A.K.A Wayward, eve, JAUNTY BOYS, OwnMuse, Ready.Made, SOPHIELLE, Twenty2Seven and un-covered. Do these names ring a bell? Probably not and that’s not very surprising either.

They may not be your usual crème de la crème or the coveted brands you so often hear of like Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior or Gareth Pugh. The aforementioned 8 labels are none other than the brainchild of our very own homegrown designers. Their collections captivated the audience at the 3rd annual Parco next NEXT Phenomena Festive Showcase on Nov 11 and the theme for the showcase was ‘Borderless Fashion’.

In an interview with Parco next NEXT, vice-president of the Textile and Fashion Federation (Singapore), David Wang said, “In line with the fluidity of truly borderless fashion, we decided to bend the rules a little this year for our runway show. We’ve played around with contrasts between east and west, luxe and street, and threw in some fun twists in our styling and accessories to usher her in the year-end period of merrymaking.”

PARCO next NEXT is a fashion design incubator project, which aims to develop up and coming local designers. The project has its own retail space at PARCO Marina Bay and features a range of curated designs by Singapore’s very own fashion talents.

These were the 8 participating designers for the showcase:

A.K.A Wayward by Mun Foong

Last year’s best new designer, Mun Foong presented her recently launched Wayward womenswear collection in addition to her current collection of menswear. Graduate in style with her classic preppy designs in earthly hues and contrasting tipped collars. That certainly brought old school back onto the runway! It was a boy-meets-girl affair on the runway when both the ladies and gents strutted their style in complementary looks.

Twenty2Seven by Zee Tan

Bold designs, geometrical shapes and stripes were the order of the night for Twenty2Seven’s collection. Majority of the designs came in monochrome shades but it was not at all dull. With the use of wide-brimmed floppy hats for certain looks, the simple geometric designs clearly made their stand in a bold yet classy manner on the runway. Inspired by looks from the 1960’s, it was as if Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick were doing their thing all over again.

OwnMuse by Oon Shu Juang and Johanna Lau

This womenswear collection by the designer duo is all about elegance. The exquisite detailing such as beading and pleating made the look slightly rebellious. The designs come in two contrasting shades featuring modish colour blocking. The peach and cream shades brought out the feminine and flirty vibe. On the other hand, the metallic black and heather grey ones just scream edgy. If vintage is your style, the high-waist skirts and elaborate cropped tops is your ticket back to the 1950’s.

JAUNTY BOYS by Alex Yeo and Xie Shangqian

JAUNTY BOYS, a more youthful and cheekier version of their menswear label Coupe-cousu, is inspired by pop-art. The collection comprises of mainly t-shirts and shirts, with its colour-blocking being quirky. The stripes and dots add a dose of fun to the designs. Who says shirts are only for formal events? They were made for the beach too and JAUNTY BOYS will show you how it’s done!

eve by Eve Tan

As the saying goes, “opposites attract”. Looking for something delicate yet exudes a strong sense of character? Sticks & Stones strikes perfect harmony, without a doubt. Incorporating angular panels along the soft drapery in colours like cream, black and burgundy, the label is set to bring out a woman’s spirited personality.

SOPHIELLE by Kanwal Jit Kaur

A dictator of her own style and identity laced with a bit of madness, Kanwal’s designs for SOPHIELLE are all about futuristic and experimental prints for the atypical lady. Some of her outfits might even remind you of Japanese designer, Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please bilbaobag which strikes you as an avant-garde masterpiece. Forget about bumping into someone on the street decked out in the same outfit! There’s only a limited number of each design made, so your individualism is assured. Who knows, this could very well be a sneak peek into the future, or at least their sense of style.

un-covered by Joanna Loh

Unlike the mainstream womenswear collections, un-covered (also known as ‘UNCVRD’) stays true to its ideals: teasing with versatility of her unconventional Origami-inspired shapes, augmented with exaggerated lines and ravishing confidence. Traverse the sidewalks bursting with experimental elements that appear to create 2D and 3D effects. Rest assured that a double take is in order.

Ready.Made by Sabrina Gunawan

Headpieces embellished with beads, along with intricate beadings and ropes that accessorise the asymmetrical navy blue sleeveless top made heads turn. The maxi-skirt paired with it gives off a bohemian vibe, which describes the concept behind Sabrina Gunawan’s festive collection. Her designs infuse vintage with modern elements that are accompanied by colour play, dotted with unique lace prints based largely on flowers and soft shapes; befitting the dainty taste of a Bohemian princess.

Gracing the runway alongside these 8 local labels were promising Japanese brands, Nocturne #22 by Michiko Suzuki and ARIKI by Ryota Ariki. They are 2 of the 6 Japanese labels featured in the 334-square-foot pop-up store, MAKE ONE’S MARK, specially handpicked by Yuji Yamamoto, son of famed Japanese designer Yoji Yamamoto, the brains behind fashion label Y-3.

The Spring/Summer 2012 “Detachable Femininity” collection from Nocturne #22 highlights asymmetrical outfits in elegant black and white with dashes of blue, red, white and yellow stripes that pays tribute to architectural design.

A mixture of punk and goth influences coupled with guitars parts, amplifier cable jacks and guitar picks embellishments reinforce the get-up of a rock star. Just like Suzuki’s collection, Ariki’s colour palette for his collection is primarily monochromatic with a tinge of bright blue and red.

MAKE ONE’S MARK will be located at PARCO Marina Bay, Millenia Walk level 2, P2-28 from now till Dec 26.