Ins And Outs

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Efy, I’m 24 years old, and I’m currently in my third year at LASALLE College of the Arts, studying fashion media industries.

I’ve loved fashion from the very beginning. I was from mass communications when I was in polytechnic, so I thought that I would want to narrow it down to communications in fashion. I love photography and styling as well, so that’s why of decided to pursue this degree. I’m glad I’ve been able to explore both my styling and photography skills throughout my journey.

Are you currently working on any projects in your final year of school?
It’s a bit personal, but my final year project explores how sexual violence survivors navigate their identity and in turn, their trauma through fashion. I want to create a publication, which will be a collection of stories from diverse groups of people who have shared about their traumas. At the end of the day, the project is about giving platforms to survivors to use their voice and to be able to talk about what they’ve been through.

That’s really interesting! Is this something you’re hoping to continue in the future?
I hope so. I hope it creates a really  huge impact on Singaporeans.

The point of my project is to de-stigmatise the idea of talking about your trauma and being okay with the fact that it’s okay to share your story. I’ve come to realise this because I’ve been through social biases as well.

When I share something with a friend or an acquaintance, they’re also open to sharing their traumatic story. I find that really interesting how it just takes one person opening up for everybody else to start sharing their own story.

What do you like to do when you’re not in school?
I love to meet my friends, watch movies, and sing, which is is something that I’ve enjoyed doing since I was really young. I’ve also written songs, though I’ve never gotten them produced because it’s expensive, but that’s how I relax and write my feelings out.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
I’ll be 34 (gasp)! Hopefully out of Singapore—I made a promise to myself to pursue a career in fashion, but the industry in Singapore is, in my opinion, very small, and everyone’s really competitive.

I want to work overseas, but for now, I’ll get a job here to save up while building my resume and portfolio, then I’ll try to find a job overseas.