This year's shortlist comprises New York-trained fashion designer and Parsons alumnus Jon Max Goh; Nantana Boonchuayseng, who comes from a long line of accomplished tailors in Thailand; celebrated designer Nikasha Khemka, known for her handcrafted traditional designs; Amsterdam-trained Angeline Oei, who creates pieces made from biodegradable cotton; and Yan Ng, an alumnus of Raffles College of Higher Education, who creates sustainable, environmentally friendly made-to-order clothing.

"I have a good story to tell, and I told it," said Ng, after presenting her designs to the judges. Her fellow finalist Goh also shared a similar sentiment.

"I think I hit most of the marks that the competition brief has asked us for," he said, "I'm quite happy with the way that I've taken my interpretation of technology and innovation both through a high-tech and a low-tech perspective."

The winner of Singapore Stories 2021 stands to receive not only the Singapore Fashion Award trophy, but also secure retail opportunities at Design Orchard and on TaFF’s online platform OneOrchard.Store (OOS). They will also have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to debut their collection at Paris Fashion Week 2022 with Fashion Division Asia Europe, as well as have their winning look showcased at the Asian Civilisations Museum’s special exhibition, #SGFASHIONNOW, next year. 

To keep up with the contestants, stay tuned for a four-part feature of the competition, which will feature juicy insider scoops and behind-the-scenes shots that will capture the designers' thought processes, as well as the challenges and difficulties they face as they cross each hurdle. This docu-series, produced by TaFF in partnership with Tatler Singapore, will be available on here as well as on Tatler and TaFF’s social and digital platforms.

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