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SINGAPORE FASHION WEEK 2017 RETURNS WITH THE ONGOING MISSION TO SHOWCASE THE HOTTEST HOME-GROWN LABELS, AND TO SOLIDIFY THE ISLAND NATION’S REPUTATION AS THE REGION’S PREMIER FASHION HUB. BY GERALD TAN

It’s barely 10 on a Friday morning, and already Aimee Cheng-Bradshaw is serving sultry looks in front of the camera. The model and erstwhile contestant from Season Three of Asia’s Next Top Model is working her angles while clad in various creations from GINLEE Studio,Whole9Yards, Ling Wu and Nida Shay—four names associated with this year’s Fashion Futures programme.

Launched in 2015, Fashion Futures is a business-driven initiative that aims to prepare Singapore’s top fashion talents for the international stage. As with previous years, Fashion Futures is partnering the Council of Fashion Designers of America to organise invaluable immersion trips to NewYork where the selected designers can learn from the industry’s best. And in line with the rise of e-commerce and social media’s impact on the fashion landscape, 2017’s edition has been refreshed with the goal to enhance the digital savviness, knowledge and skills of the chosen Singaporean designers. Fashion Futures also accompanied the reboot of Singapore Fashion Week two years ago (it was previously known as Audi Fashion Festival), and the latter is, without a doubt, the most anticipated event on Singapore’s fashion calendar. Scheduled to happen from 26 to 28 October this year, Singapore Fashion Week (SGFW) will return to the National Gallery Singapore, where the grand interiors of the 690,000sqft museum will once again add a symbolic effect to the shows.

In a first for SGFW, Lai Chan, one of Singapore’s esteemed designers famous for his cheongsams, will kick-start the extravaganza as the opening show. Two runway shows featuring works from modest wear brands such as

Adrianna Yariqa and Kaifiyyah have also been added to the schedule. Closing the proceedings is Jason

Wu, with a spring/summer 2018 showing. The Canadian-Taiwanese designer’s appearance isn’t just limited to the catwalk: Editor-in-Chief

Kenneth Goh will be chatting with him at

ZIPCODE, a two-day fashion tech summit where venture capitalist firms, retail technology CEOs and lifestyle speakers such as lifestyle blogger Shini Park

(of Park & Cube fame) will discuss the future of fashion in the digital age. It’s shaping up to be a thrilling ride.