Beyond Closet was the first to show on the runway, treating our eyes to a burst of colour and overall preppy goodness. The runway looked like a stream of schoolboys leaving their school compound in a flurry of reds, tans, blues and whites. I always appreciate good runway music and The Grates blasting over the speakers was uplifting and just the right summery tune to match the mood. Baseball jackets, striped blazers and turtleneck jumpers paired with both tailored plaid and navy pants and unique looking jogging pants gave off just the perfect amount of varsity charm that would make any schoolgirl swoon. We even spotted a cute furry hat and sporty duffel bags in the signature blue, red and white. The only restriction to these very wearable pieces is Singapore’s humid weather, unfortunately.

Vandal was up next, bringing with it a stark change of atmosphere. Not a hint of colour except the tan leather soles of shoes was shown – full black with just a tinge of white was the palette of choice. We loved the interesting choice of spooky rock music, as I’d like to call it. And spooky rock it was, with the models in long cloak-like outfits donning witchy (but cute!) black cone hats. The focus was on the interesting oversized and elongated silhouettes, resembling shadows, or old-school “bedsheet” ghosts in black instead of the usual white. In fact, the models’ arms and hands were mostly hidden under the drapes and layers. The pants had kilt-like attachments to the top half, further lengthening the upper-body and enhancing the cloak-like effect so that the models looked like they were floating mysteriously across the runway. Slouchy yet sleek, this collection was a definite winner.

Keeping in step with the dark atmosphere but changing things up a bit was Resurrection and her slew of terminators and dictators. As underground punk rock music blasted over the speakers, the models sashayed out in gritty combat boots, black leather gloves, bowties with spikes, deconstructed knit, and camo-print trenchcoats. An AK-47 and a couple of grenades wouldn’t have been out of place there – the models looked like badass assassinators with serious mettle. The designer had deconstructed her knit pieces and military uniforms so that they looked perfectly haphazard (pardon the oxymoron) matched with sleek leather coats, pants, and clutch bags. I was extremely tempted to touch some fo the clothes because of the curious textures used; I spotted crushed leather and layers of suede in the mix. A very interesting detail was a pair of blinged up spiky headphones that makes for very fancy headwear indeed.

We were privy to D.Gnak’s penchant for theatrics on the runway, but I was still pleasantly surprised by his show, arguably the most entertaining one of the night. Before the models appeared, a “Charlie Chaplin” video was played to get us in the swing of things. The models came out one by one, looking dapper in smart tuxedos, bowties and bowler hats. But it was the play-acting that got us all laughing on the edge of our seats – the models had on fake moustaches and walked in amusing gaits whilst swinging their walking sticks, stopping at the end of the runway to pose in cheeky Chaplin style. We saw some emulating golf movements, tripping themselves over, and pretending to aim a rifle. Of course, the designer’s tailored suits were highlights as well; there’s no denying how a classically and precisely tailored suit makes a man look ten times more suave. Mr Kang showed his experimental side in mono-coloured ensembles – I particularly fancied a full chocolate brown suit – and blazers with what looked like attached capes to the collars. The devil is in the details, they say, and sneaks of unique flourishes like a buckle along the side of some of the blazers and pants left me, again, pleasantly surprised.

The last show was General Idea’s sportswear inspired collection with the “after game” concept he had introduced to us during the interview. The show started with a video montage of sportsmen heading to the bleachers during the Olympic Games, after which the models streamed out onto the runway to adrenaline pumping music. They looked like a bunch of fit lads on a ski holiday, looking very snug clad in ski socks, ski pants, jersey joggers, waterproof jackets with fur collars and furry snow hats. The schoolboy element was brought out in cute heart and star prints adorning jackets and plaid backpacks. Khaki, rusty orange and navy made up the general colour scheme, and these same colours were brightened up on the feet. Bright coloured sports shoes with colorful soles definitely caught the eyes of footwear aficionados. Overall, this collection seemed the most wearable and oh so comfy. Pity there’s only summer in Singapore!

All photos credited to Fide Fashion Week.