WWD: Singapore Fashion Week Boosts Local and International Designers
May 18, 2015
Singaporean designers Chelsea Scott-Blackhall of Dzojchen, Priscilla Shunmugam of Ong Shunmugam, and Sabrina Goh of Elohim (Credit: Adrian Thoo)
SINGAPORE – Victoria Beckham’s fall 2015 collection concluded Singapore Fashion Week Sunday night, a culmination of a whirlwind partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to bring wider recognition to local designers.
Victoria Beckham closes Singapore Fashion Week with her Fall 2015 collection. (Credit: Adrian Thoo)
While seen as a hub for consumerism, this Southeast Asian nation has lagged behind in garnering attention for its homegrown designer labels. This year’s collaboration with CFDA attempted to inject international interest in three chosen Singaporean brands — Elohim by Sabrina Goh, Dzojchen by Chelsea Scott-Blackhall and Ong Shunmugam by Priscilla Shunmugam — allowing them access to advice from Diane von Furstenberg, Thakoon Panichgul and Victoria Beckham during Singapore Fashion Week. Staging their shows alongside local and regional brands, the five-day event drew a diverse crowd of Asian celebrities.
Unfortunately, the biggest star attraction, Cate Blanchett, initially slated to attend Australian designer Dion Lee’s fall show, had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts with the Cannes International Film Festival.
Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of CFDA, said American designers were eager to showcase in Singapore because it could act as a gateway to the rest of Asia.
“Everybody wants to sell in Asia, everybody wants to grow their business. It’s the new frontier — or not even the new frontier, but the frontier of the moment,” said Kolb before the start of the Thakoon show Friday. “And the big brands — they need new distribution channels.”