With this year’s iteration of the Vogue Talent Prize already down to its final five, the Designers’ Dinner, held on 13 August, brought them together at Jungle Ballroom at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, where they presented their campaigns to the jury before sitting down with guests from the Vogue Singapore and Soho House communities. Presented with Soho House, the evening also marked a step further into the creative industry for the finalists, bringing them face to face with established figures from Singapore’s creative scene.
This year’s prize takes its cue from Vogue Singapore’s April issue theme, Retrofuture, which asked applicants to consider how ideas from the past might shape what comes next in fashion and culture. From the open call, five finalists emerged with distinctly different interpretations: Wang Yuwen with In Bloom, Elyana Binte Azmi with Every Side Fits., Michelle Prudence Prasetyo with Time Thief, Angeline Maytrie Mulia with Surge and Wu Yunshan with Powder Room.
Following a welcome by Vogue Singapore editor-in-chief Desmond Lim, each finalist was given time to present their campaign to the room. Joining Lim on the jury were Vogue Singapore publisher Natasha Damodaran, Vogue Council member Mae Tan, Charles & Keith head of design for shoes Silvia Toffanin and photographer Zantz Han. Among those joining them for the evening were Jaime Lee, founder and creative director of The Paper Bunny; Bessie Ye, founder and head of design at Rye; and Dirty Manners founder and creative director Annelieke Dompeling, with the wider guest list drawing from both the Vogue Singapore and Soho House communities.
The presentations were followed by a three-course dinner at Jungle Ballroom, with food and beverage by Mondrian Singapore Duxton. Guests had arrived to Soho House Picante cocktails, while floral arrangements by Table Talks filled the space and conversation cards helped break the ice around the table. From there, the evening continued upstairs at Canyon Club on the rooftop, where drinks carried on as guests had more time to mingle after dinner.
And Soho House’s involvement does not stop at the dinner itself, with this year’s winner receiving a one-year Soho Futures membership alongside a S$3,000 cash prize, S$2,000 in Charles & Keith vouchers, an internship at Vogue Singapore and editorial exposure across its print and digital platforms. Soho Futures sits under House Foundations, Soho House’s social impact and sustainability programme, and gives emerging talent complimentary Every House membership with access to its global creative community and spaces. That continued access also reflects the wider mission of the Vogue Singapore Foundation to nurture regional talent and break down barriers to creative education.
Find out more about the five finalist campaigns here and subscribe to Club Vogue to join our inner circle and support the Vogue Singapore Foundation.
