Tjin Lee

This month marks the fifth edition of annual fashion extravaganza Audi Fashion Festival (AFF), happening from May 15-19, 2013 in Singapore. We catch up with festival director Tjin Lee and suss out some of the upcoming event's highlights.

 

SINGAPORE TATLER: This year's AFF will be at a new venue – what was the reason behind leaving Ngee Ann City for the Marina Bay precinct?

TJIN LEE: As this is the fifth anniversary of AFF, we wanted to grow the show and make it more exciting, and add more buzz and lifestyle experiences such as a wine and gourmet event, a fashion cafe by the waterfront, and even a photography exhibition where customers can purchase limited edition prints and come to understand more about photography as collectible art.

This year, with a tent that is 40 percent larger than in previous editions, we will finally be able to create a better experience for all attendees of AFF. The move has also allowed us to co-locate with our sister event Blueprint, which will feature a weekend shopping extravaganza showcasing more than 180 emerging and established designers from Asia and beyond, many of which will be offering one-off fashion pieces, sample sales, and collections that were never available in Singapore previously.

 

ST: What else can we expect from this year’s AFF?

TL: AFF 2013 will feature an improved pre-show hospitality experience, with a red carpet drop-off, a bed concept lounge, music by W Singapore Sentosa Cove, custom cocktails by Belvedere Vodka, wine by Rosemount Wines, and adding on to the high – champagne by Moet & Chandon for the Carolina Herrera Opening Show and Hussein Chalayan Closing Show. This will be the first visit to Asia for both designers.

In another first, this year's festival will see Victoria's Secret supermodel Erin Heatherton make an appearance for homegrown label Raoul – tickets to this show are anticipated to be one of the hottest at the festival.

(Update: Erin Heatherton will no longer be attending AFF 2013, as she continues to recover from a severe bout of flu in New York)

 

ST: What kind of criteria do you follow when choosing which designers to feature at AFF? Does the criteria differ from year to year?

TL: Each year, we pick the designer line-up based on what we feel would excite the media and audiences in Asia. For example, many of the designers at AFF 2013 have either never been to Asia or participated in a full-scale fashion show in the region before. Most of them are iconic and really big names, such as Carolina Herrera and Roberto Cavalli.

In addition, AFF is not just another fashion week, and is quite unique in the sense that it is open to consumers. We also make an effort to cast the spotlight on Asian fashion and local designers. We bring the best of the international fashion scene to the region, but also take pride in showcasing home-grown brands such as Ong Shunmugam, Ashley Isham, and Zardoze, which will be making its debut at this year's AFF.

 

Carolina Herrera (right) & daughter Carolina Herrera de Baez

ST: A fashion event is never complete without a rocking after-party. What's in store for hardcore partygoers this year?

TL: Partygoers can look forward to an exciting and extensive after-party schedule. AFF 2013 has been working closely with partners such as W Singapore Sentosa Cove and Belvedere Vodka to bring in international artistes such as Azalea Banks and Jesse Marco. DJ Jesse is a favourite of the fashion and art worlds, having played at various high profile events for Alexander Wang, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford and Donna Karan among others. He will be making his appearance at the Belvedere Vodka Official AFF After-Party on May 15.

 

ST: It's been five years since you first staged AFF. What's the biggest change you've seen in the Singapore fashion scene?

TL: People in Singapore are definitely a lot more stylish and fashion-conscious than before. They're also much more savvy when it comes to following international fashion trends, due to the accessibility of information on the Internet. These days, style and fashion news travels so fast across the world.

 

 

AFF 2013 will take place at the Marina Promenade in Singapore from May 15-19, 2013. For more information, visit audifashionfestival.com