This weekend, ASEAN International Fashion Week (AIFS) is being held at the Art Science Museum in Singapore. This event is collaboratively presented by Epson and ASEAN Fashion Designers Showcase (AFDS), and will happen from 7th to 9th June 2024.
The hosts for the event
AFDS was established in 2015 by Singapore fashion designer, Hayden Ng — who is also designing for the opening show of the event. AFDS is a collective with the mission to raise awareness and appreciation for ASEAN’s unique sartorial culture, and promote greater cross-cultural and creative collaboration.
Another focus of the collective is to nurture up-and-coming fashion designers and models, and support emerging local fashion designers and models. This involves mentoring fashion designer students as well.
AFDS is partnering with Epson, a well-known tech company that specialises in producing a wide range of imaging and printing hardware. The ASEAN international fashion week will give Epson a chance to showcase its printing technology.
And now, the Program
The opening show of the event will be the Epson Runway Showcase. This showcase will occur on Friday night, and features sustainable designs using Epson’s digital textile printing technology.
Over the three days, there will be five more shows. Saturday and Sunday afternoons feature the Ethnic Runway Showcase, and Modest Wear Runway Showcase respectively, while the nights will have an International Runway show. The International Runway shows feature designers from a wide range of countries, including designers from outside of Southeast Asia — from Australia, China, Kazakhstan, and USA.
The very last show is the Emerging Designer Contest. Emerging designers from around the world participated in the contest, including designers from Southeast Asia, and from further places, like Korea, Hungary, the USA, and Argentina. The top three will not be announced until the show itself. The show itself features 8 designers and takes place on Sunday afternoon.
Panels and popups
In addition to the runway shows, the event will also feature panel discussions in the mornings. Saturday’s panel will discuss sustainability in the fashion and technology industry, and features leading international experts such as Desmond Gay, the Regional Manager of Epson Southeast Asia; Hayden Ng, President Founder of AFDS, Singapore; and Rocco Leo Gaglioti, the Chief Executive Officer of FNL Network, USA.
Sunday’s panel will discuss Ethnic fabric. Panelists will discuss the importance of preserving Ethnic fabrics. Ethnic fabrics refer to fabrics that are associated with a particular culture or ethnic group, and usually has a particular weave, motif, and material associated with the ethnic group. The most well-known Ethnic fabric in Southeast Asia is Batik.
The last feature of the event is the event pop up store. This store will feature fashion collections from the runway. The pop up store also presents interested individuals with an opportunity to hear more about the technology behind Epson’s textile printers.
Additionally, another company will appear at the ASEAN international fashion week pop up store: Cricut. Cricut is a brand known for its range of electronic cutting machines, which are designed for DIY projects, crafting, and creative design. Its machines have gained a following among crafters, hobbyists, and professionals.
In the store, Cricut will feature two of their machines to show how they can cut, print, and press common clothing items like hats, T-shirts, and canvas shoes.
Closing thoughts
This event is an interesting collaboration between Epson and AFDS, and provides Epson with an opportunity to speak directly to designers who will be using their product. Designers are also able to work with the company to learn about their printing technology, and ask about any concerns they may have related to the production and use of the device. In collaborating with a local fashion collective, Epson also helps give back to Singapore’s local community by encouraging local designers.
Attendees will be able to discover regional and international designers, see how designers incorporate sustainability and cultural heritage into their designs, and learn more about the intersection point of technology and fashion. Overall, it is looking like a weekend where the seemingly far apart industries of technology and fashion are celebrated.