LASALLE and Ong Shunmugam have launched the Fashion Forward Bursary and LASALLE x Ong Shunmugam Mentorship Programme, an initiative to support Singapore’s next generation of fashion creatives.
The Fashion Forward Bursary was kickstarted by Priscilla Shunmugam, founder of Ong Shunmugam, in aid of talented and financially challenged students who otherwise may not be able to pursue their passion in fashion. It is complemented by the LASALLE x Ong Shunmugam Mentorship Programme, which comprises an industry-led project and a dedicated mentorship for final year students.
Priscilla, who initiated the partnership in celebration of Ong Shunmugam’s 10th anniversary, shares in this interview, “I think of mentorship in a context, meaning a mentor who can understand what you’re going through, the background you come from, the tools that you’ve been given, your social, political, and economic surroundings, which is really important. If you have, for example, a mentor who came from a completely different upbringing, background country, of course, they will be able to help but I think it’s difficult to get under someone’s skin if you don’t understand where they’re really coming from.”
