Nature and recyclables reimagined as wearable art at 9th Singapore Garden Festival
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ITE College Central Nitec in Floristry students Su Yijing Gisele (left), 17, and Chua Zhi En, 17, and with their team's Bark Forest Fairy dress on Aug 1.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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One mannequin wears a crown of branches like antlers; another, a textured shift dress in luscious shades of moss. Yet another wears a skirt of shiny ruffles made of melted plastic.
These 11 avant-garde creations were created by 35 Institute of Technical Education College Central students from natural materials such as fresh flowers, leaves and tree bark, or recycled materials like plastic bags and CDs.
This fashion showcase is the Nitec in Floristry students’ first foray into the Singapore Garden Festival, which will run from Aug 3 to Aug 11 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Over two days, the students carefully twisted wires into intricate headpieces, weaved bamboo leaves and placed fresh leaves onto the mannequins to finish these outfits.
The designs in the new Floral Fantasies: Where Nature Meets Fashion showcase are centred around either a botanical theme or a sustainability theme.
One group’s design under the botanical theme was inspired by the environmental issues of deforestation and the onset of wildfires brought about by climate change.
The group’s dress resembles an upside-down tree. The bodice is lined with pieces of tree bark, while the skirt is a billowing arrangement of foliage with warm-hued flowers such as amaranthus, fire lilies and pincushions to represent wildfire, said group member Chua Zhi En, 17.
To prevent the fresh leaves on the dresses from wilting throughout the nine days of the show, each stalk is inserted into plastic or glass test tubes, which are hidden by the foliage. The students have scheduled specific timings to change the water over the exhibition days.
The dresses themed around sustainability are made with materials like recycled plastic bags, bottles and CDs.
A dress made of recycled plastic bags at the Floral Fantasies: Where Nature Meets Fashion showcase on Aug 1.
ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Ms Joyce Goh, a senior lecturer in the floristry course and the teacher in charge of the students’ showcase, shared that all the recycled materials used were either donated or brought from students’ homes.
For instance, green plastic bags used in one of the dresses were obtained from the school’s Western food stall, while plastic utensils used in another creation were left over from a class party.
“Everyone pitched in,” said Ms Goh. “It’s a beautiful thing... to (see them) create.”
She hoped her students would grow in confidence when seeing their names displayed beside their artwork.
“You’re not just a student. You’re a designer,” she said.
Other highlights of the Singapore Garden Festival include the Best of Show Designer Gardens competition, the Floral Windows to the World competition, and a Balcony Gardens exhibit, as well as a marketplace where various plants and gardening tools will be for sale. Tickets are available through Sistic and prices vary.
