From doodles to designs: Winner of design contest at Sneaker Con SEA 2025 steps towards positivity
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Ms Sarah Gwee, winner of the Design Your Sneaker competition, receiving a framed illustration of her design from Kiss 92FM DJs Shawnia Seah and Tim Oh at Sneaker Con SEA on Feb 23.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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SINGAPORE – Despite not having attended any formal art classes, 19-year-old Sarah Gwee managed to clinch the top spot in the recently concluded Design Your Sneaker competition.
The winners of the contest, organised by Sneaker Con SEA 2025 and SPH Media, were announced during the streetwear-themed expo held on Feb 22 and 23 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The competition was open to young Straits Times subscribers aged 16 to 25.
Ms Gwee’s creation, titled No Rain, No Rainbows, beat out 182 other entries for the first prize.
Her winning design features a dripping rainbow that covers half the shoe. The words “no rain” and “no rainbows” are etched on its midsole. The Year 3 Temasek Polytechnic student wants to remind people that perseverance will help them overcome their struggles and pave the way for a brighter future.
She also scattered equations, formulae and scientific instruments from various subjects across the shoe, symbolising the diverse strengths and weaknesses that every student has.
Ms Gwee hopes to unite students by encouraging them to rely on one another to foster an inclusive and supportive community.
Her No Rain, No Rainbows design title is her cheery and informal version of the popular saying, “no pain, no gain”, which her family often mentions.
Participants of the competition were not limited to a theme. Instead, they could be as creative as they wanted.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
She frequently doodles encouraging notes to her friends using this catchphrase, along with other positive messages like “you got this”.
She said: “I wanted to do what I could to support them. No matter how stressful school gets, things will get better. The word ‘pain’ scares people as they don’t want to experience it. But rain is different, it is common and less scary to people.”
Her designs underwent rounds of improvements on her iPad from the repositioning of words, colours and drawings based on her brothers’ advice.
Said Ms Gwee: “The rainbow represents the personal growth of a person from pushing through tough times and reminds them that happier times lie ahead.”
Twenty finalists were chosen from the submissions, and ST subscribers voted for their favourite design from Feb 8-16. By securing a large number of votes and high scores from a panel of five judges, Ms Gwee placed top three among the finalists and eventually ranked first.
She was presented with a cash prize of $3,000 along with a pair of limited-edition sneakers during the award ceremony held at Halls E and F of the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Feb 23.
Winner Sarah Gwee (centre) with the framed illustration of her design, alongside first runner-up Nur Rasyiqah Zil Husham (left) and second runner-up Cherie Kok, who are both holding sneakers they won as prizes.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The second- and third-place winners, Ms Nur Rasyiqah Zil Husham, 24, and Cherie Kok, 17, took home $2,000 and $1,000 respectively plus a pair of limited-edition sneakers each.
Also, three voters won $500 worth of vouchers each for picking out the winning design from the top 20 entries.
Participants of the competition were not limited to a theme. Instead, they could be as creative as they wanted.
“The Design Your Sneaker contest was a powerful showcase of the next generation’s creativity. We were blown away by the students’ imagination and artistry – each design told a unique story and pushed the boundaries of sneaker culture,” said the spokesman for O4X, the company behind Sneaker Con SEA.
Mr Sim Hong Huat, head of Radio at SPH Media, said: “The inaugural Design Your Sneaker competition showcased an incredible range of talent, making the judging process both exciting and incredibly difficult. Every entry brought something unique, and we feel that our three winners captured the essence of creativity and originality.”
