AMID the riot of colour and pageantry yesterday, not one jot of black appeared.

An eye-popping kaleidoscope of red, orange, purple and metallic silver swirled and edged out the funereal colour - and it was deliberate.

Costume designer Frederick Lee, 36, said: 'Black was hardly used because the parade is a happy occasion. So what you see is colour, colour and more colour.'

With half the show happening after sunset, colour became even more essential, he added.

From the ethnic costume-clad performers to the balloons set free and the flags of different regiments, colour was the order of the day.

Keeping that in mind, Mr Lee came up with 30 costume designs for 4,000 performers. For instance, in a segment on the arrival of immigrants here, dancers depicted the ethnic cultures with an array of different-coloured costumes.

Indian dance performer Thiviya Thulasidharan, 18, who wore a green ghagra choli, or traditional Indian dress, said she liked the colour, but preferred the purple worn by other dancers.

Matching performers' make-up to their costumes and skin tones was a challenge for make-up artist Puva Neshrin, 20.

'Some don't like the colour and will make a face or complain to their friends,' she said.

But Khairul Ikhuan, 15, said he did not mind having to wear pink eye shadow with his costume.

'I love it,' he said excitedly.

But while the audience took in the spectrum of colours on stage, the one colour that really stood out - at least for the performers - was the red worn by spectators.

'The mood was very touching at the finale,' said 55-year-old performer Madam Helen Hoy.