Showcasing The Talent Of Raffles Fashion Designers In 2014 Japan Creative Centre Sustainable Fashion Design Contest
Singapore - The Japan Creative Centre (JCC) Sustainable Fashion Design Contest capitalises on the notion of designing products that are durable and minimises wastage. Since its inaugural launch in 2011, Raffles Singapore has been producing numerous talented Raffles Fashion Designers who emerged among the top three winners and also finalists in the contest. At the 4th JCC Sustainable Fashion Design Contest, eight Raffles Fashion Designers achieved astonishing results as they showcased their creative collection along the "Japan, Mixed Culture & High Fashion" theme in Japan.
The eight Raffles Fashion Designers were Daniella Grace Krestianto and Zhong Haowen (among the top three winners), Franssylvia Harianto, Li Jun Shuang, Liau Jia Hui, Chen Yan Ran, Rachel Abigail Ronadhi and Laurensia Salim. They pushed their creative boundaries by combining elements of ASEAN and Japanese culture into their garment design, which was then showcased to the students from Bunka Fashion School in October 2014. Through this contest, it enabled aspiring fashion designers from both Singapore and Japan to exchange and promote ideas on the growing importance of sustainability and responsible design in the fashion industry.
"I was very honoured and delighted as this achievement proved the value in my work. I am grateful to my Raffles Creative Practitioner Joe Spinelli for his guidance, and my classmates for their constant encouragement to me. Through this competition, I have also enhanced my techniques and production methods." said Haowen. Haowen’s design concept was inspired by Japanese kimono, cherry blossoms, origami art and ink painting.
"It was a great opportunity for me to broaden my knowledge in the sustainable design aspect such as using recycled materials to transform into something useful and beautiful. This competition enabled me to think out-of-the-box and try new things. To everyone out there, you should believe and reach out to your dreams as each of us is destined to shine." said Daniella. Her design concept was inspired by Japanese kimono and the Kokeshi Japanese doll.
Check out the winning collections by our eight Raffles Fashion Designers in the gallery below.
Four Raffles Fashion Designers Yu Jingyin, Zhao Yue’Er, Kate Zokh And Sue Suh Featured In VOGUE Italy Magazine
China - VOGUE Italy, the world’s leading and most powerful magazine in fashion, featured four Raffles Fashion Designers namely Yu Jingyin, Zhao Yue’Er, Kate Zokh and Sue Suh from Raffles Shanghai in their September issue as the world’s top 200 emerging designers!
This is the third consecutive year that Raffles Shanghai has been featured by VOGUE Italy, which affirms our quality education and commitment to academic excellence as we groom aspiring students into successful creators and leaders of tomorrow. Raffles was also the only institution within China to be featured in this magazine. Click here to view the article.
The magazine featured the collection by Raffles Fashion Designers. For Jingyin’s concept, the intricate lines used in architectural design was the inspiration behind Grace’s Line Art collection. The interplay of lines gave a unique dimension and a sophisticated look on the garment, while Yue'Er's “Girl Before the Mirror - Moon” concept used Cubism abstract art and vibrant colours to produce a both elegant and playful garment.
Raffles Fashion Designers Laurensia Salim And Veronica Lee Emerged Among Top 10 Finalists In 2014 EcoChic Design Award
Singapore - Congratulations to our two Raffles Fashion Designers from Raffles Singapore, Laurensia Salim and Veronica Lee, who were among 10 finalists for the 2014 EcoChic Design Award! This annual sustainable fashion design competition challenges aspiring fashion designers across Asia and Europe to create mainstream clothing with minimal textile waste. In January 2015, Laurensia and Veronica will transform their concept to reality and showcase their creations at the Hong Kong Fashion Week. The grand winner will get to design a capsule collection for Shanghai Tang and also work with China’s leading luxury brand.
It took nine months of rigorous judging by a panel of influential professionals from the design, manufacturing, retail and media fields, namely Orsola de Castro, Co-Founder of From Somewhere and Curator of Estethica; Dorian Ho, Fashion Designer; Anderson Lee, Vice Chairman of the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium; Joseph Li, Chief Designer of Womenswear at Shanghai Tang and Yvonne Luk, Chief Editor of WGSN China. The judges are well-known for their innovative use of sustainable design techniques.
"This competition served as a challenge of how far I can go. I only started learning about sustainability in fashion after I joined Raffles and was excited to be one of the finalists. Such achievement motivated me to perform better in the making of my final garments. Through this competition, I hope to broaden my knowledge on sustainable fashion, resulting in less harm to the environment. My creation was inspired by the diversities of the sea and its creatures, and how they come together beautifully." said Laurensia Salim.
Light It Up! A Modern Twist To Formula One Car For 2014 Grand Prix Singapore By Raffles Designers
Singapore – As part of the Grand Prix Singapore 2014, five Raffles Designers from Raffles Singapore’s Graphic Design and Product Design disciplines came together to create an impressive Formula One (F1) car using cardboard and fluorescent strips. The theme was to celebrate the people behind F1 Race in Singapore. The race car was also showcased to distinguished guests at the event.
This project was not an easy feat as it took one month to be completed. Bright neon strips were pasted on the car to reflect the vibrancy of the event and Singapore’s culture. It also represented the experience of the action from daytime to the night. Acrylic and LED panels were also mounted on the car to create an illusion of a fast-moving effect.
Led by Raffles Creative Practitioners, Terrence Chong and Hector Salazar, the team were awarded tickets to enjoy the exciting racing experience in appreciation of their effort.
Raffles Fashion Designer Leslie Yong Stole The Show At Ciputra World Fashion Week 2014
Singapore – Raffles Fashion Designer, Leslie Yong, stole the limelight onstage with his ‘S C A R Autumn Winter 2014/15’ collection at the Ciputra World Fashion Week 2014 held in Surabaya, Indonesia in September 2014. Currently, Leslie is also a Raffles Creative Practitioner at Raffles Surabaya.
Leslie’s collection was inspired by a practice used in the traditional culture of a tribe called scarification (somewhat similar to body art tattoo). The practice represents the social status in a tribe. His idea sparked after visiting a photography exhibition of Sebastião Salgado, a Brazilian social documentary photographer and photojournalist.
"The showcase presented Raffles' true blue standard and quality to my students, as a Creative Practitioner. As a Raffles Fashion Designer, it exposed me to the media and public, thus gaining more publicity for my label. These achievements were made possible with the knowledge and skills that I acquired during my study at Raffles. To the budding fashion designers, don't be afraid of failure. Keep trying and pushing yourself to the limit with 100% effort, and you will get to see the results." said Leslie.
Raffles Designer Winnie Lestari Won The F. Hinds High Street By Design Competition 2014
Singapore – Raffles Designer Winnie Lestari from Raffles Singapore is the current jewellery design winner of the F. Hinds High Street By Design Competition 2014 with her “Heart of Neptune pendant” creation! Organised by the International Jewellery London (IJL), the annual competition challenges aspiring designers and students aged 12 to over 18 to design a jewellery piece that they would love to wear themselves for sale on the high street in London.
Winnie graduated with a Bachelor of Design, Majoring in Jewellery Design in 2009. As one of the top students in Raffles, she participated in numerous competitions through constant encouragement from Raffles Creative Practitioners. She bagged Grand Prize in the Risis Design Competition, and Market Award in the Frank&Co Design Competition. She also graduated as a gemologist in 2013 at Carlsbad, California, and currently creating her own jewellery line at John Hardy as an intern in Bali, Indonesia.
"I was very surprised and delighted to emerge as the winner amongst many talented designers in this competition. Just like the ocean, my design is about balance. I used a hard material that looks soft and flowy to create a bold but yet gentle look. A crystal briolette was added at the heart of the jewellery to give balance and a luxury sentiment." said Winnie. Her award-winning jewellery piece was displayed at the IJL exhibition in September and presented to her as a gift for her achievement. It will also be retailed across IJL’s stores and online store in England and UK.
Raffles Entrepreneur Renee Chan Shares Her Experience At Raffles Singapore
Singapore – Raffles Entrepreneur, Renee Chan, graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce with Major in Marketing from Raffles Singapore. As the current Head of Research at IPG Mediabrand in Shanghai, Renee shares her experience on how Raffles maximised her potential and fanned her passion in Marketing Research.
“I managed to pursue a career in Marketing Research because of the strong foundation that Raffles School of Business has offered to me. The education, level of exposure and expectations from Raffles Business Creative Practitioners are very high in terms of the rigour in the approach, process and outcomes from every project. I have the privilege of being taught by extraordinary Raffles Business Creative Practitioners with amazing applied research experiences that inspired me. Also I have opportunities to apply the theories into actual work. Whenever I needed help, I can always count on my Raffles Creative Practitioners for guidance.” said Renee.
Raffles Singapore's Orientation Day In October 2014
Singapore – An Orientation Day was held at Raffles Singapore in October 2014 with many fun-filled activities lined up to welcome a new batch of aspiring Raffles Designers, Marketers, Entrepreneurs and Psychologists.
After a unique site-seeing tour of Singapore’s iconic landmarks via the Duck and HiPPO Bus, the Raffles Education Consultants gave an introduction of the places of interests and how Raffles collaborated with them. To further engage the students, contests to win attractive prizes were also organised before ending the day with an introduction by Raffles College Director and Creative Practitioners.
Check out the photo gallery and video to relive the excitement of the event.
Raffles Singapore And Raffles Delhi Collaborated In A 3D-Printed Aerodynamics Formula One Car Competition
Singapore – Riding on the Formula One (F1) fever in Singapore, Raffles Singapore and Raffles Delhi came together to organise a 3D-Printed Aerodynamics F1 Car Competition at Raffles Singapore’s campus on 19 September 2014.
The challenge of the competition was to design and fabricate a 3D model of an aerodynamic car using computer-aided design software such as Rhino or Solidworks and Raffles Singapore’s newly acquired 3D printer. Students from Raffles Delhi, Dhruv Prasad and Vidyut Naidu, even bagged awards for the Best Design and Furthest Distance.
"Through this collaboration, Raffles Product Designers gained knowledge about the aerodynamics of a car and application of technologies in the creation of their designs in a fun and interactive way. This will definitely boost the students' learning curve." said Raffles Creative Practitioner Hector Salazar.
A New Raffles Creative Practitioner Artem Diedkov At Raffles Singapore
Singapore – A warm welcome to Mr Artem Diedkov for joining the academic team as a Business Administration Creative Practitioner at Raffles Singapore!
As a graduate of Master of Business Administration in International Affairs Management, Artem possessed five years of experience in Agrinol, one of the largest petroleum companies in the Eastern Europe. He also taught at an undergraduate programme in his native University.
Artem’s expertise across varied practical and development roles, coupled with excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, helps him to be a compassionate and an enthusiastic creative practitioner to share valuable knowledge with the students.
Raffles Medan Thrilled Audience With Halloween Fashion Show At Bel Mondo Restaurant
Indonesia - Raffles Medan collaborated with Bel Mondo restaurant, a leading F&B chain in Medan, with a Halloween-themed fashion show in October 2014. Raffles Fashion Designers, Melissa, Novia, Halim from Raffles Medan, Cynthia Fransisca from Raffles Singapore and William Utama from Raffles Sydney, thrilled the audience with 24 stylish creations at the show.
Led by Raffles Creative Practitioner William Utama, Raffles Fashion Designers spent great effort and time to design new looks for partner’s party. “It is all worth it!” exclaimed the Raffles Fashion Designers after the show.
Cynthia, a Master graduate from Raffles Singapore and a winner of the Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia Asia New Generation Fashion Designer Award 2014, captivated the audience with her stunning “Beyond the Veil” collection, while William displayed a mixture of men’s and ladies wear with his “Redemption” Collection.
Raffles Delhi’s Enriching Learning Experience In Paris And London
India – In conjunction with the design week in Paris and London, Raffles Interior Designers and Creative Practitioners from Raffles Delhi visited Europe for an enriching learning experience in September 2014. They gained a better understanding of the rich cultural heritage in both world class cities, and became more enthusiastic in their coursework.
Their first stop was at the Belleville District in Paris, a lively area with a vibrant mix of youth and a rich history, and also visited the Notre-Dame de la Croix Church. The next day, they visited one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument, the Louvre Museum, followed by the legendary Champs Elysees, the Petit Palais art museum, the awe-inspiring Eiffel Tower and Hector Guimard’s Castel Beranger, a private apartment building or the first example of Art Nouveau in Paris.
On the third day, they visited Pompidou Centre, one of the world’s greatest examples of structural and mechanical systems and its exposition in an architectural context. The building also showcases a strong collection of modern classics, representing both art and design. On day fourth, they went to Louis XIV’s Versailles Palace, one of the most notable example of architectural and design genre. The subsequent visits were to the vast historical collections of the Victoria and Albert museum, and also Interior Design showrooms at the London Design Week to understand about the various styles and product lines.
Raffles Phnom Penh Supports Miss Tourism International Pageant Of Cambodia
Cambodia - Miss Tourism International is a Malaysian-based global beauty pageant founded since 1994. Each year, contestants across the world compete for the title of Miss Tourism International in Malaysia. The objective was to find a beautiful modern and talented woman to promote the tourism industry in their home country to the rest of the world.
Raffles Fashion Design Lecturer Valentine Vu from Raffles Phnom Penh was part of the prestigious judging panel in the 2nd Miss Tourism International Cambodia held at Nagaworld in Phnom Penh in November.
The audience were mainly distinguished guests such as the officials and ministers, celebrities and socialites. Raffles was proud to be invited to participate in such esteemed event.
"The judges and I worked endless throughout the competition to execute a fair and transparent judging process. We gave marks on various aspects of the individual contestant over three major fashion rounds - cocktail, traditional costume, and evening wear besides the interview segment. It was fun to be invited to represent the fashion industry and Raffles. I was extremely picky at the score given in regards to the fashion choices of the contestants and their thought process during the interview. As an educator and a designer, I am proud to give back to the country and appreciate the organiser for inviting us." said Valentine.
Raffles Shanghai Took A Stand For Peace
China – As part of raising awareness for the International Day of Peace and supporting the Peace One Day’s campaign, Raffles Shanghai invited students, teachers and friends to take a stand for global unity and world peace on 21 September. Peace One Day is a non-profit organisation that aims to institutionalise Peace Day on 21 September as a day that is self-sustaining, a day of global unity and intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known.
Inspired by the worthy cause, Raffles Visual Communication Programme Director Sara Corvino influenced Raffles Shanghai to support the campaign. She designed a unique window display that featured a horrific war scene of a gun pointing towards two children who are running for their lives as they dodge the hail of bullets. A short description on the display highlighted that 75% of today’s war victims are civilians.
Invited guests portrayed their heartfelt emotions in their photo taken against the window display. It was then uploaded to Raffles Shanghai’s social media platform. Within two weeks, Raffles Shanghai’s hard work went viral as more than 800 photos were collected from visitors who were aware of their campaigning effort. Indeed, every little effort counts. Raffles Shanghai was also glad to have made a difference towards promoting unity and world peace.
Diwali Celebration At Raffles Delhi
India - A Diwali Celebration was organised at Raffles Delhi in October 2014 with colourful lights and beautifully decorated oil lamps. The celebration began with welcome speeches by staff from the corporate departments namely Neelu Kaul, Krishan Kant and Nupur Munjal, before lighting up the oil lamps.
Dressed in Indian Ethnic attire, everyone got into groups to participate in a Rangoli Competition using colored rice, sand and flower petals to create patterns on the floor at the reception area. The winner with the best Rangoli design went to a group of Raffles Designers from the Interior Design and Product Design disciplines, Kritika Sood, Sudarsh Singh, Khushbu Dugar, Swati Dugar and Alisha Garg. Special award such as the best dressed male and female were also distributed. It was indeed a memorable event for all, as the event ended with good music and dance party.
“It was really fun to be a part of the Rangoli competition. This was a good time for students and lecturers to celebrate the festival together and interact with people whom you have never met before. What a good way of promoting togetherness!” said Karan Suri, Raffles Interior Designer.
