By Raffles Runway

The first question on everyone’s lips when they see “Raffles Runway” is: do I need to know how to sew? The answer: no—you don’t! (We’ll explain this later.)

Now that that’s (temporarily) out of the way, what is Runway all about? Simply put, we are the school’s fashion design club: we dream up garments in our sleep, comb through endless sources of inspiration and cut, sew, tighten and correct endlessly to bring our ideas to life. The satisfaction that rushes through you after birthing the garment is the best feeling in the world; from that point on, it’s your baby.

This, however, is too simplistic a description of the work that we do, for our scope extends beyond the fashion design process. Aspiring designers do receive training in fundamental areas like sewing, fabric handling and garment construction. On top of that, they can also expect plenty of exciting and novel experiences such as learning how to do makeup, working closely with student models to bring their clothes to life (more on that later), getting to know more niche types of fashion and conceptualising Runway’s annual fashion show from scratch. All these opportunities come with the guidance of some of the best experts in the local fashion scene, ranging from designers to professional makeup artists and modelling consultants. We’ve been mentored by local designers like Adelyn Putri from the Nude Femme label and Jon from Jon Max Goh, all of whom played a big part in helping us grow as designers!

Speaking of Runway’s fashion show, R’PROJECT is held annually and features garment collections painstakingly put together by our very own student designers. Each R’PROJ follows a theme, which the senior batch has the honour of deciding. By showcasing our creations, we hope to drive home the message that fashion is so much more than the glamour, superficiality, frivolity and extravagance that it is usually associated with; it can be used to convey emotions, ideas and concepts, make bold and memorable statements on issues dear to our hearts, and ultimately add beauty and perspective to the world. For designers, this is not simply a platform to apply imparted theory; it’s also an exercise in multitasking, improvisation and creativity. How you want your collection to be staged? What impression do you want to leave on the audience? Designers find the answers to these questions—and much more—by working on the show.

If this sounds daunting, fret not—as long as you have a passion for fashion, you can do anything! You do not need any prior fashion design experience to join Runway. Our trials will be held around February/March 2020, and you will need to submit a portfolio of your design ideas. Runway sessions are held every Wednesday from 2pm–5pm; during these sessions, expect to have fun exchanging ideas, learning about and bonding over fashion with your CCA mates!

So, if you find yourself spending hours scrolling through online boutique catalogues, following red carpets a little too closely, dreaming about creating something beautiful or simply feel genuinely interested in what fashion is all about, this is the place for you to be! Alternatively, if you’re interested in modelling the outfits, keep a lookout for our Y5 2020 Model Auditions, which will be taking place around the end of Term 1—more news on that to come on @rafflesrunway on Instagram and our posters around the school.

And remember:

“I am a fashion person, and fashion is not only about clothes—it’s about all kinds of change.”

– Karl Lagerfeld