Shop like never before with Future Fashion Now!

Since the inception of the first Audi Fashion Festival (AFF) in 2009, the fashion event has been making waves with it’s world-class showcases of big fashion brands, which include the likes of DSQUARED2, Gareth Pugh, Prabal Gurung, Vivienne Westwood to name a few.

This year, however, expect something totally different with Audi Fashion Festival as they present to you their revolutionary online portal, Future Fashion Now (FFN) www.futurefashionnow.com. They will be showcasing a curated selection of emerging designer labels across Asia and the globe, all with the aim of catapulting emerging designers who deserve to shine in an international platform beyond their home shores.

Some of the exciting brands involved include Timo Weiland (New York), Yeojin Bae (Melbourne), Suecomma Bonnie (Seoul), and our homegrown glories, Mae Pang, Max Tan and last but not least, alldressedup, to name a few.

The **Future Fashion Now** platform: www.futurefashionnow.com

Come 16 May 2012 when the Audi Fashion Festival kick starts at the Tent@Orchard, the runway showcases of these designers will be live-streamed on the website whereby consumers can watch the runway ‘live’ either from their computers, iPads or iPhones, and shop the looks immediately off the runway, even before the next season arrives.

And what’s superb about FFN is you can also customize the look to what you want before you add to your cart, so technically, consumers can now become their own fashion buyers! How awesome is that?

And yesterday, we were so honored to be invited by Mercury, the team behind AFF2012, to a special preview of how Future Fashion Now actually works, using the runway preview of alldressedup’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection as an example.

Armed with iPads to show us, the team gave us an exclusive walkthrough as well as a glimpse of how you can shop off the runway!

So this is how it works: As a look is showcased on the runway (which will be live-streamed to the website), an accompany lookbook photo of the outfit will also be posted on the FFN website, and like any good online store, you will be able to zoom to view the details, see how the garment look at the side and also, at the back, and add to your cart if you like what you see. Pretty easy huh? We thought so too!

We can’t help but love how user-friendly it is! Definitely a site you should bookmark when the runway starts on 16 – 19 May 2012!

In the meanwhile, feast your eyes on the photos from alldressedup mini-runway, which was held yesterday at the new Reebonz Space, as well as a styling session on how to wear collection’s key looks for the season by it’s founder, Tina Tan-Le0:

This season, the fashion-loving urban lady is going to get a playful experience with the wide range of choices in alldressedup’s easy-to-wear Fall/Winter 2012 collection. Translating a relaxed mood with an attitude, the collection is BIG on multi-wearing pieces as well as layering, especially with the cold weather ahead.

All priced between mid-to-high-end, the collection uses a varied mix of fabrics, including techno-chiffon, jersey, liquid metallic fabrics and to luxe cashmere. The collection also has a clever mix of staple pieces as well as more innovative ones.

Some pieces to expect include basic white cotton shirts (essential wardrobe staples) to eye-catching prints in techno chiffon fabrics, and even to a display of stand-up collars in dresses (which can be turned up for that bit of attitude, and down for a relaxed feel). Not only that, also look forward to very multi-functional-ways-of-wearing jackets (which can be worn one way as a jacket, and another way as a bolero), statement-making accessories (which are made of recycled hardwares – super eco-friendly and innovative!), sheer printed blouses, beautifully-draped skirts and dresses (which can be tweaked in many ways to create different looks) and a selection of cashmere scarves.

And if you think that the layering may be too much for the ever-hot, humid weather of Singapore, lose that jacket, don on the sleeveless shift dress, belt the waist and put on those knotted necklaces, and you’re good to go.

: Get innovative: Wear this techno-fabricated jacket for the go, which is easy to pack and won’t be crumpled when folded, in many different ways!

: Working the classic white shirt – a key item from alldressedup’s A|W 2012 collection! Nip, tuck, and unfold that collar up, and voila, you get a dramatic look! How awesome!

: Recycled metal hardware being made into insanely cool bangles and bracelets in eye-popping colours (look closely, and you’ll see)

Not forgetting, an array of recycled snap-buttons makes up the intrinsic details of the strap of a dress! Brilliant, isn’t it?

Even the bags have multi-functional ways of wearing it: Use it as a shoulder bag, a sling bag or remove those straps to use it as a clutch. Voila, innovative or what?

We especially love how alldressedup stays true to their philosophy of using Asian culture in a modern silhouette! If you must know, these knotted necklaces were actually inspired by the twists and turns in the Indian Turbans! How clever right!