Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) presents Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World, tracing the fashion journey of Andrew Gn, one of Singapore’s most prolific designers, and celebrates his major gift to ACM’s collection.

This is ACM’s largest showcase celebrating a contemporary Singapore fashion designer. Through five sections and over 100 representative works, this extraordinary retrospective exhibition explores Gn’s roots in Asia, cross-cultural expressions of Asian and Western art, and celebrates his distinctive aesthetics, craftsmanship, and global impact.

27 May 2023 - 17 September 2023

Daily - 10am - 7pm
Fridays - 10am - 9pm

Special Exhibitions Gallery, Level 2
Shaw Foyer, Level 2
Contemporary Gallery, Level 1

Ticketed

27 May 2023 - 17 September 2023

Daily - 10am - 7pm
Fridays - 10am - 9pm

Special Exhibitions Gallery, Level 2
Shaw Foyer, Level 2
Contemporary Gallery, Level 1

Ticketed

Cross-cultural inspirations and influences

The exhibition takes a closer look at Gn’s diverse sources of inspiration including art, fashion, literature, film, and his Singaporean roots, and how they offer a wealth of access points for audiences to diverse cultures and discourses surrounding Asia. Echoing Singapore’s history as a cross-cultural port city, Gn’s works display a convergence of Asian and Western influences, and features reinterpretations of Asian cultures including Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, and his Peranakan heritage.

Gn’s inspirations include imperial and export porcelain, textiles, batik, iznik and other forms of hybrid design material culture. Traditional motifs and textile-making techniques also feature in his contemporary creations.

Gn has also been inspired by vibrant themes of nature, from corals and florals to his signature butterflies, often meticulously hand-painted and printed on garments.

With these more inclusive and contemporary representations of Asia and fashion, the exhibition looks to inspire the next generation to preserve their design legacies.

Inside the designer’s mind and studio

At the Contemporary Gallery, the exhibition features an almost-exact replica of Gn’s atelier in Paris, where his designs are birthed, experimented and materialised. Often called “demi-couture”, Gn’s ready-to-wear designs bear the quality and essence of couture, with many elements done in-house – from designing fabrics, embroideries, buttons and trimmings. This holistic design process reveals the exceptional artistry and craftsmanship that define the House of Andrew Gn. This section of the exhibition is free for all ACM visitors.

Delve into the world of design and fashion

Continuing efforts to engage contemporary audiences using digital initiatives, this exhibition introduces “Fashion Try-On”, an interactive, multimedia experience that provides a personalised touch for visitors discovering Andrew Gn’s fashion journey.

Using RFID technology, visitors can collect motifs that are iconic of the House of Andrew Gn, such as the butterfly and coral. These motifs are scattered throughout the various exhibition spaces, and a paper sculpture feature wall by paper artist Dawn Koh at the Take Flight interpretive space.

At the end of their journey, motifs collected can be used to create personalised outfits that visitors can model at multimedia augmented reality kiosks situated at the Contemporary Gallery. Visitors may keep their self- designed outfits through printed and digital photographs.

Alongside this in-exhibition interactive RFID experience, ACM will also organise a series of complementary family-friendly programmes, guided tours, lectures and weekend festivals. This includes a special lecture by the designer Andrew Gn himself, in conversation with Senior Curator, Fashion and Textiles, ACM and Peranakan Museum Jackie Yoong, and Fashion Curator and Head of School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts, Circe Henestrosa.

Exhibition Highlights

Ballgown with tulips, carnations and saz leaves Resort 2016

Polyester-cotton jacquard, embroidered silk thread, sequins;

The floral designs on this gown appear to sway to a gentle breeze, dynamically wrapping around the body. Embroidered in bright shades of blue, green, and red, they resemble those from ceramics, produced in the town of Iznik, Turkey from the late 15th to 17th century. Gardens and flowers were important visual elements in the Islamic arts of Ottoman Turkey (around 1299–1922), especially tulips, which symbolised beauty and paradise. The ballgown was worn by Fan Bing Bing for the September issue of Vogue Taiwan in 2015

Ballgown with tulips, carnations and saz leaves Resort 2016

Polyester-cotton jacquard, embroidered silk thread, sequins;

Sleeveless mini dress, jacket with "pagoda" shoulders

Hope and Glory Collection,
Fall-Winter 2021
Dress: acetate, viscose; jacket: wool,
embroidered glass beads, metal

The decorative buttons on this dress were inspired by jewelled brooches worn by Peranakans, called kerosang. In sets of three, the brooches were used to fasten the sarong kebaya, worn in the Malay-Indonesia world since the 17th century. Both Andrew’s mother and Peranakan grandmother wore versions of it during his childhood. Lily Collins appears in the dress in the eighth episode of Emily in Paris, noted for its depictions of fashion.

Sleeveless mini dress, jacket with "pagoda" shoulders

Hope and Glory Collection,
Fall-Winter 2021
Dress: acetate, viscose; jacket: wool,
embroidered glass beads, metal

Shift dress with waterlilies

Nippon and Memphis Collection
Spring-Summer 2015
Silk-polyester, embroidered glass beads, sequins

This sparkling dress catches the light when in motion. It was inspired by Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, a series of almost 250 impressionist paintings that contemplate the interplay of light, water, colour, sky, and flowers at Monet’s garden in Giverny, France. As with many impressionist works, the key motifs become clearer the farther away they are viewed.

Coat with corals

Hommage a Tony Duquette Collection
Spring-Summer 2005
Linen, embroidered glass beads, sequins

Fully beaded with sequins and clusters of pearls and coral, this coat is one of Andrew Gn’s most elaborately embroidered works. It represents the intricate workmanship of a small, highly skilled atelier in northern France that works with select high fashion labels. Such ateliers are increasingly rare in France — this one has since ceased operations.

Programmes

Look out for upcoming programmes' registration details on our website or at acmevents.peatix.com.

Take Flight

27 May–17 Sep 2023
Museum operating hours
Free admission

Collect Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) bracelet and collect all ten motifs hidden around the galleries. Design and model your own Andrew Gn- inspired masterpiece. Then, see Andrew Gn’s watercolour butterflies come to life through the work of artist Koh Dawn. Make and decorate your own collar, try your hand at basic darting, and catch an exclusive video introduction to Andrew Gn.

About Koh Dawn

Koh Dawn is a self-taught paper artist from Singapore. After graduating from the London College of Fashion, she experimented with combining her childhood love of paper art with couture. Dawn enjoys working with her hands and sustainable, archival-quality papers and inks. She is fascinated by the transformative power and timelessness of nature and symbols, using them as a platform to weave stories into her art. Her work also explores human connections and the natural world.

Take Flight

27 May–17 Sep 2023
Museum operating hours
Free admission

About Koh Dawn

Activity Trail Booklet

My Fashion Design Journal
27 May–17 Sep 2023
Recommended for ages 7 and up
Free; available onsite or download here

Pick up an activity trail booklet, learn more about the design and craftsmanship behind Andrew Gn’s creations, and complete your very own fashion design journal. Suitable for ages 7 and up.

Crossing Cultures: Made by Hand

2–4 June; 4–9pm
Free admission to most activities
Discounted $10 entry into the Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World special exhibition.

Fall in love with Asian craftsmanship, with a weekend dedicated to handmade creations. Dive deep into traditions and techniques, and pick up newfound skills from modern-day artisans and creatives.

Fashion Playground: Andrew Gn Weekend Festival

15–16 July; 1–9pm
Free admission to most activities.
Discounted $10 entry into the Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World special exhibition.

For one weekend only, ACM is rolling out the red carpet for a festival you can’t miss. Get your hands busy at craft workshops on pattern-making, embroidery, and jewellery-making. Then, level up at our fashion showcase on styling, gem appreciation, and more!

ACM Adventures: Costume Party

Sunday, 25 June; 11am–3pm
Discounted $10 entry into the Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World special exhibition.

Dress up in fun outfits for this month’s ACM Adventures! Get creative and design fashionable clothes inspired by Asian textiles, and join us for a drama performance and storytelling session in the galleries!

Andrew Gn: Curator Tours

30 Jun, 25 Aug 2023; 7.30pm
$25 per participant

Join senior curator Jackie Yoong on an exclusive tour of the Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World special exhibition to discover fascinating facts about the works on display and get behind-the- scenes insights into the curating of the exhibition.

Andrew Gn: Fashioning Singapore and the World

Special Exhibition

Cross-cultural inspirations and influences

Inside the designer’s mind and studio

Empowering influential women globally through fashion

Delve into the world of design and fashion

Exhibition Highlights

Ballgown with tulips, carnations and saz leaves Resort 2016

Sleeveless mini dress, jacket with "pagoda" shoulders

Shift dress with waterlilies

Coat with corals

Programmes

Take Flight

Activity Trail Booklet

Crossing Cultures: Made by Hand

Fashion Playground: Andrew Gn Weekend Festival

ACM Adventures: Costume Party

Andrew Gn: Curator Tours

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Cross-cultural inspirations and influences

Inside the designer’s mind and studio

Empowering influential women globally through fashion

Delve into the world of design and fashion

Exhibition Highlights

Ballgown with tulips, carnations and saz leaves Resort 2016

Sleeveless mini dress, jacket with "pagoda" shoulders

Shift dress with waterlilies

Coat with corals

Programmes

Take Flight

Activity Trail Booklet

Crossing Cultures: Made by Hand

Fashion Playground: Andrew Gn Weekend Festival

ACM Adventures: Costume Party

Andrew Gn: Curator Tours

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