Local brand Arc not only has a beautiful designer but a good eye for bringing out the best in your womanly figure
By Cheryl Chia
The perception of femininity may seem to be skewed toward the stick-thin models spotted on avant-garde runways but it’s time to bring back good ol’ self-confidence with well-designed aesthetics in your closet.
Singaporean designer Islean Valath’s first line for Arc’s Spring/Summer 2012 debuted with rich colours and a streamlined form to create a leaner yet curvier silhouette, similar to Stella McCartney’s much-heralded “magic dress”.
“I have always been interested in architecture and the ideas that play with shape, form, composition; I’m especially fascinated by the juxtaposition between curves and linear shapes. I wanted to incorporate this into my clothes,” she says.
She adds, “I began thinking of how an arc is in fact a curved line and how that is suggestive of a woman’s body. I came to really feel that the word ‘arc’ represents both my minimalist design aesthetic, whilst communicating the driving force behind my design objective – to make clothes that accentuate the woman’s form.”
Her Autumn/Winter 2012 collection gleans inspirations from a post-apocalyptic world with futuristic silhouettes and monochromatic colours with hints of jewel tones – using materials such as Thai silk and wool toughened up with leather details.
The pieces may come across as over-the-top but Islean begs to differ. She says, “I recently came across a bunch of women who, upon seeing the clothes, got really excited and wanted to get their hands on the designs immediately. They were all US Size 6-12.”
“At the same time, I also met a slim ex-model who’s now US Size 2, who was worried about pulling the pieces off. It’s very interesting to observe – I can see it really is about self-worth and confidence. Women whom do not live by what society thinks of them won’t fear the designs,” she adds.
Since Arc started up in 2012, Islean has had excellent responses from women in the market including Singapore-based Australian celebrity model and host Yvette King, budding singer Sarah Cheng de Winne, and media personality Sara Ann Krishnamoorthy. Arc’s outfits range from $80 to $358.
She says, “As a designer, I hope that people buy my clothes not merely because they want to support local… but they understand intrinsically the value of how much thought has been put into the creative process, and that they’re paying for a very unique piece because we control and limit the total number of each design produced.”
Visit www.arcival.com for more. Arc is also stocked at the Black Market at Orchard Central and MY-Thology on 88 Club Street.
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