Designer of Singapore fashion label Young&Restless, Ashburn Eng, is always coming up with “interesting” descriptions for his collections.
The latest, for Spring Summer 2012, is “Galactic Monastic”, which fits perfectly with his other latest popular item, the “Flying Saucer Hat” – see the attached photo gallery for more on this – but may not be the sort of thing the average Singapore fashionista might thing about wearing.
According to Ashburn, the idea for the collection came from a dream where he saw a monk riding a lotus flower – well, inspiration comes from the strangest places.
The dream made Ashburn think about how a single piece of cloth can be “wraped, patched, gathered, and wrapped together seamlessly to form a cocoon silhouette”, which in turn led to a collection of draped dresses for SS2012.
The “galactic” touch came from Young&Restless’ signature “cyber goth” style that when combined with the wrapping idea of monks’ robes created the East-meets-West of the collection.
Carrying on from the brand’s Autumn Winter 2010 collection that fused Ashburn’s ideas of good and evil spiritual forces, the new collection retained the monochrome shades but reinterpreted them in lighter, sheerer fabrics more suitable for warmer weather.
The resulting collection is one of very lean, long lines that are only slightly bulked out by Ashburns signature pleating, due to the use of lighter fabrics.
The multiple layers of wraps and tunics over slim column skirts or voluminous trousers – there’s only one pair of fitted pants and a couple of shorter skirts – means this is not a collection for those who prefer a more tailored look.
Which, although not marching to the beat of global fashion trends, means that comfort is taken care of.
Young&Restless has a very specific look; this is not a label for those who want to look like everyone else on the street.
While the continued insistence on creating harem or drop-crotch pants is unfortunate – absolutely no one can wear these styles and look good – the asymetrical dresses in particular are fabulous additions to the wardrobe.
Throw on a draped dress from Young&Restless with a pair of simple flats and minimalist jewellery and you’ve got the perfect “interesting” go-to dress for work or an art exhibition; the dress with the cut-out back is particularly good for this.
For those of you who are tall, the voluminous grey vest is a great piece. Again, throw over a simple column or t-shirt dress with flats for weekend cultural cool, or wear with slim-cut pants, a white button-up shirt and statement chunky heels for a great work-to-event outfit.
The “galactic” front tailored pants and the simple wrap-front sleeveless top is also a great ensemble, less “out there” than some of the other pieces and in lighter shades which make it the perfect summer clubbing outfit.
All in all, the latest collection from Young&Restless continues to follow the brand’s DNA – making comfortable but interesting clothes for what could best be described as the “black collar” crowd; the artists, architects and design industry professionals.
While not all the items from Young&Restless will appeal to everyone, there are stylish options that are worth checking out, even if you do tend towards the less outrageous end of the fashion scale.
Young&Restless is available from the brand’s private showroom; email info@young-and-restless.com to make an appointment or call Rachel Lim on 9382 6889. From February Young&Restless will also be available from Blackmarket No.2, Orchard Central, #02-10, 181 Orchard Road, Tel: 6634 5201; EGG3, The Cathay, #01-04, 2 Handy Road, Tel: 6733 0889 and EGG3, Mandarin Gallery, #04-26, 333a Orchard Road, Tel: 6887 5815. For more information on Young&Restless, go to www.young-and-restless.com