By MELLY LING
alltherage@thestar.com.my

(L-R)All smiles for winners: Iven Teh (2nd place), Lum Sin Yi (1st place) and Janice Cheong (3rd place)

IT was a glitzy affair for Raffles College of Higher Education KL graduates, families and friends at the Raffles 29th Graduation LookSee Fashion Show that was held at J.W. Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.

The fashion show saw 18 upcoming young fashion designers presenting their collections for the first time in conjunction with their convocation.

Preceding the fashion showcase was the convocation ceremony among Raffles graduates. While guests mingled around at the lounge, the young fashion designers were busy preparing their models for fitting and make-up backstage.

Evening wear shows distinctive cuts and soft silhouettes.

The show kicked off with models in elegant evening wear coming onstage. The cloud of smoke stageside made their entrance rather dramatic too.

The majority of the collection showcased evening wear with lots of breezy fabrics, and there was a daring fashion vibe throughout the evening. That made the showcase interesting with a mixed focus of futurism and delicate tailoring.

Besides the elegant wear, a quirky collection for both men and women was showcased that evening with distorted proportions and subtle water coloured prints.

Eighteen collections were showcased but only three managed to win the judges hearts. It was a tough decision for judges fashion stylist Cris Yong, Hanger magazine editor Sueann Chong and fashion designer Silas Liew but the final decisions were made.

A clever play with big pockets from Lum’s collection.

The menswear collection themed ‘Freezed Frame’ from Lum Sin Yi went on to win the first prize that night.

It embraced a structured sleekness and casual rugged look while the first runner-up prize went to Iven Teh’s futuristic ‘Pilgrimage’ collection that offered a more sharply tailored minimal white-on-white ensemble.

Minimalistic cuts and sharp details were the highlight of Iven’s futuristic collection.

Modern preppy with the theme ‘Flawlessly Imperfect’ collection from Janice Cheong came in third. It featured an inimitable coolness in the form of a sleek silhouette that just screamed androgyny.

“The winners were quite outstanding. This time the collection was a little different because there was more evening wear as compared to previous years and that is good because it is sellable,” said fashion designer Silas Liew.

Lum’s menswear collection stole the hearts of the judges and audience that night.

Also present at the show was college director David Yee who presented tokens of appreciation to the sponsors and judges at the end of the fashion show.

“They have worked really hard for the competition and their hard work definitely paid off. I am very pleased with the winners and I truly enjoyed the fashionable show,” said Yee.