Seeing my little girl played with her favourite Barbie Doll, it reminded me of a childhood game – Paper Dolls.
“Have you heard about a game called Paper Dolls?” I asked her.
“What are you talking about? Are you refering to the Paper Dolls used for funeral?” Without waiting for my answer, my little one continued to play with her Barbie Doll. I was amused by her reply.
Paper Dolls were played among the children during my childhood days. It was especially popular with the girls. My neighbour, who simply loved this game, introduced it to me and gave me my first paper doll. Under her influence, I began appreciating the art of designing and making paper clothes for the dolls. We would spend our free time looking through fashion magazines and exchanging ideas on creating new design and beautiful paper clothes.When I was a child, my mother worked as a dressmaker who sew dance costumes. Watching her take measurement of the dancers, cutting and finally transforming the fabric into beautiful costumes, it gave me inspiration in designing my paper clothes. I created designs for wedding gowns, party dresses, sports wear and casual wear. Everyday, I would spend time playing with my paper dolls; dressing them up with the beautiful clothes that I created. It was full of excitement and fun.Naturally, I grew up with the aspiration to be a fashion designer. After I graduated with a Diploma in Fashion Design, I realised that apart from the love for fashion designing, I was also very keen to learn the entire process from the design stage, fabric selection, right till to final production and fitting out. In order to learn the full process, I became a fashion merchandiser in a garment factory where I further develop my experience.
Looking back, “Paper Doll”, a very simple childhood game, has given me wonderful memories of my childhood days and open up a world of creativity to me.
