BUSAN – Home-grown contemporary fashion designers are showcasing Singapore’s latest fashion trends in Busan and Seoul in South Korea for the Runway Singapore #SGFASHIONNOW exhibition.
A total of 27 designers – including Thomas Wee, Andrew Gn, Ashley Isham, Jon Max Goh and Kavita Thulasidas – will present a glimpse of Singapore’s culture, history and diversity, according to the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Seoul.
Co-hosted by Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum and the Korea Foundation, the exhibition is the third edition of #SGFASHIONNOW, which celebrates the city-state’s cosmopolitan and multicultural heritage.
Delivering remarks at the event, Singapore’s Ambassador to South Korea Eric Teo acknowledged that South Korea is widely known for being a fashion powerhouse.
“Having this exhibition travel to Korea demonstrates the close cultural bonds and people-to-people ties between Singapore and Korea,” he said.
“It’s an exciting time for Singaporean fashion. Some of the pieces on display at this exhibition were created by designers who have also designed stage costumes for K-pop acts,” he added.
The exhibition has three parts. The first, Craftsmanship, features elegant couture by Singapore designers such as Gn and Isham, who have gained fame on the global fashion scene.
The second segment is the Innovation In Tradition, where Studio HHFZ incorporates modern prints into its traditional Chinese cheongsam, while OliveAnkara creates sustainable fashion with Ankara, Africa’s wax print technique.
The third part of the exhibition, Urbanite, displays practical streetwear from designers responsible for the costumes of K-pop acts such as Blackpink and G-Dragon.
“There is a lot Singapore and Korea can do together, including enhancing our people-to-people and cultural ties, such as through this exhibition,” said Mr Teo, underlining the significance of the exhibition ahead of the 50th anniversary of Singapore and South Korea’s diplomatic relations in 2025.
The exhibition runs until Oct 29 at KF Asean Culture House in Busan, and from Nov 21 to Jan 31, 2024, in Seoul. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
