Void deck fashion show brings together the young and old

Project taps expertise of senior dressmakers and showcases ideas of young designers

- Christie Chiu

Retired educator Lynn Boh, 60, strutted down a makeshift void deck runway in Bishan - a "kacang puteh" cone of cloth wrapped around her neck and resting gingerly on her shoulder.

A cascading wave in the motif of kacang puteh, or mixed nuts, decorated her outfit: bright speckled balls of scrap fabric diffused across a crisp white button-up shirt - a once-unwanted top now tailored to fit perfectly.

Both the cream sari around her waist and the Elvis Presley-inspired pinstripe trousers she wore under it were handmade entirely out of discarded fabrics.

The upcycled outfit modelled by Ms Boh was one of eight 70s-HDB-disco themed pieces featured on Sept 28 at the Fei Yue Community Services Gen Gala, held at the Bishan East Zone 1 Green Hub at Block 112 Bishan Street 12.

The fashion show drew an audience of about 70 people, a mix of both young and old.

The project, which took 21/2 months to stitch together, blended the technical experience of senior dressmakers from Fei Yue Bukit Batok Active Ageing Centre and the ideas of young designers from sustainable fashion movements Fashion Parade and Fashion Revolution.

Other pieces that hit the runway included a floral look inspired by the heyday of the Great World Amusement Park, and a patchwork ensemble featuring the iconic dragon playground in Toa Payoh.

Gen Gala was dreamt up by Fei Yue's elder education department programme executive, Ms Amanda Soon, as part of Crafting Futures: Trading Places, a nine-month-long project meant to connect past and future elements of different art forms.