On 6 May 2011, the 2010 winners of Star Creation showcased their maiden capsule collections on the runway at Tent@Orchard. Audrey Lim (Singapore), Daniel Ngoo (Malaysia) and Kit Miao (China) unveiled their 16-piece collection under the guidance of F J Benjamin over the past year as it is part of their internship for them and prize for Star Creation 2010. Each of them also won $10 000, and Daniel Ngoo, who bagged the Audi Young Designer Award, won an additional $5000.
“I think they have learnt a lot and honed their skills over the last year working in the company. They have learned what it means to design, but to also create pieces that are commercially viable, to have concept but also be understood by the man in the street who needs to eventually be their customer,” – Douglas Benjamin on the 2010 Star Creation winners’ collections
“They have each got a very different point of view, yet they have been very careful in making sure that everything we look for – fitting, silhouette, being on trend and being understandable – have all gone into the pot of soup that they have developed for their collections, and I think that the taste that you are going to get at the end is going to be very interesting,” he added.
The collections
Amalgamation: Audrey Lim, 20, Singapore
Audrey Lim’s collection, “Amalgamation”, integrates menswear detailing into feminine silhouettes, and includes pieces that can be worn in different ways to achieve different looks. She drew her inspiration from Japanese handicraft for some of the outfits’ detailing. She has also played with three-dimensional effects, such as the smocking on her favourite piece – a long, twill coat in light grey with navy wool pants.
Her Unidentified Grunge: Daniel Ngoo, 22, Malaysia
Daniel Ngoo’s collection, “Her Unidentified Grunge”, is a daring play on fabrics. It incorporates knits, wool, leather and poplin and strikes a contrast between clean cuts and heavy drape. A key piece in his collection is a heavily draped tulip skirt. By using a stiff fabric, the draping goes against the very nature of the fabric it is made of.
Rational Life: Kit Miao, 33, China
Inspired by urban life, Kit Miao’s collection, “Rational Life”, draws on wool, cotton and silk to create simple and clean structures. The look she is going for is chic, yet carefree and relaxed. Her favourite collection piece is a fitted wool top with a mock collar and raglan sleeve and a concealed zip down back, which she says exemplifies her simple yet refreshing style.
The Star Creation Showcase also allowed members of the media and the public to catch a selection of the designs of this year’s Star Creation winners and finalists. The actual competition was held on May 11 at a closed-door Audi Gala event.
The winners of Star Creation 2011 were Tsai Ming Hung, 28, from Singapore, Chen Zhi Gang, 28, from China, and Tiang Boon Tieon, 27, from Malaysia. They each walked away with S$10,000, a one-year internship with fashion retailer F J Benjamin, and the chance to launch their own capsule collections at Star Creation 2012, along with last year’s winners.
Hiroyuki Watanabe, 24, from Japan, took the Audi Young Designer Award, in collaboration with Harper’s Bazaar, given to the designer whose creations best embody Audi’s design spirit of innovation, technology and progression. He won S$10,000.
