Singapore’s fashion scene is an unfinished business until his name is cited loud and clear. After all, he is the golden boy of the already burgeoning fashion industry in the city. In fact, it’s not only in his home city but right across Southeast Asia, he is admired for his bizarre yet beautiful couture outfits that titivate a woman’s sensuous elegance in myriad forms.

The creative genius behind such outstanding creations is Frederick Lee who doesn’t buy into rules while working on his mesmerising creations because he thinks they constrict a flow of ideas.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we check with the man himself and try to find out how fashioned turned him on and much more.

He sees fashion as a fairy tale that needs retelling in different ways. More or less, it’s his personal take on life. “I fell in love with fairy tale at a very young age. For me, it was all about weaving stories around elements plucked from the world of legend, myth and magic. Till today, I still enjoy the old-world Hollywood glam. Think Dietrich and Crawford in Balenciaga, Schiaparelli to Garbo and Davis wearing Vionnet and Dior,” he says.

He believes their positivity is responsible for exuberating Art-Deco flamboyance and utter elegance is what drew his attention to fashion and inspired him to look for perfection and glamor. “Personally, I find beauty when mundane materials are maneuvered with the proficient and perfecting skills of haute couture to become unequivocally beautiful garments and since then I know I want to be part of the fashion industry. I want to be a couturier,” he admits.

It’s no wonder he can’t envision his life without fashion. This is his identity. As he puts it, “The presentation and adornment of the body through fashion is an inescapable fact of social life we live today. And as a couturier designing dresses is a significant source of aesthetic pleasure I love to indulge in. Identity is made manifest through clothes, and I use fashion to advertise who I am and express my convictions openly.”

Perhaps the most important function of fashion, according to him, is that it gives him an opportunity to play and change, to embody his desires and his emotions and to silently talk to others and ourselves about who we are. He can’t imagine living his life without fashion because the promise of fashion is that it offers him a sense of renewal.

There is an indisputable factor as to why his designs are deemed so unique and much sought-after amongst women universally. His witty approach at creating the right sort of balance in his collections enables women to express themselves as well as make them feel good. “I want them to go out and dare to be who they really are. I try to create a language in my design that is independent of time. I feel that the items I create are non-generational even though they make use of images that existed in the past but give them a current interpretation that I always feel is right. In addition, it’s important to me to make sure that each item connects between people,” explains Lee.

So what makes his garments stand out from the rest? He replied jubilantly, “I create clothes that reflect ‘moments’ and ‘dreams’ rather than worrying about finding the next best-selling commercial designs. I believe in individuality and diversity to create, to ignore conventions and to do away with the rituals of seasonal demands.”

Wearing Frederick Lee’s couture is all about bringing together the extravagance, the glamor, the wit and originality.

“I make clothes for that sense-stealing woman, seductive, confident and feminine who is enchanted by bold new ideas and never harbors a dull moment in her life,” he says.

Another mesmerising component that he often adorns his collections with is nothing but feathers which he loves the most. There is something about them he feels connected to; the mere touch of them, their designs, their diversity, their energies, etc. “Working with feathers is a symbol of unmitigated joy for me. Feathers and plumes have always been a part of my creation for they add an ephemeral feel and allow me to design an object of natural poetry. They are truly aerodynamic marvels of perfection. They come in literally every color, every shape, and every size and hence they always make a splash in my collections,” says Lee.

Choosing couture

“Couture to me is the business of selling dreams, one garment at a time. Clothes are a communication tool and I constantly create something special that my customer feels an emotional attachment to when she looks at it and wears it. Individuality and craftsmanship are two key factors today that I never fail to deliver in my design,” he says.

But for all of this, one needs to have a pool of inspiration. And Lee’s inspiration boost stems from various things that are completely unrelated to a design process like music, movies or even a stroll in the park, which often fills him with good vibes. However, at other times, he finds it in a prominent building, a striking piece of art or nature. “I love catching plays and also keep traveling from time to time to different parts of the world looking for inspiring examples. The options are endless but the key is to know how to translate these inspirations into imaginative clothing designs,” he says.

As he readies such stunning pieces of gowns for women, there are certain things he works upon in advance. And it starts with visualizing a woman’s figure in his head first. “A woman’s figure and her attitude are part of the elements I visualize in the design concept and when it comes to execution, I need to master the technical side so I know what is possible and how to do it right. I need to understand every part from the foundation to the finished touch,” he says.

There is nothing more important than the integrity of the design from the artistic standpoint. “You must possess an unshakable trait to try new things and create fashion trends rather than wasting your time copying someone else’s,” he says.

While working with fabrics for his collection, he makes sure the uniqueness of the textiles that he uses, other than their accuracy in colorfulness and texture, lies in the fact that they are very fine, pleasant to the touch and travel well; they compliment the female body, expose what should be exposed and hide what should be hidden.

“I like to combine beads, lace and different embroideries and bring them together using my own interpretations. I feel that I give all those inspirations a new life in the items that I design and they give my world color, interest, excitement and happiness,” agrees Lee.

Women in Singapore are bowled over by Lee’s romantic wedding dresses. They prefer to wear his designed gowns on their special days although there are numerous options out there for them to look at as well. “Singapore brides now can choose a bridal gown that reflects her personality, style and the formality of her wedding. Brides have worn bikinis, shorts, mini-skirts, jeans, ball gowns or simple suits to exchange vows,” he says. “Bridal dresses now offer different hemlines, waistlines and shape so that every bride can have their choice that flatters them and meet their own requirements of what their wedding dress should look like.”

Singaporeans love to delve into high-end fashion. They have a flair for it and seek the finest quality at the same time. “The fact that Singapore boasts such a pool of very talented designers who are lighting up the catwalks and covering royalty and celebrities with their designs have something to do with our own women being increasingly fashion savvy. In this country you will stand out as oddball if you wear your jeans and flip-flops. Is there a better dresser, more fashion savvy nation on Earth,” he laughs. “They are embracing both Eastern and Western styles but turning them into something unique in sync with their protocol.

Singapore may not hold the same popularity as the fashion powerhouses of New York, Milan or Paris, but then the city is home to many talented designers whose creations have made waves internationally and that sole factor certainly makes Singapore the fashion capital of Asia.

Asked how he feels being the most sought-after couture designers in Singapore, he said, “I am humbled for being recognized for my couture work with its treasures of workmanship, artistic conceptions and grace, allowing me to bring to the public the vision of an art that must not be forgotten while constantly evolving as a witness of its period in time.”

Sometimes, it gets difficult to map out future plans. However, this malaise attacks only when one has no certain goals in life. And creative people certainly know how to work on their future agendas. Lee is part of this innovative group. “I am a passionate believer in the notion that the innovations of couture will continue to set the modern standards of clothing design and I will continue to do what I love most and what I do best i.e. to present an exciting new perspective on the world of couture,” he says.

Believe it or not, he is an incurable romantic and feels that it is his duty to give women a dream. He will dedicate his whole working life to the creations that will enhance their beauty and bring moments of joy to their lives.

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