Rhythm Of Youth

Can you introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Ally and I’m studying Creative Direction for Fashion in LASALLE College of the Arts.

What got you interested in fashion?
The person that got me interested in fashion was my grandmother! When I was young, I was really close to her. She would always sew at night while I was sleeping, but the sound was so loud that it would wake me up and I couldn’t fall back asleep (laughs). She even used to draft and sew little clothes for my plushies.

Later on, I started learning sewing online and watched tons of YouTube arts and crafts videos. That naturally led me into fashion, and that’s when I realised it was probably a sign to actually get into it—from my grandmother’s subconscious influence to me teaching myself how to sew!

That’s such a sweet memory! Do you hope to pursue fashion design or fashion media in the future?
I tried getting into fashion design since I studied it in ITE, but I realised that it wasn’t my strength because it was quite time consuming.

Ahh, in that case, are there any fashion designers or artistes that inspire you?
I’d say it’s quite a classic answer, but my biggest inspo is Jennie from BlackPink. Her style is really nice and cool. The way she styles herself according to existing trends and how she easily sets new trends—it’s so easy to follow!

Besides fashion, do you have any other interests?
Yes. I actually collect Japanese city pop vinyls from artists like Anri. The only thing I’m left with is to buy the record player, but it’s quite expensive (laughs)!

Oh, we can relate to that! What got you interested in collecting vinyls?
I just like how they look and how they spin. It gives me a certain vibe—the kind of calm you get from listening to music on vinyl, instead of on Apple Music or other streaming apps.

As you can tell, I really like music. My friends call me a music nerd because I like all sorts of music. And I used to be in a band too!

Give us a recommendation! What artists are you listening currently to?
Currently I’m listening to DPR Ian and Live. I prefer DPR Live more, but overall my playlist is quite heavy on Korean R&B like Dean and Crush.

Nice! Now on to the next topic—in terms of your career, what are you currently working towards?
I don’t really have a fixed plan right now, but I see myself working for a magazine in the future. Or collaborating with friends that like to sew since I have some friends from NAFA that plan on making their own brand names, so maybe I could help with the creative direction.

Well, we hope to see your name out there in one form or another in the near future! Now that we’re closing in to the end of the year, what are some goals you’ve achieved this year that you’re particularly proud of?
I guess it’s that I’ve gotten the chance to explore a lot. I’ve always been an adventurous person. When I got into LASALLE, I met friends with different aesthetics and ways of working. I learned to adapt, observe how others approach things, and see things from different perspectives. I try to learn from my peers too as much as I can. I used to be really shy and introverted when I was younger, but now I’d say I’m more of an ambivert—that’s growth. So I guess that’s my biggest achievement!