Made in SG: Heritage Fashion With A Twist At The Asian Civilisations Museum

What comes to mind when you hear the words ‘Singapore fashion’? Maybe you think of Love, Bonito and Benjamin Barker. Or maybe Zalora. Does the OCS singlet count?

#SGFASHIONNOW, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)’s first contemporary Singapore fashion exhibition, addresses that question by showcasing cheongsams, gowns, kebayas, and more heritage-inspired costumes with a modern spin, all created by local designers.

The exhibit is organised in two sections: the first is ACM x TaFF, where four ensembles by Singapore-based Finalists of fashion design competition Singapore Stories 2020 are on display. The second, ACM X LASALLE, features the creations of eight practicing local designers, including veteran cheongsam artisan Goh Lai Chan and Ong Shunmugam’s Priscilla Shunmugam.

This exhibit was curated by five final-year students from LASALLE College of the Art’s School of Fashion, marking a first for ACM. 

Their curatorial statement illuminates the thought behind this exhibit: "In multicultural Singapore, one might wonder if there is a national attire or a particular look that represents the city. In search of an answer, we turned our attention to a tangible aspect of fashion — the craft of making clothes. This exhibition explores the modes of craftsmanship practised by Singapore fashion designers, running the gamut from tailoring and embroidery to laser-cutting and 3D printing."

Check out some of the most eye-catching pieces below:

Collection of Time Taken to Make a Dress by Letitia Phay and Jade Swee

LAICHAN by Goh Lai Chan

Neoterica Collection of Carol Chen

Ong Shunmugam by Priscilla Shunmugam

Collection of Studio HHFZ by Hu Ruixian

Collection of Stylemart by Kavita Thulasidas

Gown by Andrew Gn

Baëlf Design by Jamela Law and Lionel Wong

To see the full exhibition, and to find out more about how each of these pieces were made, you can visit the Asian Civilisations Museum from now until 19 December 2021, when the exhibition ends. 

Details on admission and timings here - but of course, remember to mask up at all times and adhere to safe distancing measures while you're there!

For the latest updates on Wonderwall.sg, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have a story idea for us, email us at [email protected].