From grooming Asian up-and-coming design talent to putting Singapore fashion on the international stage and creating an exchange platform for fashion industry players from East and West, Singapore is making its mark as a major player in the global fashion arena.

Talk about the world’s shopping capitals and there is little doubt that Singapore stands among the finest. With many major fashion labels establishing their regional flagship stores in Singapore, it is little wonder that Singapore is considered by many to be a hothouse for the region’s latest trends and retail concepts. On Orchard Road, an iconic shopping district in this part of the world, four brand new malls – ION Orchard, Mandarin Gallery, Somerset@313 and Orchard Central – have opened within a year of each other, thrilling both local and regional shoppers with exciting new retail offerings. Other mainstays like Paragon and the Heeren have undergone major facelifts, drawing the crowds with their brand-new facades and shop displays. Beyond being a shopper’s paradise, Singapore is fast making a name for itself as a platform for fashion industry stakeholders to discover business opportunities and promising design talent in Asia.

Singapore As Asia’s Gateway of Fashion Exchange
The Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) was launched in April 2010 to enhance the international status of the Singapore fashion industry and to establish Singapore as the fashion gateway to Asia designers and markets. The AFX is a platform created to meet the industry’s needs for business-to-business and business-to-consumer platforms. In addition, there will also be talent development programmes to identify promising local and regional talent and position Singapore as a gateway for Asian designers and markets.

According to Andrew Phua, Director of Tourism Shopping and Dining, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), “The AFX will step up to fill a current gap in the industry and become a fashion exchange hub of the region.”

AFX: Harnessing Opportunities
The inaugural AFX comprised four flagship events for both fashion industry professionals and consumers: Blueprint, Audi Fashion Festival, Asia Fashion Summit and a fashion design competition.

Blueprint
Blueprint, a business-to-business fashion tradeshow, targets regional and international fashion professionals. Held on 29 April to 1 May, this event brought together the best of Asian and international designers and international buyers. Consumers could purchase limited edition design creations at a special consumer fashion party known the Blueprint Emporium, allowing exhibitors to test their designs/brands in the cosmopolitan Singapore market. There were over 50 exhibitors present at Blueprint 2010, including some of Singapore’s well-known labels and designers such as Raoul, Antebellum and Wykidd Song. On the international front, notable names included Wes Gordon from New York, Greyhound from Thailand and Iommé from Denmark.

Also present was Eugene Lin, a Singaporean designer based in the UK. Commenting on Blueprint, Lin said, “It’s a step in the right direction and the support from the government has been very good. There is an immense amount of talent in Singapore and we have the potential to compete with Asian fashion capitals like Hong Kong and Tokyo.”

Added Roj Singhacul, founder and designer of Thai label Issue, “We’re already very well-known in Thailand, but we want to reach out to an international audience. Attending Blueprint will help heighten our brand exposure on a global level, which will ultimately increase sales.”

Audi Fashion Festival
Launched and organised by Mercury Marketing and Communications in 2009, the Audi Fashion Festival (AFF) this year showcased collections by leading international and Asian designers. The AFF aims to be the platform for an East-meets-West fashion exchange; where both international and Asian designers could showcase their creations to the Asian audience and international fashion media. Apart from the fashion shows, there were also glamorous parties and events attended by members of the fashion elite and international supermodels, in support of the AFF.

This year, the weeklong AFF was opened with much anticipation by Canadian label DSquared² of brothers Dean and Dan Caten. The show closed on a high note with drama and colour provided by Italian label Roberto Cavalli on 2 May.

Asia Fashion Summit
Organised by the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFf), the Asia Fashion Summit brought together fashion industry professionals across Asia to exchange ideas, keep abreast of industry trends and network for business opportunities. The inaugural summit was the converging point for over 200 creative directors and principal designers of fashion retailers, brand owners and buying houses.

Participants were treated to workshops, forums and speakers such as Mr Aaron Boey (President, Levi Strauss Asia Pacific Division), Ms Maria Janssen (Global Managing Editor, WGSN), and Mr Jose Gomez (Senior Vice President of Business Development, Mango & MNG by Mango) among many others, which discussed topics like fashion brand building, trend forecasting, eco-fashion sustainability and fast retailing for savvy consumers.

Fashion Design Competition
The Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFf) also held a fashion design competition to position Singapore as the platform for the best design talent in Asia using Singapore as a base from which to create and eventually launch their works. The winners of the competition, which will be a yearly event, will benefit greatly as they will receive mentorship and resources to design and produce a collection that will be presented to an international audience at the next AFX. According to Kee Ai Nah, Director of Lifestyle Division, SPRING, the competition was a much-anticipated platform for many aspiring designers to showcase their collections, network with international brand names and establish their own labels. She also hoped that the competition would draw talent from the region, which in fact, has. Talented designers from all over Asia have participated in the inaugural competition, winning praise from fashion industry stakeholders and international media alike for their creativity and professional standards.

“There’s tonnes of potential here, tonnes,” Dean Caten of designer duo DSquared² told Reuters about Asian talent. For his part, Colin McDowell, creative director, AFF, says, “The world can no longer afford to ignore Asian designers. I believe the rules of fashion will be dramatically rewritten in the next 15 years and this part of the world will spearhead this change.”

Reaching out to Asia from Singapore
Understanding the subtleties of Asian tastes and preferences could only be accomplished effectively by being in Asia. Singapore, as a multicultural city strategically located at the heart of Asia, is the perfect location for companies to base themselves. Fashion companies are already tapping into Singapore’s strengths, as the base for their regional headquarters, designing and developing new concepts and ideas primed for Asia.

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO) established its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore to manage its operations and drive growth in the region. Apart from undertaking regional HQ functions such as brand strategy, finance, marketing and administration, LS&CO also houses its Global Sourcing Organisation (GSO) here, which oversees the Group’s sourcing operations globally.

“Singapore is Asia and so much more,” says Aaron Boey, President, Asia Pacific, LS&CO. “With LS&CO and business in Asia Pacific continuing to grow strongly, and with the world’s focus on Asia as the fastest growing sourcing region, Singapore is a strategic and pragmatic choice to base both our regional corporate head office and global sourcing operations. In Singapore, we are connected to our key markets around the world through excellent infrastructure and geography; we can run a cost-competitive business, and have access to a pool of skilled professional talent.”

The AFX is a joint effort by International Enterprise Singapore (IE) – which promotes the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade; SPRING Singapore (SPRING) – the enterprise development agency responsible for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector; Singapore Tourism Board; and the private sector. Further information can be found at www. asiafashionexchange.com.sg