By Jessica Ye (Jessica Yap)
Before Cantonment MRT station opens to the public on 12 July 2026, it was used for LASALLE College of the Arts’ 2026 Fashion Design graduate show.
On 14 May 2026, the completed station space beneath the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station was opened for the presentation. Guests, including us, were given a first look inside, with some already referring to it quietly on site as an “MRT Gala” — more a passing label than anything official, but one that stuck as the night unfolded.
The underground station becomes the runway for LASALLE College of the Arts 2026 BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Textiles graduating cohort under the theme DE:CENTERING.
There are 14 designers showing.
Being in the space, one thing becomes clear quite quickly, The collections are shaped by personal references, regional culture and realities closer to home.
From the wider presentation, these six collections hold attention.
结霜桥 Gek Sng Kio — Eng Li Wen
The show opens with 结霜桥 Gek Sng Kio by Eng Li Wen.
Workwear forms the base of the collection, grounded in familiar silhouettes and built-up construction.
References to spaces like Sungei Road flea market sit quietly within the way the garments are put together and worn.
Bamboo poles are integrated directly into the pieces, shaping both structure and movement across the runway.
MODESTSCAPE — Nurul Izza Binte Rahmat
MODESTSCAPE approaches modestwear through a controlled visual language shaped by fluid draping and structured silhouettes. Soft folds echo the movement of hijab wraps, while sharper architectural lines ground the collection with strength and restraint.
Rather than positioning modestwear as limiting, the collection frames it as contemporary, expressive and attuned to Southeast Asia’s climate and cultural realities. The all-ember look stands out as a defining moment within the lineup, commanding attention through colour and sculptural presence.
FRAMEBOUND — Ashok Ramkumar Anchanaa
FRAMEBOUND brings embroidery and textile surface into focus under the station lighting.
Florals are treated with distortion across structured and softer silhouettes, giving the surface a shifting quality as the models walk.
Fringing appears across eyewear, the ‘MANDARAI’ and ‘IDLIPOOV’ dresses, adding movement without changing the construction underneath.
DUAL — Kayla Adelia Rudiansyah
DUAL works through the deconstruction of kebaya and kain panjang, rebuilt through cutting and reconstruction.
Second-hand garments are combined with new fabric, creating layered compositions across the runway.
Green and black run through the collection, giving it a consistent visual tone.
REBIRTH — Quek Yu Tong
REBIRTH works with Chinese mythology, with Ne Zha referenced across the collection.
The silhouettes are sculptural and built with strong volume that holds clearly on the runway.
Red and darker tones run consistently through the looks.
ORIGINES — Andrea Sanchez Guajardo
The show closes with ORIGINES.
Leather moulding sits directly on the body, with cut-outs and negative space shaping each look.
The construction, rooted in surrealist principles, stays close to the body, with clarity in how each piece frames and reveals form.
By the end of the show, what stayed with us most was how clear each graduate designer already felt in their own direction
Even on the same runway, no two collections approached fashion in quite the same way.
