Fashion across borders: A conversation between Ashley Isham and Latika Balachander
Organised in conjunction with #SGFASHIONNOW 2022, this talk brings together veteran designer Ashley Isham and emerging talent Latika Balachander. They will talk about their experiences as fashion designers based overseas, look back at their time in Singapore, and remember journeys they have taken that have enriched their design interests. Join Ashley and Latika as they shed light on creating the landmark designs that have characterised their careers so far.
#SGFASHIONNOW is an experimental showcase with which ACM engages with the fashion community to further discussion of what constitutes Singapore fashion through the lens of the nation’s multicultural, cosmopolitan, port city heritage. It is presented in collaboration with the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts and the Singapore Fashion Council (formerly TaFF) – a result of ACM’s tripartite partnership within Singapore’s fashion ecosystem.
Speakers
Ashley Isham is a Singaporean designer who has been based in London for the past two decades. Since making his debut at London Fashion Week 2003, his accolades include appointment as official womenswear stylist for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in 2004 and Achiever of the Year (2007) by Berita Harian, Singapore's Malay-language newspaper. The Ashley Isham brand is distinguished by its use of elegant draping and strong tailoring. He continues to create timeless and elegantly vibrant pieces inspired by the heritage of Southeast Asia. Isham launched his first flagship boutique at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore in 2008, followed by a multi-brand boutique at Orchard Central in 2009.
Latika Balachander is a menswear and textile designer whose approach is largely based on techniques of distortion and abstraction. Having a brand identity associated with textile detailing, illustration, and the visual arts, she creates dialogues that extend from fashion into everyday lives. Her garments act as thought-provoking and storytelling vessels with personalities that instigate conversations between the garment, the wearer, and the viewer.
Moderator
Dominic Low is Curator (Peranakan) at the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum. He received his BA in History of Art with Material Studies from University College London. His previous exhibitions include Amek Gambar – Taking Pictures: Peranakans and Photography (2019), Joseon Korea: Court Treasures and City Life (2017), and Eng Tow’s Grains of Thought (2015).
ACMtalks brings leading scholars in conversation with curators at ACM to explore our core curatorial themes: Maritime Trade, Faith & Belief, and Materials & Design. These lectures and discussions will illuminate aspects of the museum’s collection strengths in export art and sacred objects, as well as Asian fashion and textiles, lacquer and silver, jewellery, and ceramics.
