Singaporean Designer Ashley Isham Sews Global Success

On a catwalk decorated with Moroccan lanterns and black draping, a model with her face painted saunters out under a shower of petals.

She wears a shimmering gold gown adorned with sequins and intricate brocade -- a creation of local hero Ashley Isham.

His debut solo show at Singapore Fashion Festival marked a glorious homecoming for the designer who as a student quit the straightlaced city state for the creative freedom of London and has since joined the rising elite of international fashion.

The boyish-faced Isham, 30, who sports a punky look with his gold earring and spiky hair, has earned numerous accolades and rave reviews since launching his label five years ago, dressing scores of celebrities and even royalty.

His most notable success, he says, was being named the official women's wear designer for the 2004 British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, an event often called the British Oscars.

After that, Isham's star rose.

With his luscious jersey dresses routinely featured in high-fashion magazines, Isham has garnered celebrity fans including Angelina Jolie, Lady Zara Philips, Kylie Minogue, Dido, Jodie Kidd and Mariah Carey.

Yet Isham, who profusely apologizes when he enters the interview room 10 minutes late, seems remarkably grounded despite his fame.