Fresh Faces: Michelle Tan

Exploring human-spatial relations with knitwear
By Sharrona Valezka

FAM FRESH FACES is a series featuring young Southeast Asian fashion practitioners, where we speak with them about how they embarked on their careers and what propels them as creatives.

Michelle Tan.

Michelle Tan is a fashion and textile designer based in Singapore. She has recently graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Design and Textiles, and is set to start her MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins this year. Specialising in knitwear, Michelle enjoys crafting tactile textiles and exploring human-spatial relations in her body of work. This is illustrated in her final year collection, ‘The Colour Brawl’, which reflects on the elements of curated environments and urban spaces through an exploration of the interaction between people and objects.

‘The Colour Brawl’ collection, 2023. Images courtesy of Michelle Tan.

To start, could you talk about your background? What or who are the main influences your work draws upon?

I love knitting with various textures and colours. I also enjoy exploring different techniques with an experimental approach, learning by doing and through trial and error. My main influences consist of various art and design practitioners, particularly those who specialise in designed and curated spaces, organic shapes and sculptures, grids and ratios, geometry, repetition, and world-building.

You graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Design and Textiles last May and will start your MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins this year. How have your studies influenced your artistic practice? And what do you hope to learn with your upcoming MA course?

My BA (Hons) in Fashion Design and Textiles at LASALLE has helped me to understand more about design processes, such as translating research to design, as well as to gain clarity on my personal aesthetic and design language. It has significantly influenced my way of working and artistic practice.

With my upcoming MA Fashion course, which will start at the end of this month, I aim to strengthen my design language and utilise the knitting resources that were limited in Singapore. I think being in London would be a different experience too since I would have first-hand access to archives, museums, and various other fashion-related resources, as well as encountering garments for seasonal weather.

‘The Colour Brawl’ collection, 2023. Images courtesy of Michelle Tan.

Let’s talk more about your graduation collection, ‘The Colour Brawl’. What was the inspiration behind it? Are there any specific elements in the garments that you would want people to pay attention to, and why?

The collection stemmed from my interests in interior spaces, their colours and lines, and the way light interrupts within them. When gathering the research for the collection concept, I additionally observed other elements, including colour influences from the works of Japanese spatial designer, Shigeru Uchida and sculptural influences from artists Louise Bourgeois and Isamu Noguchi. I also drew references from the Art Deco movement and the Flappers subculture from the 1920s to add elegance and glamour to the more playful and sporty elements, such as the styling pieces from combat sports equipment.

My research also led me to focus on organic shapes, which were conveyed through the orb silhouette that is a key element in the collection. I applied this element in the garments using different methods, from pattern cutting to the use of beads to the bag accessories that accompany the collection.

Behind-the-scenes process of creating ‘The Colour Brawl’ collection. Images courtesy of Michelle Tan.

Could you share more about the creative and technical process of creating the collection? What were the challenges you faced, and how did you solve them?

In the creative process, I first gathered my research and from there, I started experimenting with different ideas and techniques. Even though my practice is quite technique-based, I like to have a way of thinking that underpins the concept, whether it is theory or a design approach. In terms of visual aesthetics, I am interested in creating garments with sports influences that fall between activewear and leisurewear.

The designs were inspired by the initial research, which includes exploring different forms of sportswear and key designers with similar aesthetics. I focused more on designing simple silhouettes with interesting details and textures. In terms of the technical process, I made a few toiles for each look, calculated the final pattern pieces into knitting instructions, and then knit everything out. 80% of my collection was hand-knitted with a manual knitting machine, with the exception of some pieces that were digitally printed.

The challenges I faced during the process included handling the shipments of yarn. There were delays that affected my entire workflow and schedule. Additionally, some of the yarns I used were deadstock and could not be repurchased. As a result, I had to unwind samples to use for my final garments when I ran out of yarn midway. I also had to learn to focus on completing my work instead of getting distracted trying to change things at the last minute.

‘The Colour Brawl’ collection, 2023. Images courtesy of Michelle Tan.

What initially drew you to focus on knitwear? Are there any materials or techniques that are your favourites to work with?

Knitting is a highly customisable process in which changing even one variable could lead to a wide range of outcomes. For instance, the same technique when knitted with different yarn, tension, colours, embellishments, and stitch sizes can lead to completely different outcomes. I enjoy the flexibility and space for experimentation as well as trial and error from knowing a few techniques. I also enjoy researching and slowly building on techniques I know, combining them, and testing out new possibilities for what I have discovered.

Combining knitting with the pattern-cutting skills I learned in school has also led to interesting results. There is more than one way to knit any kind of knitted design, so it is interesting to explore what works best. Since I am still exploring my practice, I do not have any favourite materials or techniques at the moment.

“Knitting is a highly customisable process in which changing even one variable could lead to a wide range of outcomes. For instance, the same technique when knitted with different yarn, tension, colours, embellishments, and stitch sizes can lead to completely different outcomes.”

You were chosen as one of the finalists for the Dorothy Waxman International Design Prize 2023. What is the significance of this achievement to you as a Singaporean/Southeast Asian fashion designer? And what are the opportunities you seek as an emerging practitioner?

I am honoured to be selected among the other students from world-renowned fashion and textile universities abroad, especially as a Singaporean/Southeast Asian fashion designer. I think it shows that there is a lot of potential in this industry. As an emerging practitioner, it would be an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other emerging designers, artists, and brands.

Orb Bags series, 2023. Image courtesy of Michelle Tan.

What are your hopes for your local fashion scene and in Southeast Asia as well?

More international exposure and collaborations with brands and designers worldwide.

Finally, what plans do you have in store for your practice moving forward?

I wish to continue to explore conceptual development in knitting on a small scale through accessories in the form of bags. I have made a series of orb bags that were developed using key pattern shapes used within my collection. Other than that, I plan to solely focus on my MA course at Central Saint Martins for now.

‘The Colour Brawl’ is currently on display at LASALLE College of the Arts’ School of Fashion showcase here. See more of Michelle’s work on Instagram at @b0xfreshbeauties.