How did online collaboration impact your creative process, particularly in terms of experimentation and innovation, and what were the biggest challenges and rewards of collaborating with students from a different cultural context?

KATHRYN SHANNON SIM

The Cross Pollination: Fashion Diasporas project, part of a Collaboration International Online Learning (COIL) initiative involving LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, has provided a transformative and thrilling experience for the lecturers and students involved.
                    Involving students from the four fashion programmes—BA (Hons) Fashion Media and Industries and BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles from Singapore, along with Fall 2024 FD-400-602 3D Garment Visualization and Fall 2024 FD-217-102 Design Studio III - Structured Draping from New York–this collaboration created a distinctive platform for the interchange of creative ideas, exploration and cultural discussions.
                    One of the main advantages of this COIL project was the chance to explore and create by combining various viewpoints. Students from LASALLE in Singapore and FIT in New York offered a differing yet harmonious perspective as they engaged their concepts and approaches. The interchange of various creative ideas cultivated a space abundant in experimentation, allowing students to challenge limits and create distinctive fashion solutions that integrated historical and cultural perspectives from both areas.
                    Furthermore, the online aspect of the collaboration encouraged the use of digital resources that allowed students to collaborate across various time zones, utilising activities on MIRO and engaging in digital presentations of concept boards and constructive peer feedback through Padlet and Google slides. This promoted the adoption of cutting-edge technologies in the creative process and enabled students to new skills in digital collaboration, which are becoming more important in the globalised and digitalised fashion industry.
                    Despite these challenges, the rewards were significant. Through their cultural exchange with New York students, Singaporean learners obtained essential cross-cultural communication abilities and collaborative skills which greatly improved their educational experiences. Students developed an understanding of global fashion practices by recognising the different cultural interpretations and applications of fashion. Their creative vision expanded through this experience while simultaneously preparing them for a fashion industry global landscape that requires cultural understanding and adaptable skills.
                    In this regard, the COIL project was a powerful platform for both students and the programme teams involved to innovate in pedagogy because students gained valuable global competencies and an appreciation for how diverse cultural influences shape the world of fashion when collaborating across borders and disciplines. As such, this project not only fostered creativity but also demonstrated the power of international collaboration in transforming the educational experience and enriching student learning.

How did this collaborative project bridge the gap between academia and the professional fashion world, and what are its potential long-term impacts on the fashion industry and the understanding of fashion diaspora?

LIDYA CHRISFENS

This project encourages students to look beyond their perspectives and engage with the world around them. It prompts them to recognise the rich mix of traditions and cultures that shape today’s fashion landscape. By drawing inspiration from the exhibition, students interact with material from the professional world, gaining firsthand experience in curatorial and archival research methods while understanding how storytelling and history inform contemporary design. This engagement fosters critical thinking, allowing students to reinterpret diaspora narratives within their regional contexts.
                    Beyond academia, this project bridges the gap between research and industry by exposing students to professional practices in fashion history, curation, and design. It enhances their ability to approach fashion with cultural awareness, making them more adaptable to evolving industry needs. The long-term impact is reflected in greater social awareness, a deeper appreciation of how diaspora communities shape fashion trends, textiles, and craftsmanship, and a more inclusive perspective on fashion’s role in identity and heritage. Ultimately, it equips students with the tools to become future-ready designers, researchers, and storytellers contributing to a more diverse and informed fashion industry.

How did your understanding of fashion and its role in society evolve through this collaborative experience, particularly in navigating the complexities of representing and interpreting “diaspora” in the students’ work?

ADRIAN HUANG

The Cross Pollination project between LASALLE and FIT exemplifies a dynamic exchange of creativity and culture, bringing together fashion students from both institutions to explore product development and storytelling. As one of the studio lecturers, I had the privilege of guiding LASALLE’s BA (Hons) Fashion Media and Industries students through this process, fostering their growth as emerging designers and communicators.
                    The project culminated in a cross-cultural exhibition, for which I curated and designed the Singapore leg, showcasing works from students of both institutions. Beyond highlighting diverse perspectives and approaches to fashion, the exhibition demonstrated the vital role of global collaboration in the industry.
                    A distinctive feature was the integration of physical and extended reality (XR) display techniques, embodying our vision of the Future of Craft—where traditional techniques merge with digital technologies to create new value. The students’ work demonstrated thoughtful engagement with themes, skillfully blending cultural influences with modern materials and techniques to create pieces that are both aesthetically compelling and meaningful.
                    This ongoing collaboration with the MFIT and FIT New York perfectly aligns with LASALLE’s mission to develop globally engaged creative thinkers and makers, while providing our students with valuable exposure to international practices.

How did your understanding of fashion and its role in society evolve through this collaborative experience, particularly in navigating the complexities of representing and interpreting “diaspora” in the students’ work?

LAUREN ZODEL

This collaborative experience broadened my perspective on how fashion serves as a powerful medium for exploring identity, particularly as my students navigated the complexities of their cultural roots and the role diaspora has played in shaping their
work as designers.
                    As an educator, I not only gained a deeper understanding of how fashion serves as a bridge between personal and collective histories but also had the opportunity to encourage my students to grow and develop new skill sets to meet the expectations they set for themselves, all while honoring the story they wanted to tell. The authenticity and pride in their work was evident across all students involved in the collaboration. The powerful themes explored in the Museum’s exhibit, Africa’s Fashion Diaspora, provided students with a shared language to navigate their backgrounds while engaging with the influences of different cultures through their generational journey. This experience reinforced the importance of representing diaspora in fashion, offering new perspectives on how to approach cultural representation thoughtfully and inclusively.

ANDREA DIODATI

In the age of rapid consumerism, where 100 billion garments are made each year, a designer must ask themselves why do I design? Why does my design need to exist? What do I urgently need to communicate?
                    In this collaboration, students explored how to create garments that were meaningful tools of communication. Their garments expressed complex issues about their heritage in relation to various diasporas. From an uncle who migrated to America from Cuba on a raft of used water bottles to a newly immigrated father achieving the American dream laying one tile at a time, every garment has a story! And not just any story but a compelling, heartfelt story that reminds us of the remarkable courage of the human spirit.
                    This past semester has taught me of fashion’s capacity to be a vehicle of personal storytelling, bringing awareness to the issues and people that we care about. In a time of fast fashion and shifting immigration laws, it’s more important than ever that we create meaningful garments that remind us of our humanity.

CHARLES REZANDI

The collaboration between LASALLE and FIT has undergone several iterations, with each one surpassing its predecessor in success. It aligns with the imperative to innovate and develop students by emphasising business, product, and marketing development, focusing on narrative creation. It has established itself as a vibrant platform for cultural and creative exchange.
                    The concept of “fashion diasporas” highlights how fashion travels across borders, carrying cultural meanings and adapting to new contexts. As a diasporic Indonesian Chinese living in Singapore, I can see this in how contemporary influences reinterpret dress and styles and how global fashion trends are adapted to local preferences. It is fascinating to consider the interplay of fashion diasporas and cultural exchanges, particularly in a diverse hub like Singapore.
                    The project introduces key business principles and value creation within the fashion industry. Students are trained to consider multiple perspectives and approach fashion as an interconnected system rather than an isolated pursuit.Reflecting the rich and diverse identities of the diaspora, this collaboration highlights the strength found in partnership, focusing on unity rather than differences, and continues to thrive in its ongoing relationship with the MFIT and FIT New York.