Ms Chew Yixin was one of the winners of the Fashionably Sustainable Competition, which was held earlier on 8 September 2011. She won an entry pass to the prestigious Paris Fashion Week with a return air ticket, accommodation fully paid and received $1,500 cash prize.
Here, she shares her experience with us on her trip:
Before I left for Paris, I told myself, I’ve got to make this trip worthwhile. Afterall, I’ve come a long way to be where I am now, from not having any experience in the fashion industry, to be a winner of the inaugural Fashionably Sustainable Competition.
My ultimate goal – to learn from the best, be the best and share with the rest.
Myself, together with officials from Textile and Fashion Training Centre (TaF.tc), touched down at the Charles de Gaule airport, excited with what lies ahead of us, what we’ll see, what we’ll do. It is the start of our pilgrimage to the Mecca of Fashion!
Our hotel was located at Paris Gare Montparnasse, which was very near to Galeries Lafayette & Printemps. Both are the most established fashion stores in France that showcased the latest Parisian fashion trend. We were captivated by the beauty of the building architectural design. As designers, we have a keen eye for details. The image of glass, steel dome and the art nouveau staircase, inspired me. I may just use the idea of “new art” for my next garment design.
One of the brands, KohZo, a denim wear brand that makes 100% natural jeans constructed using unusual “ingredients”, caught our attention. The jeans were also made out of Kevlar, mud, fruit, cannabis! Eco-friendly dyes and methods were used to create interesting prints on the jeans! This is in some way similar to what I experimented with my project work of using curry and milk powder! I may try using other ingredients to create more sustainable garments! Is so exciting to be experimental!
The turnout at the trade show was huge as well! There were exhibitors, buyers, agents, journalists and the list goes on! It was an exciting place to be. Fashioners were sharing great ideas, making profitable business transactions, creating opportunities with influential agents. They were the “Giants” of fashion, we felt small. But one day, I will be there rubbing shoulders with them, to be the best that I can be.
For the love of fashion learning, we skipped the Lourve and popped by Atmosphere. It was another trade show next to Jardin des Tuileries (one of the most visited gardens in Paris). The collections featured were more retail-ready in comparison to Tranoi. We managed to network and exchanged contacts of international designers, agents, textile dealers; and we’ve learnt from them business concepts, fashion ideas, textile sources. We’ve got the opportunity to learn from the best.
At the end of the day, we were pretty exhausted. But we’ve managed to catch the sunset on the bridge over River Seine, with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop.
After dinner, we finally got to sight-see Paris! We went to the Lourve. What a sight to behold, an upside-down pyramid seen from the basement! It seemed like the small pyramid at the bottom is supporting all the weight of the huge glass pyramid on top. Will remember this visual, it may just inspire me to create some form of sustainable fashion!
On the last day, we visited the Museum of Art Decoratives, where the exhibits of Hussein Chalayan were. His work is stunning, with a dose of complexity in his creations - a talented artist! It was great to be able to see his designs in person.
In the afternoon, we went to another trade show, Capsule. One of the leading trade fairs for the Garments and Apparel Industry in Paris, it was held at a defunct two-storey car park. The newest fashion products, technology and trends were exhibited at this trade show. There we met even more professionals from lifestyle, apparel and fashion! There were mens wear, womens wear, embroidery, trimmings, accessories, sport wear, kids wear, fashion wear, beach wear, night wear, etc. So many designs! Had an overdose of visuals and ideas!
Noticed a sport kids wear using sustainable design idea – the material used was pure organic cotton, with colourful designs, and yet suitable for rough sports use! Definitely durable with numerous washes. I could probably try designing sustainable sports clothes for children.
This trip has been a great learning journey. We’ve learnt from the best of the fashion ambassadors, not only in the source of textiles, but also the manufacturing and business aspect of fashion. Sustainable fashion was also observed to be a common trend, which is what I want to pursue. The Singapore Workforce Development Agency and Textile and Fashion Federation have given myself this opportunity to enter this industry. The Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) programmes have enabled me to take a bold step into this exciting world of textile and fashion. I will continue to learn and share my experiences where possible.
Au revoir, Paris. Till next time :)
WDA and the Fashionably Sustainable Competition
WDA is spearheading the move towards “green” or sustainable fashion by pumping in S$6.8 million into the textile and fashion industry. To inspire the trend towards sustainability and groom a new generation of “green’” fashion designers, the inaugural Fashionably Sustainable Competition was jointly organised by WDA and Textile and Fashion Federation (TaF.f).
Ms Chew Yixin
Yixin’s sustainable fashion design using curry and milk powder.
Yi Xin is a recent graduate from Textile and Fashion Training Centre (TaF.tc). To her, the sun is an important energy source vital to preserving life. She was inspired by the vibrant star, which embodies her vision of future fashion, regenerative, illustrious & clean. Her collection adopts yellow & orange hues in simple, fluid lines. The designs also encourage consumers to express their creativity in the dresses.
For more details on the Textile and Fashion WSQ framework, check out the link here.
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