Raffles International Admissions Thailand

Giuseppe Spinelli, popularly known as Joe Spinelli is trained in both Fashion Design and Creative Arts. His expertise in fashion design ranges from men’s and woman’s wear, fashion accessories, leather and fur garments. He had a successful career for 12 years in Montreal Canada, and has won numerous awards; which include the Dubbonnet Design Awards Men’s Wear 1988 and Woman’s Wear 1990. He also held the post of Vice-President of the Quebec Designer's Association from 1988 to 1990.

Joe came to head the Fashion Design Department in 1993 in Singapore till present day. He has been instrumental in building the fashion design department in Raffles Design, raising the standards of the local fashion industry and to be one of the most respected personalities in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The students under his guidance have won numerous contests and awards like the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Awards, Smirnoff International Fashion Awards, Asian Young Designer Award and most recently Mittlemoda 2004, putting Singapore on the world map. To date, he has groomed award-winners like Sven Tan (Winner of Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award 2004), Hiroko Ueno (Winner of Mercedes-Benz Singapore Fashion Award 2005), Madeleine Wong (Winner of Asian Young Designer Award 2003) and many more.

"... my teacher Joe Spinelli was an inspiration, he taught me everything from scratch..."

Sven Tan, Winner of Mercedes Benz Asia Fashion Award

Swee Wong
Programme Coordinator
(Fashion Design)

Swee joined RafflesDesignInstitute in March 1992 as a lecturer and was promoted to Coordinator of the Fashion Design department one year later. Prior to coming to RafflesDesign, Swee was in the family tailoring business for 8 years. She then spent four years in New York and then two years working with Hongkong and Indonesian apparel manufacturers as a merchandiser and then senior merchandiser. During her stay in New York, Swee obtained an Associate in Applied Science degree (Summa cum Laude) from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

She is currently completing her Master of Education degree from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). Swee enjoys her lecturing work here. “The satisfaction I get is when ex-students visit and comment on their appreciation of my emphasis on planning and deadlines during their study here. Many of them are following in my footsteps in the manufacturing world."

“With the present students, I receive comments of how after just three months they are able to assemble garments under the lecturer's tutelage - what an accomplishment for them,” she said.

Brian Forst
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

BSc Fashion Design, Woodbury University, Burbank, California, USA.
MFA Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA.

Brian joined RafflesDesignInstitute in Shanghai as Fashion Design lecturer teaching at both diploma and degree levels for a year before joining our Singapore campus. He brings with him industry experience with John Galliano SARL and Christian Dior in Paris. Brian’s folio is particularly strong in Fashion Illustration. Previous experience included fashion styling for the Nob Hill Gazette in San Francisco and Visual Styling for Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills.

Edmund Tay
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Edmund graduated from the Raffles Design Institute with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree, majoring in Fashion Design. Even while he was still an undergraduate, he was already an active contributor to Singapore’s fashion landscape; competing actively in the annual fashion week festival as well as representing the Institute in fashion shows such as Singapore Fashion Week.

Upon graduation, he had the great opportunity to work with some of Singapore’s leading women’s wear designers such as Celia Loe and Michelle N. Edmund also joined the Textile & Fashion Federation and helped organize the highly successful Singapore Fashion Week04.

Iskra Petrovska
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Iskra Petrovska joined Raffles Design Institute in January 2009 after nine years of international industry experience that has taken her from Italy to Macedonia to Bangkok.

After graduating from Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Iskra worked as a fashion designer and graphic designer in Europe, participating in different projects, fashion shows and exhibitions, including collaborations with several French designers which led to the launch of her own label in 2006.

She has since brought her wealth of knowledge into the classroom, completing a Master’s degree in Fashion Design before beginning her career as a lecturer. She takes pride in sharing her skills with Raffles Design Institute students, whom she believes will be the next generation of designers and the future of the industry.

Iskra is passionate about art in all possible manifestation, and enjoys traveling and experiencing new cultures. She is currently pursing a second Master’s degree in Fine Arts.

Yasitha De Silva
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Yasitha arrived at Raffles Design Institute in October 2008 with years of international fashion design experience under her belt, and an unwavering passion for her chosen field.

Since graduating with a degree in Textile & Fashion Design from the Academy of Art & Design from Tsinghua University (Beijing), Yasitha has designed and developed for some of UK and USA’s leading high-street brands such as Marks & Spencers, BHS, Laura Ashley and Baby Phat. Her experiences have allowed her to oversee entire development processes of apparel from concept to creation.

Today, she relishes the opportunity to work with Raffles Design Institute and enjoys providing academic support to the students.

Her favorite past times include painting, cooking, listening to chill-out music and spending quality time with her family.

Jeremy Au Yong
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Jeremy Yong is the latest addition to Raffles Design Institute’s pool of teaching talent. He wholeheartedly agrees with Thierry Mugler’s insightful statement “fashion is a very demanding mistress” and loves the abuse that only she can mete out so stylishly.

Acknowledging the fact that one can never have too many hats, gloves and shoes, he set up his own London-based fashion accessory label Jeremy & Biba in partnership with Biba Jansonius, a fellow graduate, after he completed his degree in women’s wear at Central St Martins College (United Kingdom). His creations have been featured in the international fashion press and his stock lists have included up-market retailers such as Maria Luisa (Paris), Kokon Tozai (London and Paris), Diptrics (Tokyo agent) and Quintessential (Singapore).

Lecturing at Raffles Design Institute is a prospect that Jeremy finds very exciting. He is looking forward to sharing his knowledge and skills with the talent of tomorrow.

Fong Guo Feng
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Guo Feng returns to his alma mater as a lecturer for the Fashion Design department in January 2009 after several years in the local fashion industry, where he excelled at made-to-measure garments.

As a graduate with First Class Honours from Raffles Design Institute, Guo Feng has independently designed, produced and styled for various fashion collections in both Singapore and Malaysia, and won several awards for his design skill and artistic eye.

As the in-house designer for companies such as Ghim Li, Guo Feng is adept at producing anything from menswear to glamorous gowns. He has also helped to coordinate and oversee fashion shows, garment production and liaise with merchandisers. His extensive industry experience will be a great boon to Raffles Design Institute and its Fashion Design students, and we are pleased to have him back!

Je Yong Jung
Lecturer
(Fashion Design)

Je Yong Jung joined Raffles Design Institute in July 2009. Je graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Fashion Design from Columbus College of Art and Design and went on to receive his MBA in Marketing from Philadelphia University.

Je worked as Head Designer for Haggar clothing alongside internationally renowned designer, Tommy Hilfiger, both were overseeing brands Haggar and Kenneth Cole. Besides, Je has worked closely with Urban Outfitters, Champion, Gear, Luen Thai and Harold's Clothing Store. He has recently launched a collection called "WRKROOM" in early 2009, which is available at Takashimaya Department Stores and other specialty stores in the USA, Canada and Japan.

Je has brought his wealth of knowledge from the industry and is ready to meet and guide students who share that great aspiration and passion to be the next upcoming designer. As Je puts it, “Building a collection is like writing a story book. Each style forms a plot, and every garment is a character. However, it is the unexpected twists, turns, and surprises in these stories that make each fashion collection truly memorable and unique.”