The Kids Are More Than Alright

When our writer Keng Yang Shuen (aka Carlos, or Carly, as we like to call him) pitched an editorial spread and feature on the most promising fashion design graduates to emerge from the local art schools this year, I agreed without hesitation. It’s not because it’s National Day this month though. As the only established-in-Singapore, English language luxury fashion magazine standing alongside a spread of imported titles on newsstands, we’ve never needed an occasion to champion local talent.

Instead, I’ve found myself increasingly riveted by what I see as a new youth quake happening within the creative scene, and can’t help but want to root for its proponents. It’s not just because these fledglings – like the 10 names scouted (pg 94) – are our future. Often typecast as late or postmillennial, they increasingly seem to be behind some of the most exciting and passionate ideas in this age of ennui and overdrive.

Globally, newcomers such as the London-based, sequin-obsessed designer Michael Halpern (aged 29) and American counterculture lensman Ethan James Green (aged 26) are revealing so effortlessly fresh and pure a vision that they’ve reenergised even the most jaded of industry veterans. (Myself included – I’m no vet, but I’ve certainly seen enough Ellery/Vetements rip-offs in the past year alone.)

Here at home – in addition to the burst of under-30-year-old fashion photographers and filmmakers we’ve been covering recently (you can still read about them on our website) – one young gun I’d gladly bet on is video creator Leona Ziyan. Fresh out of school, she was first a subject of our September 2016 feature on creative rebels, but has since become a regular collaborator, lending her MTV-influenced eye and underrated knack for producing infectious electronic tunes to our digital content. She also has the work ethic of a pro. Her latest project with us is one that’s been a long time coming: our very own campaign video that should hook you from the start and remind you of everything that Female stands for (now also available for view on our website).

Do we need an occasion to celebrate such youth? We don’t. With whizz-kids like these, the inspiration keeps coming.