3 Minutes with Shannon Lee
Graduating with a first class honours degree from the Raffles Design Institute, Singapore in 2008, Shannon was sought after to design a slew of runway shows that got him recognised and hired by established fashion labels such as alldressedup, Benjamin Barker and AL&ALICIA. Now at SPRMRKT, this marks his first public showcase of personal art work.
Taken from Shannon’s portfolio of apparel design, we highlight a few drawings that make us question whether these can be more than sketches of his thought processes and be presented as finished works of art.
1) You mentioned that your interests are in designing sportswear fashion – it’s unusual but not unheard of and the first brand that comes to mind is Stella McCartney for Adidas. Why sportswear and not haute couture?
I have always been interested in body contours movements and how clothes fall and form over the human body. And sportswear gives clothes that purpose. In that sense, I like to see sportswear elements incorporated to fashion as it makes clothes seasonless and functional. Brands that really marry both these characteristics are Stella McCartney for Adidas (way better than her own label), Gyukouso by Jun Takahashi for Nike, and his own label Undercover. Aitor Throup is a huge influence as well.
Haute couture on the other hand is a fantasy. Very brilliant and stunning but at most times hard to relate to if i were to put myself as a consumer. But there is so much to learn from couture- the cutting, finishing, fabrication etc. If i could marry the both and make it practical and wearable, yet stand out- that would be a dream. I think the fore mentioned brands have done it to some extent.
And on a side not- I do not have patience for handsewing. Maybe thats the reason I shun couture work.
2) It’s quite a coincidence then that we’re launching our first exhibition of you during the London Olympics. If you could design for an Olympic sport or athlete, what/who would it be?
Tennis! I reckon it’s the only most fashionable sports attire amongst the rest – for the women at least.
3) Food will also be a highlight and scrutiny of the London Olympics, and SPRMRKT has launched an additional brunch & beverage item to commemorate this in our own little way. It happens that you love food too and that this project is curated and exhibited in a food & beverage environment. Can you cook?
If you count cup noodles as cooking-yes! I can cook really basic dishes. Rice, eggs, veg, chicken, spaghetti, beef stew without anyone having a bad stomach the next day.
4) A First Class Honours student! Any thoughts about furthering your studies or moving abroad to work in the next couple of years?
Not in the meantime but I’d like to pursue my Masters at RCA (Royal College of Antwerp) in Antwerp, Belgium after I’ve saved up. As for working overseas, its not in the cards yet. But if the right doors open and timing is right, I’ll hop on.
5) A brilliant illustrator tells a story with a few single strokes but a true illustrator never gives up telling that story. One of the reasons why you pursued design over illustration was practical, any regret today?
No, not really. I pursued design because I love to draw, and it is just another expression of drawing. I love what I am doing now. And i still get to illustrate here and there, work on and hone my drawing skills. There are so many good illustrators out there, but very few fashion illustrators who can capture the essence and character of fashion. I think I get to straddle both paths and they are link, so its not like I am stopped pursuing illustration- just the frequency of doing it. Until then, doing side projects and working on expanding my portfolio keeps me quite happy during my free time.
