Singapore Fashion Council bets on students as talent source for the industry

Design Orchard is dedicated to showcasing homegrown labels and nurturing local talent. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
MOS Low Yen Ling (centre, in red) with partners across the fashion ecosystem, on Oct 26, 2022. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

SINGAPORE - Students interested in fashion design can look forward to fresh opportunities to learn and land internships, thanks to the Singapore Fashion Council (SFC), which is pushing for the Republic to be a regional hub for the industry.

SFC programmes for students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic (TP) and LaSalle College of the Arts will focus on three areas – innovation and technology, sustainability and Asian craftmanship.

SFC chief executive Semun Ho said: “Having talent joining the industry will help to achieve our vision of positioning Singapore as the regional nexus for fashion, and allow us to continue providing pathways for local industry players to make a mark in the fashion world of tomorrow.”

On Wednesday, SFC signed 10 agreements with various local and global industry partners including the Asian Civilisations Museum, Deloitte Singapore, DBS Bank and HSBC at Design Orchard, a home for local fashion.

Students will be offered industry mentorships, internships and job attachment opportunities. SFC is also sponsoring the eight-week-long The Bridge Fashion Innovator programme, which identifies and shapes early-stage start-ups in the fashion and lifestyle industry.

In the area of innovation and technology, students will explore new technological solutions that may help to reshape industry practices and enhance it, by using augmented reality and holographic telepresence, for example. 

Students will also learn about solutions to be environmentally conscious in the industry.

TP principal and CEO Peter Lam said the school is looking forward to working with SFC to nurture talent for the fashion industry. “TP is proud to have supported the evolution of Singapore’s fashion scene for more than 30 years, through our fashion design course,” he said, noting that the programme will be offered to full-time students and adult learners.

“Fashion education today has gone beyond just trend and creativity to understanding sustainable practice.”

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