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Dressed to thrill

SINGAPORE — There have been more countdown shows this year for the Star Awards, the star-studded Mediacorp event that culminates on April 16.

SINGAPORE — There have been more countdown shows this year for the Star Awards, the star-studded Mediacorp event that culminates on April 16.

Two countdown shows have aired, with one last blast on April 9, before the main event kicks off on April 16. What this means for celebrity stylists is that demand for TV-ready, red-carpet outfits is at an all-time high.

“Everyone is fighting for looks, so it is really competitive this year,” said Keith Png, stylist to the stars.

But he has found a clever way to beat the crowd for the main show: He is customising top-secret outfits for Paige Chua, Carrie Wong and You Yi, working in collaboration with local designers.

Not only does this mean they will each have a unique look that is all their own, but the artistes themselves also get to be part of the design process.

It is the perfect solution — and Png himself is even coming out of designer retirement to make Wong’s dress.

“Carrie, as you know, has a body that is perfect for almost any runway look — she is tall, skinny and could pull off even a garbage bag,” said Png, who previously had 20 years of experience as a designer.

Wong had fallen in love with the aesthetic of brands such as Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, but “the problem with the looks she liked was that they were not available in Singapore”, said Png.

So he offered to make her a dress. “I said, ‘Let’s design your Star Awards outfit together. She was very happy, like a little girl,” he recalled.

“I pieced together things she liked, and she told me what she wanted to add — the colours, the details, what kinds of fabrics, lace and ribbons. I like working with her because she has a clear direction when it comes to what she wants.”

Another artiste who knows what she wants is You Yi, who will be hosting the red carpet Walk Of Fame.

After her hosting duties, she will be changing into her outfit for the night, which was created for her by local designer Sabrina Goh.

“In recent years, You Yi has told me, ‘I don’t want to wear another pretty dress. I want something more edgy and adventurous. I want people to know that I am not the girl next door’,” said Png, adding that because she started out as a DJ, and then a news presenter, she was always dressed in “proper” clothes.

“Now that she’s a host and an actress, she wants to show more of her personality through her fashion choices,” Png said. The looks that You Yi favoured tended to be on the androgynous side.

Png approached Goh, who agreed to design an outfit.

Without revealing too much, Png said that “out of all the reference pictures, all three of us picked the same one ... the direction was focused and clear”.

You Yi’s ensemble involves pants and not a skirt, although “it is not exactly a pantsuit”.

“I like it because everyone thinks that if it is an awards show, a gala or a red carpet event, it has to be a dress that is long, super formal, and with bling. But sometimes, we can have a bit more fun,” Png said.

Chua, whose red carpet looks are always hotly anticipated, will also be getting exactly what she wants this year: Her dress was designed in collaboration with local bridal group WhiteLink.

“Paige always looks out for princessy gowns ... The key words were ‘princess’, ‘pretty’ and ‘timeless’,” Png said. “And, as always, not too revealing.”

He is keeping mum on the details, but it is “not your typical big, bouncy bridal gown”, he said, and it is “not the kind of silhouette Paige would usually wear”.

However, it will definitely be classy.

“I always have the same philosophy: Even five or 10 years down the road, (the actress) should look back at the 2017 Star Awards and have no regrets about wearing that dress,” he said. “I’m not out to shock or create news headlines or make jaws drop — I just want to dress them in things that are timeless, classic and beautiful, which they would not regret showing their kids or grandchildren.”

 

Catch the Star Awards on April 16 at 7pm (Walk Of Fame at 5.30pm) on Mediacorp TV Channel 8.

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