June 12, 2015by Regina Chow2 CommentsFashion, Uncategorized

Fashion Fridays: Fashion Steps Out 2015 @ Orchard
Encapsulating vibrancy, bustle, and an intoxicating mix of fashion, cuisine and action, world-renowned Orchard Road was host to traffic-stopping style at the Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard event.
Singapore’s renaissance has been 50 years in the making, and the fashion mecca of Singapore was the hotbed for fashionistas, celebrities and models as the entire road was transformed into a giant catwalk showcasing some of the best Asian designers.

Presented
by Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) and supported by Singapore Tourism
Board and MasterCard, well-known Singaporean celebrities such as Paige Chua (in
white), Belinda Lee (in black) and Ya Hui (in yellow) graced this exciting
annual fashion affair that is into its sixth year.
“With 2015 marking Singapore’s Jubilee year, Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) rounded up some of our nation’s most celebrated designers and curated a visionary SG Next50 collection for Samsung Fashion Steps Out 2015. The SG Next50 collection was presented at Singapore’s longest catwalk, the iconic Orchard Fashion Runway, together with a showcase of Spring/Summer 2015 collections, which will be available in our Orchard Road stores,” said Mr Mark Shaw, Chairman of ORBA.
“ORBA remains committed to making fashion accessible to all, and our six-week long fashion extravaganza offers something for every visitor to Orchard Road,” he added. 
The six-week fashion season encompasses a whole host of activities and shopping rewards to celebrate fashion. Regina and myself were excited to attend the exclusive Fashion Party set within a garden at ION Orchard prior to the glitzy Runway show. The garden featured whimsical swings, a gorgeous swan feature and even a real butterfly garden! 
Regina’s outfit matched perfectly with the garden swan theme, hence these beautiful photos of her OOTDs. You can also check out her full OOTD in her previous post here.
As the evening set in, we made our way to the unique lighted stools that lined the road catwalk. All vehicular traffic was stopped specially for this event, and a record number of 176 models showcased the stylish creations along the length of Orchard Road, including the grand opening segment presented by Samsung.
Large poster trucks drove down the road and then stopped in front of the VIP guests, and models stepped out to ambient music as celebrity host and model Junita Simon announced the start of the fashion show.
Said Eugene Goh, Vice President, IT and Mobile, Samsung Electronics Singapore, “Samsung.. believes in finding the perfect blend of beautiful craftsmanship and purpose, similar to how the designers are pushing the boundaries of fashion.”
This year, the thematic catwalk display featured the latest designs from 13 brands: Aimer, Ashley Isham, DEPRESSION, FOX Kids, Francis Cheong, Germain, Mary Katrantzou, max.tan, Moiselle, PAUL, PAULINE.NING, Pleatation and Sean & Sheila.
These included 50 special looks created by acclaimed local Singaporean designers to commemorate SG50, and five celebrated local designers with diverse styles – Francis Cheong, Max Tan, Chiang Xiao Jun of Pleatation, PAULINE.NING and Kenny Lim of DEPRESSION – presented a forward-looking collection representative of their outlook of SG Next50 years.
The looks incorporated show-stopping concepts into wearable pieces (I would definitely wear quite a few of the pieces for work and after-hours!), showcasing the versatility and modernity of the SG Next50 interpretations. I was also impressed with the thought-provoking sharing by the designers on the inspiration behind their collections.
Clean lines, flowy details and minimalistic designs are the essence of PAULINE.NING’s SG Next50 Fashion Futurism Collection. (FashionStepsOut)
“We’re inspired by the key dates in Singapore history. We want to look forward but at the same time, not forgetting the past.” – Kenny and Andrew, the creatives behind the local brand DEPRESSION (FashionStepsOut)
“My collection is to reflect the nation’s even more sophisticated brighter future in fashion and beyond,” says Francis Cheong – the soul behind the modern and dreamy designs in the SG Next50: Fashion Futurism collection. (FashionStepsOut)
“I feel humbled by this opportunity to be able to celebrate SG50 with my own creative discipline together with other creatives. My home has provided me with opportunities to grow the brand.” – Max Tan on his creations with his own label in the SG Next50: Fashion Futurism collection.(FashionStepsOut)
“My collection is drawn with inspiration to a reflection of an individual’s inner self. I believe that how one portrays himself on the outer self, may be different from his inner self.” – Chiang Xiaojun on her creations with Pleatation in the SG Next50: Fashion Futurism collection. (FashionStepsOut)
The many beautiful fashion creations by the designer maestros were a gorgeous concoction of concept fashion and wearable fashion, and the catwalk was complemented with a touch of whimsy as the Road burst into color during numerous segments, such as when models sashayed down with balloons….
and when models showed the audience what living in the tropics was all about!
This year was also the first time that children’s wear was featured, and the cute child models for FOX Kids aged four to eight years old took to the streets in multi-coloured fashion and balloons, eliciting squeals from the adoring audience. The 40 child models were in fact chosen for a fun-filled taste of modelling through a contest ran by FOX Kids in March.
Ashley Isham, world-renowned Singapore designer, has indeed been one of the key fashion maestros in putting Singapore onto the fashion world map, and his Fall / Winter 2015 collection was showcased to much anticipation, hot off the runway from the recent London Fashion Week.
The catwalk had some stunning pieces, and the tongue-in-cheek signages with traffic references such as “Give way to models” and “Look out for fashion police” added to the impact of the entire “road show” (pardon the pun!)
After the show, we were also treated to a special extended time of shopping at the Mandarin Gallery, with special shopping and dining privileges for that evening. Deborah Heng, Group Head and General Manager of MasterCard Singapore said, “MasterCard data show that over sixty percent of consumers do shop offline despite the popularity of online shopping, which shows that the in-store experience is still strongly valued… we are pleased to cardholders offer even greater rewards for shopping along Singapore’s iconic Orchard Road.”
As Ms Tan Yen Nee, Director, Lifestyle Precincts Development, Singapore Tourism Board, shared, “The sixth edition of Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard looks set to enliven Singapore’s iconic shopping belt, with a variety of lifestyle experiences to enjoy.. and in commemoration of SG50, FSO will feature even more local designers and fashion this year.. (including) the Merlion as fashion muse. These element will certainly add another dimension of authenticity and fun for visitors and locals.”
It was an impactful evening, from the scale and scope of the entire event, to the magnitude of the concept and ideology driving the showcase of Singapore as an iconic and cosmopolitan destination. Thank you once again to STB, ORBA, Samsung and MasterCard for the invite, and cheers to great success!
[This post was written by Isabelle, a permanent writer on Shopping Queen’s Haven.]
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About the writer Isabelle:
An MBTI
personality profile that believes in making the world a better place
(one starfish at a time), Isabelle is a communications professional who
enjoys creating good memories for others, and balances realism with a
healthy dose of joie de vivre and can-do positivity. 
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