With thanks to my tutor Yvonne, V and I went down to visit Blueprint Tradeshow.
BLUEPRINT is a one-stop fashion trade gateway for East-West exchange, created to present up-and-coming International and Asian designers. It uniquely specializes in launching Pre-Spring collections and curates fresh and forward menswear, womenswear and accessories including jewelry, shoes and bags from emerging designers destined for international markets. – Blueprint.sg
Here are a few interesting brands that caught my eye when we were there for a little while.
In no particular order (maybe except for how I collected the namecards for reference, haha!) :
Stands for All Things Green and Beautiful and lives true to its name.
I love the idea of ATGAB and I am very glad to know that the owner and local (Singaporean) designer of this green label, Elaine has been able to sustain the label since 2009.
And she has a huge mission: To preserve the environment we live in by starting a serious green business. Elaine collects pre-loved handbags, cuts them up, re-thinks the materials, and hand-makes them into the most unexpected accessories. Every product is made up of at least 50% – 80% upcycled materials. Elaine is very proud of the workmanship of all designs, and take even more pride in the big hearts of their Bag Goddesses. A percentage of all profits would also go towards non-profit organisations as their way of giving back to society. – allthingsgreenandbeautiful.com/
The website has a count of number of bags collected and reused for their products. Which is really cute.
ATGAB is stocked at Soon Lee
73 Haji Lane
Singapore 189266
Is a very interesting brand that collaborates with artists / graphic designers to create one of a kind canvas tote / messenger bags, each limited to only 7 in the world.
I feel that there is a lot of potential to their brand. They remind me of the T-shirt brand Threadless, inviting designers to design T-shirts which are then voted online and produced for buyers. Most of the information on their FB page is in Thai, hopefully they will translate to english for a wider audience in time to come.
Nicknamed KitKat by her friends, Penn, a Cancerian is into myths, legends and fairy tales of sorts. The nocturnally inspired artist devotes all her time to her passion for all kinds of handcrafted art, which include the recent handmade weave accessories. – http://www.kikiculte.com/
I was drawn to kiki culte’s designs because of the rocker chic series. An example here:
The Le Roche series 1 is priced from $128-$188.
Prices for her various series are available here.
I was first drawn to the booth because of the studded bags.
Available at $416 on their website here.
Available at $416 on their website here.
I love the colours, the studs and the texture of the bags.
They also feature a range of jewellery on their website.
Suecomma Bonnie
Is a shoe brand that has been likened to Louboutin’s in Korea.
Korean shoe designer Bo-hyun Lee has taken the craft of shoe designing to the highest level, with each piece looking like a coveted work of art. Suecomma Bonnie’s handmade shoes are made of the most luxurious materials imported from Europe. Known for feminine and sexy styles, the brand has been worn by many Korean celebrities and featured in almost every top fashion glossies in Korea including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and W Magazine. - http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/9
A few designs to tease your eyes on…
You can purchase the Suecomma bonnie Pre-spring 2013 collection on FutureFashionNow here. Limited sales period, till 19 June.
Helmed by a lovely lady Sarah Sheue whom V and I talked to at length, listening to her share about her brand’s history and design inspiration.
Here are two shoes that we were in love with from her booth!
This is a sample for her Summer 2013 collection, so it’s not produced or for sale yet! We love the colour combination and the spike details.
This shoe is striking because of the blend of tribal and rocker details which makes it unique.
Priced at US$120 – 200, free shipping to Malaysia, varying additional postage to international customers. Do check out the online store here.
Tip: If you refer 5 friends to the website, you get a 20% coupon for your next purchase! So it might cover your postage fees. (;
One last brand that is one of New York’s up and coming designer label by designer duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. I met them last year when I was helping backstage for their show in Blueprint 2011 and it was a wonderful coincidence to meet them again at the airport when I flew to Hong Kong.
Timo Weiland is the brainchild of New York’s dynamic IT duo Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein. Known for quirky designs and colour palette, their collections are inspired by their mutual love of European history and travel. In July 2011, Timo Weiland was personally selected by Net-a-Porter’s Director as an inductee to the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Incubator Program. – http://www.futurefashionnow.com/index.php/main/designer/5
Two of my favourite pieces from their Pre-Spring 2013 collection available for sale until June 19 here:
Timo Weiland Fossil Print Cutout Tank (Grey) available at USD 185.00 here.
Timo Weiland Fossil Print Shirt Dress available at USD USD 442.00 here.
Timo Weiland Shirt Dress w/ Lace Trim available at USD 450.00 here.
I love their quirky yet formal design sensibility. These pieces reminds me of what Blaire in Gossip Girl would wear.
I was excited to meet Timo again and so I took a picture with him. (:
There were of course a lot other clothing labels but alas, I didn’t have the time to venture and collect details. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed my recap of Blueprint 2012. Support local and Asian talents! (:
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