The Star Online: Lifestyle: Arts & Fashion

First-ever live-streaming only fashion event

Posted: 13 Oct 2012 08:10 AM PDT

The world's first live-streaming only fashion event will be held in Singapore next weekend.

THE quintessential idea of a fashion show has always been associated with the exclusivity it affords to the guests invited. However, this has changed with the advent of the Internet and now, a first look at some of the pieces paraded down a particular runway is often made available to an immediate global audience online.

Live streaming of a fashion event is nothing new, of course, but what about one where it can only be viewed on the Internet? Runway shows without guests – or more importantly, front row guests, for that matter – is a concept that many in the fashion circles would find foreign indeed.

In this context, an upcoming Singapore fashion event is considered to be the start of a digital revolution within the industry. Named Digital Fashion Week (DFW) Singapore, it is the world's first fashion event to be completely live from Oct 20 to 22, streamed online in absence of an extensive guest list for the show.

The venue for DFW Singapore is at The Tent @ Millenia Pavilion in Ritz-Carlton Singapore. Set against a botanical backdrop, the event area is a fully air-conditioned canopy, boasting a space of 455sqm with glass windows overlooking lush garden surroundings and an outdoor wooden deck.

According to Charina Widjaja, project director of DFW Singapore, the event will feature an integration of e-commerce services where viewers can immediately place an order for fashion pieces featured on the runway. DFW Singapore is working with Zalora to make this happen, whereby the e-commerce company will be handling all aspects of the pre-ordering by viewers.

"In the DFW, six top designers from Singapore will be showing their Spring/Summer 2013 collection.

"Normally it will take about six months for these looks to hit the stores, but we are cutting down the time frame and consumers will be able to get their hands on the different pieces within two months," explains Widjaja.

The six Singaporean designers to be featured during DFW Singapore are Thomas Wee, Eugene Lin, Tze Goh, Pauline.Ning (by Pauline Lim), -J-A-S-O-N- (by JR Chand) and duo Johanna and Shu Juang, from OwnMuse.

"We adhere to a very strict criterion when it comes to the curation of our designers at DFW Singapore as we want to ensure they truly represent what Singapore fashion is about," comments Widjaja. "We have a very good mix of talents, from veterans like Thomas Wee, overseas-based designers who have garnered international media attention like Eugene Lin and Tze Goh, and designers who are based locally like Pauline.Ning, OwnMuse and –J-A-S-O-N-."

"As a truly digital-based fashion week, we're working closely with partners like YouTube to ensure our designers reach out to as many people as possible internationally. We are aiming for seven million viewers worldwide for the three-day event."

Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei will be featured in a special closing show of DFW Singapore and New York-based and androgynous supermodel, Andrej Pejic, will be walking for five of DFW Singapore's runway shows as well.

Pejic is the muse for Jean Paul Gaultier and has received recognition from walking for prestige designers such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Jeremy Scott, Raf Simons, Neil Barrett and Comme des Garçons. Guo Pei, on the other hand, is considered to be one of China's top fashion designers at the moment.

It is also reported that DFW Singapore will be seeing some internationally acclaimed names in attendance. Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated American stylist, Patricia Field and the latest America's Next Top Model winner Sophie Sumner are slated to make an appearance during the event.

Despite DFW Singapore's tag of being a live-stream only fashion event, a VVIP viewing party will still be held for guests during the event. Keyis Ng, creative director of DFW Singapore explains, "The guests will not be shown on the live runway footage as we are housing them in a corner. Our focus for DFW Singapore is and always will be for online audiences."

Regarding their need to put up such an event, Widjaja says, "Unlike the fashion capitals of the world like New York and Paris, Singapore currently does not have a huge fashion industry to support a full-fledged fashion week that solely focuses on local designers.

"In order to broaden the local fashion market and allow more exposure for our talented, yet underrated Singaporean fashion designers, we need to go digital and show the world what they're missing out on, allowing these designers to get the attention they deserve."

DFW Singapore is also set to be a biannual event, showing the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections separately, and in 2013, the aim for it is to branch out to other key cities in Asia.

"We are already in talks with partners to bring the concept to other cities in Asia. For example, DFW Bangkok will feature top Thai designers and DFW Beijing will feature top Chinese designers, and are already in the current pipeline of our plans," reveals Widjaja.

Ng states that he sees a promising future for fashion events held on a live-stream only platform. He thinks that such events may eventually replace the conventional ones of the past.

Regarding the duration of DFW Singapore, which spans only three days, he explains, "DFW Singapore is our very first edition and we want to ensure the quality is there, hence the short duration. Of course, next year we are looking at a longer DFW Singapore."

> DFW Singapore will be streamed live exclusively on YouTube (youtube.com/DigitalFashionWeek) and DFW's website (DigitalFashionWeek.com).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Sabtu, 13 Oktober 2012