SUCCESS STORIES

Ronney Henry
Fashion Design, 1998

Taking his inspiration from Alexander McQueen, Madonna and Sex and the City, Ronney pursued his own fashion aspirations in a two-year Fashion Design Advanced Diploma at RafflesDesign Institute. Now, the 29-year-old from Sarawak is making a name for himself in the big city, working as chief designer for a fashion house carrying the ready-to-wear brand Baji and couture line Ronney Baji. From humble beginnings of learning to sew and draft at the institute, he is now “involved in every aspect from managing the company to creating the two lines for an international and local market.” The ambitious designer has even set an eye on dabbling in costume design for theatre in the future.

This far-sightedness and design confidence has certainly earned him a place on the fashion map. Among his credentials, he cites being a finalist in the Asean Fashion Grand Prix Contest and the MODA Young Designer Contest IN 1998; showcasing the Baji and Ronney Baji lines both locally and internationally; and involvement in the Miss Oriental Pearl Chinese International Beauty Pageant this year.

“Raffles was a good platform to explore your strengths. It gave me the platform to start my career, technically and in theory,” he shares, while reflecting on his time at the institute. “Raffles gives their students opportunities to participate in both local and international fashion competitions and this really helps to build up the student's portfolio.

“Raffles also helped to expose my talent from participating in major fashion competitions (even before I graduated) and this helped me a lot in building my portfolio.”

However, it’s not just an easy ride. Ronney advises potential students that, “To be a good designer, you have to really know how to apply what you learnt from Raffles in the real fashion world. Once you graduate, you are all by yourself and the only guide you have is the knowledge you gained from Raffles and a little bit of luck.”

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