ASIAN COUTURE EVENING TO BE PART OF HAUTE COUTURE WEEK 2012 SINGAPORE

This late-November, there is simply no doubt that you will be tremendously impressed and entertained not only once, but thrice at the HAUTE COUTURE WEEK 2012 SINGAPORE!

With full-fledged showcases of couture in the lineup, from the French Couture Week to Japan Couture Evening and to the latest addition of the phenomenal Asian Couture Evening 2012, it will undoubtedly leave you breathless and in a totally good way!

For one, it is incredibly exciting to be witnessing this, since in the whole of Couture history, the title of ‘Couture House’ has only been bestowed upon fashion houses who have met the strict requirements of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture in Paris, France, which include having an atelier in Paris with at least 15 full-time workers and presenting two 35-look haute couture collections per year to the Paris press, amongst a list of criteria.

And to date, there are only 12 official members in the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, alongside a group of guest members and correspondent members, most of whom are from Paris, who can call themselves ‘Couture Houses’ and be able to create couture fashion.

Thus, it is indeed very incredible what organiser Fidé Fashion Week has done, and that is to create a complete revolutionary move which involves the inclusion of a group of outstanding Asian Couturiers for this special addition to the sensational Haute Couture Week 2012.

For one night only on 27 November 2012, brace and prepare yourself to witness a fantastic showcase of four respected couturiers from various parts of Asia, namely China (Guo Pei), Thailand (Polpat Asavaprapa), Hong Kong (Barney Cheng) and Mongolia (Torgo by Bold Ochirjantsan), who will all be coming together to make their inaugral mark at the Haute Couture Week 2012.

While they may not be classified as ‘Couture Houses’ like their Paris counterparts, they have clearly superseded every evidential threshold in the skills of couture and are clear maestros in their intangible sense of style and refinement.

So this leaves us a question, which of the four Couturiers’ shows are we most looking forward to? That, without a doubt, has got to be Guo Pei.

While the China-born designer may have showcased another collection of hers- a collection of couture wedding dresses at the runways of the recent Digital Fashion Week 2012 Singapore, this end-November’s show segment for this couturier extraordinaire is simply THE ONE that you should be looking out for.

With a tantalising stage display lined up and an aquatic wonderland-themed stage awaiting, it is envisioned to be the perfect stage to kick-start the stunning 2012 collection “Legend of the Dragon” from Guo Pei.

Mirroring the majestic gold of the legendary dragons from the Chinese mythology and folklore, the scales of the serpentine creature are executed in impeccable textures and a beautifully array of details in her collection. The silhouettes are powerful, and channel a shroud of fantasy and magic around it. And that, is precisely what couture is all about.

I remember how I was so immensely enchanted by my favourite couturier Christian Lacroix’s couture gowns in my fashion school days. Those gowns staged in a dramatic setting, with full of exquisite detailing and colours, are akin to watching a story unfold. You hold your breath and watch in awe as the runway gets more exciting with each look present. And when the grand finale comes, with the closing look – a wedding gown, it seems like every dream in your life has been fulfilled.

And like Christian Lacroix, Guo Pei has undoubtedly captured the same effect, and that is the ‘breath of couture’.