On cloud nine By S. Indramalar
Publisher:The Star - Publication Date: 08-05-2008

Being a devoted fan of British high street brand Top Shop, Priscilla Tan Xuan Si was almost beside herself with excitement when she learnt that she had won an internship at the Top Shop headquarters in London.

“I was so excited, I was shivering when I realised that I had won. I remember we were back stage (after the fashion show) and I didn’t realise that the winner (Fresh! – The Graduate Challenge) had been announced.

“I didn’t think I would win as the other designers were all really good. And then, all of a sudden, everyone started congratulating me and only then did it dawn on me,“ says the 22-year-old in a phone interview from her home in Singapore.

Tan completed her two-week stint in London last January.

The Asian talent-spotting event Fresh! – The Graduate Challenge was held for the second time last October as a key component of Singapore Fashion Week 2007.

Four design schools – La Salle College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Raffles Design Institute and Temasek Polytechnic – presented the works of their top graduates in three main categories: women’s wear, men’s wear and mixed collections. Entries were reviewed and assessed by an international panel of judges.

Among the prizes was a short work stint with the London design team of retail giants Topshop/Topman plus an opportunity to display the winning collection in the Topshop Singapore store window for two weeks.

“To be honest, when I entered the challenge, my aim was to be able to show my graduate designs in a runway show. Every designer’s dream is to have a runway show to showcase his or her designs. I was crossing my fingers, hoping that I would get the chance,” recalls Tan, currently an assistant fashion designer at Swirl, a Singaporean fashion label.

Her collection, which won her the chance to work and learn from the Top Shop designers, was inspired by the artist Gustav Klimt.

“I have always loved art ... I loved Klimt since I was a young girl. He went through a ‘Gold Phase’ where he used gold leaf in much of his work. This inspired me to come up with a collection that was glamorous but still affordable.

“I named my collection ‘When Anatomy becomes Ornament’. The colour palette for my collection comprised metallic hues like yellow and rose gold, complemented by magical and jewel tones like midnight blue and bright orange,” explains Tan, who has a diploma in Fashion Design and degree in fashion marketing from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Tan’s dream of becoming a designer began when she was still a young girl.

“I must have been about 12... I used to doodle on pieces of paper and my parents would always complain that I was wasting paper! Then one day, my dad had a look at my doodles and he thought that maybe I had a career in designing,” she says.

Though they cautioned her that the fashion world was tough and that she would probably face many obstacles, Tan had the full support of her parents. Neither of her parents is in fashion: her father works in the flooring industry while her mother works with computers.

“I actually started taking part-time courses in fashion illustration, pattern-making and so on while I was still in secondary school,” says Tan.

To London...
“It was so overwhelming. First of all, it was in London! And, I am a Top Shop customer! Seeing all the garments being designed in real life was like ‘Oh My God’!

“I met and worked with the pattern-making, design, buying and merchandising and the tailoring teams ... they were all really nice and shared (information) openly with me,” says Tan, obviously still very excited about her experiences.

One of the many things she learnt was the importance of maintaining a balance between creativity and commercial viability.

“This was most interesting. Top Shop is known for its trendy clothes... it’s a leader in trends but they explained that they have to have a range of clothes from the very trendy to the safe... clothes that most consumers will wear,” explains Tan.

Apart from shadowing the Top Shop crew, the young Singaporean winner also got the chance to participate in a brainstorming session with the brand’s research team.

“They were coming up with a new collection and asked me my input, and they said they would consider it. And then, I also got to help in the design details of a top.

“I went for their London Fashion Week showing, and helped a little here and there... I helped sew on dresses. It was just exciting to be a part of their lives,” says Tan, adding that things work at a “much faster pace” in London than in Singapore.

Though the two weeks whizzed by, Tan experienced many things that, she is sure, will help her in her career.

“I am so relieved... the short stint has made me see that there is a much bigger world out there and there are so many things I can do in fashion, like print designing and still be a designer. It was good for me,” she says.

Though she does not have one particular favourite designer, Tan loves playing with colour and print.

“I look at women as my canvas and I want my designs to evoke the mood of the woman whom I’m designing for. I want them to feel unique but their garment must be comfortable and wearable.”

Her dream would be to one day have her own label but Tan realises this could take some time.

“I would need to be really committed. At the moment, I am young and I have a lot to learn, and that is what I am going to do."

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