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Haute couture gets a lift in Singapore
The hallowed craft of haute couture is branching out to find a new audience in Singapore, and across Asia
A couture gown by Stéphane Rolland could set you back at least six figures.
Thankfully, admiring from afar is free, and this month, Singapore's fashion lovers will get the chance to view rare haute couture creations from eight French designers -- the first such opportunity in Asia -- at the Singapore Haute Couture Exhibition.
A prelude to the Haute Couture Week from October 26-30, part of the Women's Fashion Week (WFW) 2011, the exhibition is currently taking place at the Marina Bay Sands.
Showcasing hot haute names include Gustavo Lins and Stéphane Rolland, and others such as Anne Valérie Hash, Christophe Josse, Dominique Sirop, Alexis Mabille, Eymeric François and Maxime Simoens; all designers are haute couturiers or invited members of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.
The collection ranges from retrospective to current designs, and shows craftsmanship inherent in haute couture.
"The exhibition will also serve to expose the finest designs in fashion to the patrons of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, as well as allow an up-close and in person appreciation of the fabric and construction of contemporary haute couture dresses," said Kien M Lee, WFW director and founder of SENATUS, an exclusive social networking and online magazine.
"This is a rare experience that, until now, was afforded only to those who belong to the small club of customers around the world."
"Singaporeans can now admire the craftsmanship and the sartorial sophistication behind the artistry that is haute couture."
Beyond mere admiration, the exhibition also hopes to inject the fledgling industry with new customers and fresh funds, a boost the industry needs.
Recent years have seen many designers closing their ateliers as fewer customers are prepared to splurge on pricey haute couture creations.
Frank Cintamani, chairman of the Singapore Women’s Fashion Week told The New York Times that he decided to create the event after noticing there were only a handful of Asian clients at the autumn 2011 couture shows in Paris in July, and hopes the event also will help to revitalize the sector.
“To be viable again, haute couture needs to expand, find new clients,” said Cintamani.
“Here in Asia, there is plenty of money, but many do not really understand or appreciate what haute couture really is, because the line has really been blurred in recent years between couture and ready-to-wear.”
And it appears Singapore is one source of these new, wealthy clients.
In a recent report by The Straits Times, the number of Singapore's U.S. dollar millionaires rose by almost 33 percent in 2010, with more than 15 percent of households in Singapore with US$ 1 million or more in assets, well ahead of the Switzerland and the oil-rich Arabian Gulf states.
Who would have thought that the Little Red Dot might one day come to the rescue of haute couture?
