Audi Fashion Festival 2014: Ong Shunmugam AW 2014 Collection

There are a few reasons why this showcase at AFF deserves a lot of applauses.

First, this is Ong Shunmugam‘s first solo show at Audi Fashion Festival. In 2012, it was showcased at Future Fashion Now, and last year it was one-half of an local emerging designers showcase at AFF. It’s amazing how the designer and her collections has grown over the years.

Second, I was delighted to see Priscilla Shunmugam go back to Mandarin-inspired designs, with more imaginative interpretations of the cheongsam this year.

This design, in my opinion, is one of the highlights of the entire collection, named “From the Real to the Chimerical“. A clash of ethnic prints and retro chevron matched with a collision of feminine fit and architectural elements.

Apart from the printed dresses, Ong Shunmugam also had edgier designs incorporated with mandarin details – such as crop tops and jumpsuits.

Fitted crop tops and matching culottes, or flutter sleeves, or even a mod sheath dress… the collection is gets varied and perhaps more dramatic but it would for different wearers to accentuate different types of figures.

Perhaps due to my penchant for feminine dresses and cheongsam, Ong Shunmugam has always been one of the local designers in my “watchlist”. The latest collection at AFF is a good showcase of how the designer has evolved and matured, with a signature sophisticated style that embodies many elements of Asian cultures.

Image credit: Audi Fashion Festival Facebook Page