Malcolm Chen discovers two young designers who draw inspiration from the colour-saturated motifs of Peranakan culture
Singapore designer Kae Hana weaves printed floral and skull motifs in a collection that reflects her unique personality.
Treading through the crowd along Orchard Road on a busy weekend afternoon, I found a row of pop-up stores outside TripleOne Somerset and promptly spotted Kae Hana’s boldly printed garments from her eponymous label.
Contrasting, provocative and funny are adjectives the 25-year-old designer uses to describe her curiously titled launch collection, “Raised by the Middles”. I learnt that she’s really paying homage to her growing up days of being raised by hardworking, middle-class parents!
Hana graduated from LaSalle College of The Arts in 2010. Armed with a degree in fashion design, she spent a year working in a corporate uniform company sourcing fabrics. Already planning to create her own label, she seized the opportunity to sign up for the Parco Next Next fashion incubation program.
Hana’s interpretation of modern Peranakan fashion includes extensive use of floral prints. But being mindful that there are already myriad floral designs, Hana laces hers with humor by arranging the flowers to form unusual skull motifs.
Growing up literally playing with scissors and fabrics, Hana envisions dresses and blouses with prints placed such that they enhance the female figure. She designs her prints before the actual garments, as she believes that the motif should be the main showstopper.
Hana hopes to expand her label overseas by starting with Asia before expanding further afield.
Make-up artist turned designer Jen Su creates maverick but wearable art. She loves the theatricality of Peranakan attire.
Spunk Punk Funk was set up three years ago when Jen Su decided to venture into the fashion industry. Positioning herself as a fashion stylist and consultant in addition to being a designer, Su started by designing and creating accessories for her clients. This eventually led to the launch of SpunkPunkFunk.
Su’s dramatic creations are statement pieces to be worn with brio. “Fashion is about expressing oneself. You shouldn’t need to be slim or conventionally beautiful to look cool,” she remarks. Su finds inspiration for her designs from anywhere and everywhere. She feels that most people subscribe blindly to trends and hopes that her designs will give people a wider
choice. “People have told me that it’s near impossible to find unique designs like mine locally,” she says.
There is no shortage of sequins, beads and kebaya- inspired prints in her clothing. Su feels that Peranakan fashion should evolve with time. “Peranakan fashion should not be about the kebaya alone; it should be versatile. The modern baju could be paired with with boots or jeans.”
Ultimately, it’s about happiness. “Doing the things you love and making others happy” is her philosophy. Jen hopes that Singaporeans will show more support for home-grown labels.
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