Yalin Sun is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree majoring in Fashion Design and Sustainability at Whitecliffe. Her 2020 collection titled Back to Black is inspired by the film, Hidden Figures. The film tells the story of three black women and their experiences with discrimination and differential treatment in American society in the 1960s.
“I admired the three main characters for their unconquerable spirit, and the theme of gender equality was foremost in my mind while watching the movie,” explained Sun.
Sun’s entire collection utilises black and white as the main colour palette. She also prefers to work with a slimmer cut as opposed to a looser-fit suit as it not only shows the structure of the suit better but is also able to show off the natural curves of a woman.
Sun created ruffles from a cotton organza fabric. Cotton organza feels like paper, which allows the ruffles in her work to showcase a more defined silhouette.
A designer that Sun is most inspired by is Yves Saint Laurent. Laurent changed the way women dressed by incorporating masculine elements such as trench coats and pants into the language of feminine tailoring. Sun also takes interest into Dior’s Spring 2017 collection. This collection demonstrated a different way of interpreting women’s rights. Power is conveyed through an external image that is visually striking. Dior’s visual story provides Sun with a new perspective.
Compared to previous years, this final year, Sun has felt the most creative she has ever been.
“I have been willing to take the time to explore deeper things. Sustainability is the future of fashion, and Whitecliffe has taught us what it means to be sustainable.”
Sun’s highlight of her course was the Whitecliffe Fashion Show for 2020 as it was a culmination of the theoretical knowledge and technical skills that she has obtained over the past three years of study.
In the future, Sun hopes to open her own store. She plans to participate in more competitions and to sell online at the same time as a way to build her reputation before taking the plunge to launch a physical store.
With thanks to Vanity Walk Models, Red Eleven Model Management and Bintang Models and Management.
