that Varun was indeed a positive influence, both to the students and creative practitioners. “He is a real inspiration for the students as he shared with them his international experience. It is also for us, as creative practitioners, a way to get in touch with the outside world,” said Maria.
Encouraged by the positive response, Raffles Delhi hopes to invite other veterans from the fashion industry to share their experience and knowledge with the students in the near future.
Celebrating love and friendship at Raffles Mumbai
Mumbai, India - Valentine’s Day at Raffles Mumbai saw students basking in the warmth of love and friendship. The campus was decorated in red and white to signify love and purity, and a “Wall of Hearts” was set up for students to pen their thoughts and dedications.
Activities for the event included song dedications, jam session, and sale of chocolates, cakes and customised stationery products, all of which were organised by the students. A box was prepared for students to drop their secret admiration cards, which were then delivered by Raffles Mumbai staff to the intended recipients.
The two-hour event brought fun, cheers and love all around the campus. It was an unforgettable Valentine’s Day for everyone.
