A sensational gathering of leaders and fashion forerunners from international luxury brands, retailers and buying houses, the Asia Fashion Summit (AFS) is designed to be the driving force of knowledge development of Asian fashion industry leaders and to advance Singapore as a regional strategic fashion hub.
Organised by Textile & Fashion Federation (Singapore) (TaFf), the 3-day inaugural summit, to be held from 28 to 30 April, aims to bring together 250 fashion industry professionals across Asia, and over 30 highly dynamic and interactive speakers taking the centre stage to provide comprehensive coverage of current fashion business management issues.
Expert authoritative opinions will be provided on critical fashion business management concerns such as rapidly evolving retail markets and consumer behavior, solutions involving design, speed of innovation, branding and media alternatives.
TaFf is proud to collaborate with WGSN, the world’s leading trend forecaster and fashion authority. WGSN will be hosting the first day of AFS inviting some of the most successful and influential Asian and Western fashion brands, retailers and designers for a truly inspirational forum, chaired by Julie Harris, WGSN’s Managing Director, Asia Pacific.
Confirmed speakers include Miles Grey, ex-CEO Ben Sherman; Andrew Caughey, Managing Director John Smedley; Alex Cara, Franchise Director, New Look; Martin Mason, CEO & Managing Director Lulu Guiness, Tod Schulman, Vice President, Fashion and Home of Pantone, and Marn Lim, Asia Colour and Trends Consultant.
In addition, some of WGSN’s most senior global experts from Catwalks, Retail, Business and Trends will share their insights on the key issues and directions for the upcoming year. During the forum, WGSN will explore topics including the top 10 issues driving design, buying and retail; Choosing the best channel to expand brand reach; Creating market entry strategies for Asia; Succeeding in a global environment, plus many more.
“We are thrilled to be hosting Day 1 of this hugely exciting and unique 3 day Summit. We are looking forward to great debates, case studies, panel discussions and interviews from Global Thought Leaders and our own WGSN Experts – it’s shaping up to be a terrific day." Julie Harris, WGSN's Managing Director, Asia Pacific.
The Summit is a key event of the Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX), which comprises other events, Blueprint tradeshow, Star Creation Designer Competition, and the Audi Fashion Festival. With Asia’s potential as a viable market for the fashion industry and growing pool of talents, AFX aims to be a premier fashion event for the region.
“Asia Fashion Exchange is a joint initiative by the government, enhanced with support by establishing pioneers of the fashion industry. Asia Fashion Summit, as part of this movement, will provide the fashion industry with a new dimension for growth and development, competitive strengths and profitability.” said Mr Benny Pua, President of TaFf.
Asia Fashion Exchange:
Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) is an initiative aimed at developing the long-term sustainability of
Singapore’s fashion industry by building capability and profiling local talent on an international platform in Asia.
It is a joint effort by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore (SPRING) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the strong support of local stakeholders, to establish Singapore’s standing as Asia’s fashion gateway.
AFX will include events for both trade professionals as well as consumers, featuring events such as Blueprint, a trade show designed to be an international platform based in Asia; Asia Fashion Summit, a business networking conference for over 200 industry professionals; Audi Fashion Festival, a showcase of world-class collections by top international designers and labels; and a fashion design competition to spot budding talent.
Textile & Fashion Federation (Singapore):
The Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFf) was formed through a collation of the textile and garment associations in 1981. Singapore’s textile and garment industry has since then transformed from a manufacturing base to be a regional fashion, marketing and sourcing hub.
TaFf takes an active role in nurturing the next generation of talents, facilitate marketing and exportation of textiles and apparels to the world, and promote the betterment of business practices through the adoption of advanced technology. We encourage participation in research, development, innovation and other enhancement activity or social projects which add value to the industry.
International Enterprise Singapore:
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapore’s external economic wing. Our mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade.
With a global network in over 30 locations and our “3C” framework of assistance – Connections, Competency, Capital, we offer services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas partners and enter new markets. At the same time, we work to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore based companies.
SPRING Singapore:
SPRING Singapore is the enterprise development agency for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector. We work with partners to help enterprises in financing, capabilities and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING also develops and promotes internationally-recognised standards and quality assurance to enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade.
Singapore Tourism Board:
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a leading economic development agency in tourism, one of Singapore’s key service sectors. Known for partnership, innovation and excellence, the Board champions tourism and builds it into a key economic driver for Singapore. STB aims to differentiate and market Singapore as a must-visit destination offering enriching experiences through the “Uniquely Singapore” brand.
WGSN:
With proven global authority, WGSN identifies and analyses current and future trends, creating online tools that can be put into action to power their customers' commercial success. WGSN enables those who need to see, think, and act on consumers' evolving wants, needs and behaviours to create brilliant products and services.
Our 36,000 customers across the apparel, style, design and retail industries — from major international brands to individual designers, trust us to provide accurate trend forecasting, insightful trend and market analysis, global fashion expertise, research and strategies on products, brand extensions, market opportunities and branding. Our clients include: Every one of the Fortune 500 apparel brands, 18 of Business Week's 25 most valuable brands worldwide, 88% of the world's Fortune 2000 style & fashion retailers
