Digital Fashion Week 2013: Day 2 – Thomas Wee, Max.Tan and Pauline.NING

After kicking off the first day of Digital Fashion Week with Naomi Campbell, it was time for the Singaporean designers to show us what they’ve got. Starting with the seasoned and returning designers – the shows didn’t fail to impress. Well-curated collections, wearable pieces and original ideas ruled on the second day of this online Live-streamed fashion event, happening at the National Design Centre in Singapore. Here’s the lowdown on what happened on the runway.

Topshop Season’s Runaway

If Southeast Asia was wondering what the British wear during their Christmas season, they have to ponder no longer! British highstreet label Topshop, brought us a collection that isn’t going too far from its renowned signature style although it has added a few Christmas sparkles and prints to already familiar designs.

Most pieces don’t require a cold weather to be worn and can be easily adapted to tropical and sub-tropical weather. Even the fluffy shoulder-top jackets are effectively in need of a covering mid-section piece to result functional in cold weather.

And with that one outfit featuring a bright green coat, a black PVC mini skirt, a white crop-top and shiny bronze sandals, we are now really looking forward to seeing this season’s collection in the local Topshop stores.

Max Tan

As per his previous work, Max Tan still achieves hard geometry regardless of body shape and, in turn, adds a touch of movement to the fabric in his SS14 collection. Most of the pieces are wholly covering the body with plenty of long sleeves, long trousers, skirts and familiar oversized collars, although the fitting is slightly tighter to the body than his last collection.

Black circular sun shade hats complete the outfits, along with block-heel ankle boots or block platform shoes.

The concept behind the collection ‘Genesis’ was to take menswear and transform them into womenswear – by playing with proportions and details – which translates the designer’s interpretation of the Biblical story that Eve was born out of Adam’s rib.

As a result, a trench coat becomes an asymmetrical dress, a white shirt transforms into a strapless number and jacket sleeves form a belt clinching the model’s waist. We simply loved every piece of Max.Tan’s collection this season!

And to add to the drama, the designer has collaborated with Singapore-bases jewellers Poh Heng on designing 4 statement necklaces made of 22-carat gold! The result? Unexpected and simply divine!

Thomas Wee

A clear inspiration to Thomas Wee’s collection are the rose and the 1950’s.

The runway transforms into a non-stylized red rose garden where red, green and white dominate. Roses are subtly embroidered red on red and white on white on every item, aside from appearing as colourful prints on the non-embroidered pieces.

The final dress, gracefully modelled by ‘The Face’ first cycle winner Devyn Abdullah, encapsulates the concept and theme of the whole collection. It enters the runway flamboyantly as a 1950’s skirt, red in colour outside and black on the inside; curvaceous and exquisite to look at, overblown to the feet and opening wide at the front.

Thomas had told us backstage that for this collection he imagined what an ‘English Rose’ would wear if she lived in the Orient. He has definitely captured the mood, elegance and subtlety and made us all want to be that ‘Rose’.

Pauline Ning

A return on the digital space for Pauline Lim, owner and designer at Pauline.NING, who took part to 2012’s DFW initiative and showcased a ready-to-wear and edgy collection. Pauline’s SS14 has slightly matured and discarded the silver and metallic colours, to settle for more sober prime colours.

The models enter the runway after a long make-up session, which involves painting part of their faces white. Dresses have trapezoidal cuts, lob-sided shapes, wraps and exposed pockets.

Silk and organza play hide and seek games in what is overall an intriguing and completely wearable collection. A Pauline.NING piece worn on the street is still interesting, out of the ordinary, and eye catching.

*Read more DFW: Day 1 Highlights, Day 3 Highlights, Day 4 Highlights.

You can watch all the backstage, interviews and shows’s footage on Digital Fashion Week website and youtube channel.  The collections showcased at DFW are now available at ASOS Marketplace.

Liliyth Compostella

Photos: Digital Fashion Week