At the heart of the Vogue Talent Prize is a mission to spotlight young, emerging talents with a passion for storytelling. Hot off an initial round of submissions, Vogue Singapore, in partnership with local fashion institution Charles & Keith, shortlisted five standout applicants. The finalists were then tasked with creating a brand campaign for Charles & Keith.
Utilising products from the brand’s fall/winter 2021 collection, the creatives and their resulting campaigns were up for public voting. And the people have spoken: emerging as the winner of the Vogue Talent Prize 2021 and walking away with the grand prize of $2,000 in Charles & Keith vouchers plus an internship at Vogue Singapore and Charles & Keith is photographer and image-maker, Jiajia Tan. Up next, Tan will be working alongside Charles & Keith on a spring/summer 2022 campaign. It will be featured alongside a profile of Tan in Vogue Singapore’s March 2022 issue.
Thirty-year-old Tan, who is currently a content creator, credits her interest in photography to a rather nostalgic memory: a visit to the zoo. With an instant camera in tow, Tan remembers the first time she was able to translate her visions into reality. “It was magical to be able to coalesce people, place and time into one,” she shares. Today, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology undergraduate brings this magic to her prize-clinching Charles & Keith fall/winter 2021 campaign, titled ‘Strength in Duality’.
A series of three images, the campaign was inspired by the boxy and sculptural elements of the season’s items. Here, we speak to Tan about her Vogue Talent Prize win, the inspiration behind her collection and what’s next.
Hi Jiajia, congratulations on your win. How do you feel?
I am very excited and thankful to be the winner of the Vogue Talent Prize. I wasn’t expecting a win when I applied for it, so it was a happy surprise.
What motivated you to apply for the Vogue Talent Prize?
I came across the call for submission one week before the closing date and felt compelled to give it a go. It was an opportunity that had the perfect blend of my interest in photography, art and fashion.
Tell us about the inspiration behind ‘Strength in Duality’.
‘Strength in Duality’ is about empowerment and gender roles in clothing. With a play on fluidity and structural forms, it celebrates the idea of being unafraid to be who you are and to be able to dress freely and confidently. By including both genders for a women’s accessories brand, I wanted to unite two different personas and create an interesting dialogue about gender fluidity.
Tell us about the final product and why you chose to include the items that you did.
I wanted to create a striking campaign that showed the versatility of the Charles & Keith products as well as local designers such as Ginlee, Sabrina Goh and 3Eighth. Colours evoke different emotional responses, so red, blue and black were used as the main hues of the series to accentuate the shoes and bags. The key elements of the fall/winter collection that spoke to me were the boxy and structural forms present. Hence, items such as the double handle sculptural tote bag were included.
What does championing Singaporean brands and talent look like to you?
It looks like visibility and engagement within the community. I also see it as a safe platform for local brands and local talents to grow through collaborations and initiatives as well as greater inclusivity and representation in the media.
What’s next?
I hope to collaborate with more local talent and create work that intrigues.
Shop the featured Charles & Keith fall/winter 2021 products here
Credits for ‘Strength in Duality’
Photographer Jiajia Tan
Stylist Hiro Ye
Hair Christvian Wu
Make-up Zoel Tee
Outfits 3 Eighth, Gin Lee, Sabrina Goh
Models Aloysius Chua and Yi Wen / Now Model Management
Assistance Alvin Quek, Joel Chua and Boon Xin
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