Emerging fashion designer Josh Tirados conjures a fantastical world with his debut show

Singapore-based multidisciplinary artist Josh Tirados establishes his eponymous label with his 'Anino’ collection. Here, Kelly Janine gives a personal review of Tirados’ unconventional runway show.

Last Saturday night on 13 May, Josh Tirados launched his self-titled fashion label (Tirados) with a runway show at Figment Embassy House. The event, supported by local conceptual label An Asylum, presented the designer’s debut of ‘Anino’—a collection exploring the Tagalog word that means both shadow and reflection. As written in the show notes by Pallavi, “(Doesn’t) everyone have two shapes, really? The first is your own body, which you can’t get out of, and the second is your shadow which you can’t get rid of”.

Needless to say, duality was quintessential. A theme that otherwise grounded the show’s presentation and experience. The atmosphere was a ceremonial procession redux. Traditional motifs found their way onto contemporary silhouettes. Friends old and new constituted the production team. Sleek eco-brut interiors were enveloped by Figment Embassy House’s 1920s Peranakan architecture. The reality that contrasting opposites could coexist in a single entity further underscores where Tirados drew inspiration from: aspects of non-violent resistance in the form of benevolence.

“Forget the arrival of A-list celebrities and influencers. Local musicians, DJs, visual artists, photographers, writers, dancers, and kindred spirits ruled the roost that evening.”

Soundtracked to Mervin Wong’s hypnotic score, models graced the winding staircase as if they emerged from a fantastical forest. Think earthy hues, bucolic textures, and handcrafted clay amulets by artist Carmen Ceniga Prado. Tirados’ interest in the delicate continued with a series of crochet knits and diaphanous pieces that featured sensuous drapes and angular constructions. Meanwhile, gill-cut vests styled with low-waisted tailored shorts had a casual effortlessness to them.

The beauty looks also commanded as much attention as the garments. Red freckles, whitened eyebrows, and glossy lips evoked the ethereality of youthful nymphs and faeries. Some were adorned with feathers and wheat stalks. Others wore necklaces (Look 10) and tops (Look 4) featuring the Tirados symbol. Behind the motif’s meaning, Tirados explains: “To me they’re all Ts: Talismans, Totems, and Tenets. They’re like charms and natural elements that are symbolic totems of protection or benevolence”.

Finale of Tirados’ runway show. Originally posted on @kellyjanine.xr

The show is a unique fashion spectacle in Singapore too considering how it was free for all to attend. The narrow shophouse could miraculously house over a hundred people spread across a few floors. Audiences could view the show either seated or free-standing from two different perspectives: either on the ground floor or upstairs in a dimly-lit room. Most strikingly, the show subverted the exclusivity of runway shows where a select handful deemed vital to a brand’s publicity were given access. Gone was the “By invite only” rule. Forget the arrival of A-list celebrities and influencers. Local musicians, DJs, visual artists, photographers, writers, dancers, and kindred spirits ruled the roost that evening.

Finale of Tirados’ runway show (pt.II). Originally posted on @kellyjanine.xr

While I knew how the show came together and kept it a secret for several months, it was nonetheless emotional seeing my friends pull off the runway show together. Everyone stepped up to take on roles for the show such as runway photographers, producers, make-up artists, etc. Each floor, whether it was holding audiences or backstage, radiated a palpable energy that demonstrated a runway’s ability to captivate and unify individuals—even if one doesn’t have a fashion background.

Overall, Tirados’ show has definitely pushed the envelope and set the bar for what young Singapore-based designers can do with not just a physical space but also the opportunities outside of conventional educational pathways such as An Asylum’s residency programme.

“My art is prayer, in the sense that it is not about forcing change into the world but expressing a hope for something better”

Looking back at the interview for Vogue Singapore I had with Tirados back in September last year, I realise how much has remained consistent and changed. “I’m looking at relationships between silhouettes and form, and how they intensify ideas of presence, an emotion or an identity” said Tirados when I asked him about his current style and practice in his studio. “My art is prayer, in the sense that it is not about forcing change into the world but expressing a hope for something better”. It’s safe to say, then, that Tirados materialised the vision he had in mind and the beginning of his eponymous label marks an exciting turn in Singapore’s fashion scene.

Those interested in viewings and inquiries can reach out via the ‘Tirados’ Instagram account for purchase.

Runway Looks 1-15

*All of Tirados’ runway looks are shot and edited by @ordinary_rice. Images are to be credited and not to be reproduced without seeking permission.