NGUYEN LE HUONG GIANG
Raffles Design Institute Singapore
Tell us about your graduate collection.
The collection is based on maximalism and the concept of “more is more”. I wanted it to be over the top, visually exciting and individualistic. I drew from the Baroque era and the 1980s, and the starting point was colour play. I was also contemplating the situation we’ve been facing—when times are bad, I feel people need to have fantasy; they want to dream. Colour and whimsy can help to elevate the mood. The main technique I’ve used here is patchworking, to juxtapose different fabrics and colours.
What drives your work?
Travelling to other countries and seeing different cultures is the most inspiring experience for me, and not just in terms of design. Immersion in different cultures and a desire to keep learning [do] open my eyes to amazing possibilities I had never thought of.
Who do you look up to in fashion?
Dries Van Noten and Antonio Marras— their silhouettes are easy to wear, but the way they juxtapose colours, patterns and embellishment creates harmony and is very interesting.