Fashion Show by Architecture students

Models styling their “membrane” designs

Futuristic looking models took a catwalk at the entrance of KB Block in Sungai Long Campus on 13 July 2018. The “Architecture Membrane Fashion Show” was organised by UTAR’s Architecture students and saw 11 models styling “membranes” made from recycled materials. With different themes and concepts from each group of designers, the “membranes” were invented using primary shapes like circle, triangle and square, and included various architectural elements such as contrast, movement and harmony.

Resembling a scorpion, this design reflected the hard shell of an arachnid, protecting the soft flesh inside. The design portrayed a person who may look strong on the outside, but who knows what frustration and despair he had gone through. As time passes, all these fragilities created the strong look on the outside. The recycled compact disc and cotton wool resembled softness and fragility while the external structure resembled the strong shell.

“The Split”. The name says it all.  The design represented two different personalities— masculine and feminine. The masculine personality was represented by the barbarian soldier elements, while the feminine personality was represented by the look of a noble prince filled with grace.

“Pompous Flowery” was inspired by two famous architects, namely I.M Pei and Frank Gehry. The structure was made from a combination of primary shapes that was highly popular with I.M Pei and Frank Gehry. The design also challenged the stereotype view of a flower which is tame and soft. The design was assembled by sewing instead of using a hot glue gun to make it more natural and affable to the body.

This design displayed a modernistic arm. It was inspired by the character’s strong army vibe. Portraying asymmetrical balance, the left arm outshines the other. The design was entirely made of triangles; it spiralled down the arms, uniting corners and curve into one.

Gyration-X is a revolution from the 80’s hoop skirt cage transformed into circular elements. The rings express a circular motion while X represents a futuristic element.

The hat was built by repetition of triangles. The mask was made of gold and silver reflective triangles and it covered half of the face. It portrayed the hidden emotions that a person does not want to expose, just like a cunning evil witch. The design was inspired by the novel “The Phantom of the Opera”.

This design depicts the hierarchy of life. From infant to adulthood and later to old age and death, life will either put you in the cloud nine or on a wet weekend. When life gets us tired, we always have a warm home to go back to. The design purportedly hugs and provides warmth and love one gets at home. In the meantime, the choker represents the inevitable challenges that we face in life.

A design with a story of a space cowboy protecting his planet from invading enemies by using matches and satay sticks. The design combined cowboy gun and warrior armour in a cyberpunk and futuristic technology theme. The silver colour gave it a glamorous look just like his personality.

An unlikely combination of dragon fruit and tornado gave this design a red-hot structure, spiralling up the leg. The design also speaks the architectural language of contrast and movement.

The primary shape of this design is a circle, complementing the theme ‘circle of life’. The noticeable layers depict the four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. Instead of a complete circle, the design spirals down in an uneven manner, showing how life is never in perfect shape.

Inspired by the hardworking insect, this design portrays a bee’s wing, sting and hive. From the side, the design creates an optical illusion with different sizes of triangles. The design was created using satay sticks, newspaper and magazines.

Leong Hung Sek (standing front row, fourth from left) and Tew Bun Teck (right to Leong) with models and designers