The role of the creative director has been in focus of late – not just for the revolving door of fashion designers – but also for the evolution of the title. Gone are the days when a creative director merely oversees the design of a collection (in fact, some creative directors are not even traditionally trained in fashion design).
Today, the job is an all-encompassing role that includes communicating a cohesive brand message, spearheading collaborations (hello, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons and Demna Gvasalia and Alessandro Michele), and exploring new media platforms – and most importantly, engaging content.
READ MORE: Creative Director Ian Griffiths’ Guide To Keeping Max Mara Upbeat
Just consider one of the most prominent creative directors in the scene and you’ll get the picture. Since his appointment at Loewe in 2013, Jonathan Anderson has been behind initiatives such as the Loewe Craft Prize, the Flores flower boutique, a popular collaboration series with Paula’s Ibiza and the introduction of the Casa Loewe concept around the world.
If that sounds like a gargantuan role to prep for, the School of Fashion at Lasalle College of the Arts hopes that its holistic approach to fashion training will equip its students with the relevant skills required.
Last August, the school launched the Diploma in Creative Direction for Fashion programme. The three-year programme will fully replace the current Diploma in Fashion programme once the latter’s final batch of students (currently in their second year) graduates in 2022.
Nonetheless, the Class of 2022 are still exposed to the rigours of creative work in fashion through the Fashion Studio module. Besides, learning the ropes in fashion photography, they are also taught writing and creative direction.
To put their skills to the test, the school and FEMALE have collaborated on their first-ever project to give the students a taste of what it takes to craft content for the digital age. The brief to the students: Profile a personality from the field of fashion, art and design and present it on Instagram Story.
Ahead, we spotlight five groups of students who stood out for their content and get them to share what went behind the scenes for their labour of love. Do check out FEMALE‘s Instagram page to view their works.
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What’s your project about?
Ili: “Our project is about Singaporean drag queen Vanda Miss Joaquim – a.k.a. Azizul Mahathir – who has been pioneering the art form for quite some time.”
Hermiza: “An intimate insight into lives of fashion personalities. Featuring a person in the creative industry in their working environment through images and texts.”
What story did you want to tell?
Ili: “Considering how conservative the local community is, we aimed to provide recognition to this art form and her drag identity. Moreover, we wanted to touch on her personal journey in and out of drag.”
Hermiza: “Telling an editorial narrative for FEMALE through a chronology of images.”
Why did you choose to spotlight this individual for your project?
Ili: “Many do not seem to appreciate nor do they understand the art of drag. Therefore, we wanted to give Vanda the chance to share her voice and express the true meaning of this liberating art form.”
Hermiza: “Vanda Miss Joaquim was a contestant in Drag Race Thailand and was ranked fifth place in the competition. She has performed for many occasions and has appeared at major local events through the years. Many admire the original and iconic fashion looks that she has curated.”
From top: Hermiza Mohamed Yazid and Ili Nadya Shahrin
What was something interesting you learned from your newsmaker?
Ili: “She wants to emphasise that it takes time for a drag queen to build and develop her character. Drag is also not all about glitz and glamour as there are high costs to bear and involves tedious preparations. Everything’s not as perfect as they seem.”
Hermiza: “Be ready to adapt and change direction at any moment and eliminate negativity.”
How was your experience bringing this creative concept to life?
Ili: “We had two concepts in terms of visuals. One of them was having Vanda dressed ‘out of drag’ as Azizul in a field full of orchids as she’s named after our national flower. I instantly thought of photographing him at an orchid farm, as if he is unmasking his true identity.
The other concept was to have Vanda ‘in drag’. We wanted it to be as simple as possible to bring attention to our star. We also planned on shooting a ‘get-ready’ sequence to capture the tedious process of getting oneself into drag.
There were definitely trial and tribulations throughout the process but they were worth the trouble to get to the end product. We experienced many instances of miscommunication and disagreements in the beginning but it all came together at the end. With the critiques of our lecturers, we were also able to refine our ideas even further which enabled us to experiment with different mediums and combinations.”
Hermiza: “The process kept us buzzing from the start – from e-mails and phone calls to virtual interviews to completing mood boards, to editing photos and copywriting. Overall, it was an exciting experience.”
Ili: “From sending countless proposals to finding the right balance of content relevant to FEMALE‘s audience to arranging the photoshoot with Vanda, it was definitely a challenge. But, the experience made me push myself beyond my limits and to constantly explore and experiment.”
What makes storytelling through a digital platform, such as Instagram Story, so impactful?
Ili: “Instagram is one of the most influential social media platforms and most of us are active users. It’s a medium that lets you relay and share content conveniently.”
Hermiza: “It lets you get to know your audience better. It also allows you to be further involved in your brand conversation by letting them vote, rate, voice their opinions and thoughts based on the questions you open up.”
Which digital outlet/app do you think will be the next big platform for fashion storytelling?
Ili: “For now, Instagram is still leading in being the biggest platform although the algorithm is not well-liked by most of the users.”
Hermiza: “TikTok. It serves as a great source of entertainment. Tik Tok is interactive with creative challenges and provides steady enjoyable content.”
What’s your biggest takeaway from this project?
Ili: “Content creation is not as easy as it seems. There were plenty of preparations and consultations needed before executing the actual project, which also taught me that it is okay to make mistakes as it is all part of your creative process. I doubted myself in the beginning, but I was glad that I pushed through. Furthermore, it taught me to manage and value my time more.”
What’s your project about?
Aaron: “Our project required us to select a personality to profile, which required us to shortlist emerging creatives and tell their story from a creative perspective. We eventually chose to share the story of musician Estelle Fly (a huge thank you to her for agreeing to be a part of this project).”
What story did you want to tell?
Aaron: “We believe that Estelle Fly’s more than just your average singer. This can be seen in the way she interprets her music with her real-life experiences as well as using fashion as a significant visual element in her music videos and performances. We wanted to tell Estelle Fly’s story from a different angle.”
Ariel: “Our main objective was to help the younger generation understand that failure is inevitable in anyone’s journey to success, just like Estelle’s.”
Yasmin: “We felt like there was no platform for younger creatives whose voices may be unheard and Estelle’s story might inspire and enlighten them.”
Clockwise from left: Aaron Ong, Ariel Wang and Yasmin Shazimie
What was something interesting you learned from your newsmaker?
Yasmin: “Estelle is not afraid of bugs! The way she naturally posed in the uncomfortable locations that we were shooting at really impressed us. We were shooting under the rain and Estelle was very patient despite the unforeseen circumstances.”
How was your experience bringing this creative concept to life?
Aaron: “It was very tedious in the beginning as we had to change our concept along the way and there was a lot of pressure on time management as the new changes meant that we had to delay the execution.
There was also a lot of interpretations with regard to the styling and it was challenging as we had to fulfil our theme while keeping to a budget. Ariel and Yasmin had to shred the knitted dress to replicate an avant-garde piece for one of the thematic concepts in our project.”
Yasmin: “Communication mattered most as we had a lot of disagreements and conflicts in the beginning during the decision-making process. Regardless, we made several compromises and learnt to enjoy the process.”
What makes storytelling through a digital platform, such as Instagram Story, so impactful?
Ariel: “We are able to capture the audience’s attention better, provided that we give the right amount of information within a limited time frame.”
Which digital outlet/app do you think will be the next big platform for fashion storytelling?
Yasmin: “Definitely Netflix and TikTok. Fashion series and documentaries like Next In Fashion and RuPaul’s Drag Race have become more accessible because of Netflix’s platform. TikTok has a high audience engagement, which allows users to interact with creators. We would catch Aaron responding to Tik Tok videos all the time!”
What’s your biggest takeaway from this project?
Ariel: We’ve had many hiccups along the way but we learned to trust each other and the process so it did not stop us from moving forward. We also learned to be more confident and open with each other’s creative responses because art is subjective to every creative and that was one of the biggest takeaways.
What’s your project about?
“The project’s about getting to know Putri Adif as a fashion designer and freelance stylist, and the inception of her batik corsets.”
What story did you want to tell?
“Putri’s ability to challenge people’s perception of batik as being exclusively a traditional garment was something that was worth talking about. Hence, I wanted to show how she continues to rebel against social and cultural norms by infusing her own style and giving a modern twist to it.
I wanted to focus on the statement she wanted to make as well as the wearability of her pieces in a modern-day urban setting and how the garments are stylistically palatable, especially to people who aren’t as exposed to ethnic wear.”
What was something interesting you learned from your newsmaker?
“I’ve learned that it’s okay to mix and match outfits with different styles and that we can also involve motifs, materials that resonate with us on a personal level in our designs.”
How was your experience bringing this creative concept to life?
“Despite some unfavourable conditions like bad weather, a lack of manpower, and a lot of last-minute changes, it was still a very fun experience for me and I enjoyed having creative autonomy over this concept. It was weeks of brainstorming, research, figuring out logistics, and a whole lot of coffee.
I also wanted to make sure I portrayed the pieces as compatible with our modern wardrobe, but without drowning out their cultural value in the process. It was a very important balance for me to strike.”
What makes storytelling through a digital platform, such as Instagram Story, so impactful?
“Instagram Stories are short-lived and instant in nature making it highly compatible with our shortening attention spans and fast-paced lives today. It’s not big news that Instagram is a huge platform now, but people look at Instagram Stories more often than they do at posts – and for that reason, it is hard to neglect.”
Which digital outlet/app do you think will be the next big platform for fashion storytelling?
“I think Instagram is killing it right now as a mobile commerce platform and one can expect it to grow even bigger in the near future. Users can order goods directly from merchants’ Instagram profiles and to me that’s such a convenient, seamless experience. Having the ability to see the products in their posts and purchase those very products you were just looking at, without having to go onto another platform.”
What’s your biggest takeaway from this project?
“I’d say not to underestimate my own abilities. I’ve picked up the skill of independence and I don’t have to rely exclusively on others to make things happen. Since I was separated from my friends, I had to force myself to adjust to working with somebody I didn’t know, and now I’m a lot more comfortable with establishing connections on my own.”
What’s your project about?
Zuaipy: “It’s a showcase focused on an amazing personality who has made a significant impact and achievements.”
What story did you want to tell?
Zuaipy: “We wanted to tell the story of a woman working in a male-dominated industry and the outstanding achievements she’s made. Nurul Suhaila is a strong individual who strives to achieve her best. The way she stands for female empowerment was what we were looking for.”
What was something interesting you learned from your newsmaker?
Zuaipy: “There were lots of interesting things that I learned from Nurul. The one thing that stood out the most though was how hardworking she is. Even while we’re in the midst of a pandemic, her schedule hasn’t changed. Her whole team is still pushing for the next international championship.”
How was your experience bringing this creative concept to life?
Zuaipy: “There were a lot of things involved in the creative process. The most important thing was our research on the newsmaker as well as understanding the nature of FEMALE and its aesthetic. Communication was also an essential part of the process. Since we worked in pairs, there will obviously be times where one overpowered the other during this project.”
What makes storytelling through a digital platform, such as Instagram Story so impactful?
Zuaipy: “This is the age of social media. A digital platform is impactful as it helps to convey a message and influence the public. It also shows a glimpse of somebody’s lifestyle.”
Which digital outlet/app do you think will be the next big platform for fashion storytelling?
Zuaipy: “Tiktok has been on the rise recently and I’ve definitely have seen a lot of interesting fashion content there. If it isn’t one of the biggest platforms for fashion storytelling already, it will be the next one.”
What’s your biggest takeaway from this project?
Zuaipy: “Start planning ahead and ensure that there is a backup plan.”
What’s your project about?
Jordan: “The project was about exploring an art movement I recently came across, Solarpunk. I wanted to portray the utopian future the world is rooted in; a coexistence between humanity, nature and technology. With aesthetic qualities borrowed from art nouveau and DIY culture, Solarpunk explores a hypothetical future where humanity works collaboratively in settlements to produce their own food, water, products and essentials to ensure their own self-sufficiency. This is a merger between a collectivist imagination reminiscent of Marxist ideology but recontextualised for a climate-conscious generation.”
What story did you want to tell?
Jordan: “Through this project, I explored a future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) could substitute the role of religious deities and figures, acting as a spiritual figurehead in their place, to guide humanity to do the right things for their fellow people, ecosystem and ultimately their planet.
I tapped on our personality, Joey Oh, to represent the goddesses of the skies and the earth respectively. These notions were derived from my frustration at how people have failed to see how the current capitalist system is at odds with any real, concrete attempts in shifting to a more sustainable and circular economy.
With a profit-driven mindset, many large corporations would never ever give up their potential earnings to be eco-conscious unless there is a monetary incentive to. There needs to be a fundamental change to how governments regulate these large corporations and how we structure our economies around people and the environment, rather than simply around profit.
Hence, the Solarpunk art movement really spoke to me with its utopian and futuristic, yet feasible approach to restructuring our way of life – especially around climate change, which in my opinion is the greatest threat to humanity we face today.”
Whilst I had been very vocal about the pursuit of presenting Solarpunk as an art movement through this project, the ultimate objective was still to create beautiful imagery. The story added depth and context to the images, which allowed me to look beyond the superficial, surface beauty of the image and rather strive to attain a structural, deep sense of beauty.
Through this aesthetic, I tried to establish a parallel between how Solarpunk highlights the failures of capitalism with regards to the climate change crisis (greenwashing, prioritising profit over sustainable practices, mistreating workers, refusal or resistance to transitioning to green energy, etc) and Joey’s commentary on the issues regarding the proliferation of upcycling brands which are only sustainable for the optics.”
Why did you choose to spotlight Joey?
Jordan: “Joey has been my girlfriend for about three years now, and I have seen her blossom into the confident personality she is today. I wanted to portray her experiences as a model, entrepreneur and preschool teacher and how the dichotomy between these three responsibilities have culminated into the person she is today. I wanted to understand and present the rationale behind the hiatus of blushpocket (her secondhand Instagram store), and through this, I developed a greater understanding of her opinions surrounding greenwashing, the gentrification of thrifting and how inaccessible a sustainable lifestyle can be; this further solidified my decision to feature her.”
From left: Jordan Ong and Eleanor Chew
What was something interesting you learned from your newsmaker?
Jordan: “I’ve always loved rambling on and on about the things I’m passionate about as I’m truly eager to share everything I know about the things I love. The newsmaking process taught me that while I should express this fervent zeal in the project, I should learn what to omit and what to retain so as to keep the content relevant and not needlessly lengthy. I’ve also learnt terminologies regarding journalistic from constructing a standfirst, bylines and masthead to tips on how to create an environment that encourages your interviewee to share more about the topics at hand.”
How was your experience like bringing this creative concept to life?
Jordan: “We had quite a few hiccups, particularly at the start of this project.Firstly, it was tough to pick a personality amongst all of the talented, amazing people that were dear to me, while worrying about finding a unique news point and concept. We initially picked another personality, but due to scheduling constraints, we couldn’t proceed with that particular individual and had to re-conceptualise everything from scratch in the middle of the semester.
In spite of this hurdle, the ideation process for Joey went quite smoothly due to how she is involved with multiple industries. Joey being my significant other was a great boon for us with regards to pinpointing the key news points and establishing a link to the concept on short notice. The entire process was gruelling especially because of our lack of experience with planning creative projects, but ultimately it felt cathartic when we got the chance to execute our ideas and see them materialise.”
Eleanor: “The process involved a lot of brainstorming to come up with something that’s unique and yet sustainable, where not many people would venture out of the box to create something with a Solarpunk theme.
Since we opted for a Solarpunk look and feel – which involves a blend of Art Nouveau blended with African and Asian aesthetics – we needed to consider fashion and makeup looks to suit the theme, as well as photography techniques that use a lot of soft-focus filter as well as projection images and backgrounds.”
Jordan: “The creative process was bumpy, as it wasn’t easy to settle on an idea regardless of how objectively well-rounded or developed it seemed. I felt like there was always a more novel and distinct concept within my grasp.
We also had to be decisive with our personality and our concept, otherwise, we would be extremely behind schedule. Once we managed to settle on an idea, our lecturers raised concerns over the feasibility, relevance and freshness of our concept; they really asked the tough questions and got us thinking, spurring us to constantly refine our ideas.
It was paramount that we could faithfully represent our personality’s views, character and style while maintaining our creative freedom and artistic direction. We did not want to impose our vision or opinions onto Joey as I felt genuine authenticity in contemporary media is few and far between, which makes it highly sought after. Besides the commercially motivated sentiments, my personal philosophy on creative work has always been to avoid being dishonest, unethical and deceitful to the people involved. The audience and the subject matter as much as possible.”
What makes storytelling through a digital platform impactful?
Eleanor: “I guess it is because everyone is on Instagram nowadays, so whatever content that we post or share is easily accessible making it quicker to connect with an audience.”
Jordan: “Instagram stories are weird, I often find myself guilty of mindlessly scrolling through all the stories I come across without actually paying attention to any of the content. Occasionally, however, a particular frame may catch my eye, be it a visually striking image, content that stirs up your emotions or just something you’ve never seen before.
The fast-paced, accessible nature of Instagram is hence a double-edged sword with regards to storytelling. Personally, I believe that as long as creators ensure that their content is visually stunning, the content is concise yet poignant, Instagram stories can be very impactful as a medium for storytelling. This is why Instagram stories can be very effective if done right but fall short when content is uninspiring, lazy or forgettable.”
Which digital outlet/app do you think will be the next big platform for fashion storytelling?
Jordan: “I think brands should be looking at platforms like Twitch and Clubhouse. Twitch in particular is quite fascinating for me because I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid and have watched my favourite streamers playing since I was in secondary school. I’ve also witnessed the rise of IRL, political, art and variety streamers on the platform and I think there’s a lot of untapped potential. It would be really fun to see brands go on Twitch to livestream content – be it runway shows, fashion films, interviews or even showcases of new product lines. Brands could even sponsor streamers to wear their products on stream, do skits and styling content.
Clubhouse has immense potential as well, especially with the recent popularity of podcasts. Today, many lead busy lives and often don’t have the time to watch recorded videos or films. Being able to listen and connect with others over topics you’re interested in whilst you’re doing your grocery shopping, work out or on your commute is really convenient and engaging. So, I think the industry should remember not to ignore audio as a medium for storytelling.”
What’s your biggest takeaway from this project?
Eleanor: “I had minimal photography skills and through this project, I was able to learn a variety of different styles of photography and ways of executing a camera shot. A key takeaway from this project is definitely the studio shoot.”
Jordan: “To be frank, I’m terrible at planning and time management, which is partly due to my apprehension towards big projects because I’m afraid that I don’t meet my own personal standards. The project’s ups and downs really helped me understand myself better as a person and a creative.
I’ve learned to not mindlessly chase perfection from the start and focus on doing ‘good enough’ before I start refining on the tiny details. I’ve also learnt to not shoulder all the burden and try to do everything but instead, have been learning to ask others for help when I really need it. Ultimately, I’m very grateful for all the help and guidance I’ve gotten from lecturers, friends and even strangers on the Internet.”