Photography student Nicole Ngai, 22, might still be a freshman at the London College of Fashion, but her signature dreamy-meets-pulp imagery has already landed in leading indie titles like King Kong. The subjects she favours are just as alternative and riveting: take the gender-bending New York club kid Scotty “Sussi” Sussman whom she befriended at a party and later photographed for a test shoot. For this editorial – her first for a Singapore magazine – she wanted to recreate the romantic, laid-back feel of island living with the help of a mock beach, cheesy printed backdrop included.
Photography Nicole Ngai, assisted by Marcus Li Styling Imran Jalal Hair Christvian Goh Makeup Lin Hongling Model Lydia/Mannequin
The work of documentary photographer Charmaine Poh, 27, revolves around the themes of gender and youth, and often captures a sense of solitude and introspection in her subjects. She got hooked on the craft after a photojournalism class at Boston’s Tufts University, where she majored in international relations. To date, she has held at least 10 exhibitions, including last year’s “Room” at The Substation, which chronicled the passage of adolescence to female adulthood. A similar undercurrent runs through her pictures here – her first-ever fashion project – as she rewinds to a girl’s carefree teenage years, capturing the nuances of boredom, naivete and angst.
Photography Charmaine Poh, assisted by Wan Zhong Hao Styling Imran Jalal Hair & Makeup Sha Shamsi Model Yana/Mannequin
While his style is darkly romantic, fashion photographer Adam Oei, 26, also likes to portray a sense of grandeur. It’s why this London College of Fashion alum tends to shoot from a lower perspective – to metaphorically elevate and “celebrate” his female models. Here, his first editorial for a local fashion magazine, he is inspired by childhood memories of his neighbourhood arcade. “It was very much like entering a different world; a neon lit, adrenaline-filled escape from the ‘real’ world,” he says. “A perfect escape for a teenager.”
Photography Adam Oei Styling Imran Jalal Hair & Makeup Sha Shamsi, assisted by Priscelia Wong Model Huiling/Mannequin Location Circus Circus
This story first appeared in Female’s September 2017 issue.
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