The BLUEPRINT Tradeshow and Emporium returned for its 6th edition from the 14 to 17 May at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. Held in conjuction with Singapore Fashion Week (SFW), the four-day event showcased 200 womenswear, menswear and accessory brands from around the world this year.
BLUEPRINT 2015 gathered and set the stage for both emerging and established labels to exhibit their Pre-Spring 2015 collections. They were classified into seven trending style categories: Feminine Chic, Modern Minimalist, Classic, Avant Garde, Bespoke Tailored, Sports and Urban Streetwear.
The event kicked off with the Tradeshow on 14 to 15 May where a host of buyers and media personnel were invited to view what the participating brands had to offer. Notable buyers included top international and regional stores such as ISETAN (Japan), ASOS (UK), Harvey Nichols (Kuwait), Shinsegae (Korea) and Wolf & Badger (London).
Before embarking on navigating through the aisles of the booths, we were greeted by an intriguing installation of what looked like thousands of hanging crushed cans upon entering the venue. This structure housed accessories and apparels by participating brands of FashionisTech (One.61, Carrie.K and Pleatation), a new initiative by the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (TaFf) in collaboration with IE Singapore. A fusion of fashion and technology, FashionisTech, aims to "help promising Singapore fashion designers differentiate themselves through innovative collaborations. Waste2Wear Company, a manufaturer that recycles 100% post-consuimer plastic bottles into eco-friendly fabrics and 3D printing specialists are some of the companies whom designers work closely with to drive material innovation."
Pleatation
Carrie.K
Amongst the 200 participating labels were the three winners of Star Creations 2014, Rebecca Corinne Lam (Hong Kong), Jun Zhou (China) and Han Newman (South Korea). We were lucky enough to have caught their capsule collections go down the runway at SFW at Tent@Orchard on 14 May.
Rebecca Lam
Jun Zhou
Han Newman
Fascinating, is how we'd describe the experience as we roamed about the booths, with each category offering something different yet captivating all the same. Be it swimsuits, clean-cut jackets, traditional cheongsams or even outlandish and bold apparels, there was just so much to see that it was pretty hard trying to control ourselves from walking into every booth.
The public were able to be a part of the action at the Emporium, a two-day offshoot of the BLUEPRINT Tradeshow, on 16 to 17 May, where they got the opportunity to get their hands on cull samples, limited edition pieces, and off-season collections, many of which have never been stocked before in Asia.
On top of providing a shopping paradise for consumers, the Emporium also allowed designers to build a rapport with local consumers through personal interaction.
The labels were all distinct and unique in their own ways, but collectively, they all represent the boldness and innovative tenacity of the emerging and independent designers who, we believe, will continue to push the boundaries in fashion.