Vogue Conversations: How Fashion Is An Art Form

In this panel, Vogue Singapore explores how different forms of craft and technique applied in fashion can be seen as an expression of art, and how fashion and art are deeply intertwined. In this conversation, artist Anne Samat, textile artist Tiffany Loy and independent curator Deborah Lim dissect how this connection is reflected in our daily lives, and how one art form can be an extension of the other.

Speakers:
Anne Samat – Artist, Malaysia
Tiffany Loy – Textile Artist, Singapore

Moderated by:
Deborah Lim – Independent Curator

Anne Samat | Artist, Malaysia

Through her sculptural works, Anne Samat (b. 1973, Malacca, Malaysia) bridges cultures, identities, and artistic practices, creating pieces that are both personal and culturally resonant. Rooted in the weaving traditions of the Iban people of Sarawak, Samat merges traditional, hand-crafted techniques with mass-produced materials sourced from dollar stores. This dialogue between heritage and globalization underscores her reflections on production, gender, and cultural identity. Her work is deeply memoiristic — a storytelling practice that charts a journey from Kuala Lumpur to New York City, transforming everyday objects into vibrant cross-cultural narratives. In Samat’s hands, forks, funnels, and rakes become vessels of memory and meaning, inviting us to reflect on our shared systems, values, and identities.

Tiffany Loy | Textile Artist, Singapore

An emerging Singaporean textile artist whose practice is defined by experimental technique and material complexity. Trained in industrial design in Singapore and textile weaving in Kyoto, Loy approaches weaving as an investigative process that explores colour, structure, and the invisible force of tension. Her work examines how tension shapes both material behaviour and visual perception, from the scale of a single thread to that of a larger woven form.

Loy conceives weaving as lines that move in, through, and around space, challenging the idea of textile as surface. Her densely woven abstract sculptures create optical depth and spatial ambiguity, inviting viewers to consider the limits of perception and material presence.

Deborah Lim | Independent Curator

An independent curator working at the crossroads of art and technology, where intersections and hybridities shape new ways of viewing and experiencing culture. Her practice brings together diverse disciplines such as art, film, design, fashion, and digital innovation, creating exhibitions that illuminate the possibilities and tensions that arise when boundaries are blurred. She was formerly Curator of Exhibitions at ArtScience Museum in Singapore where she curated exhibitions including Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses (2025); Goddess: Brave. Bold. Beautiful. (2024) and Notes from the Ether: From NFTs to AI (2023). She is part of the Advisory Committee for the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Centre for Lifelong Education, Singapore. Her texts on art have been featured in publications such as Art & Market.