PHL designer brands featured in Singapore fashion convention

Three Filipino designer brands — Aranaz, Vania Romoff and Wanderlust — were featured in the recently concluded Blueprint Emporium fashion tradeshow in Singapore. Blueprint Emporium — held at The Suntec City Convention Center in Singapore from May 17 to 20 — showcased the best of Asian design talents to the world’s top buyers. Blueprint Emporium exhibits exclusive seasonal and designer sample sales, limited edition apparel, accessories, and lifestyle designer items from around the world.

The trade show is part of Asian Fashion Exchange, which aims to develop Singapore’s fashion industry by building capability and profiling local Asian talents in an international platform.

 

In an interview with GMA News Online, young designer Vania Romoff said: “It is an opportunity for Filipino designers like me, to bring my creations to an international front. “I have put so much into this and I am hoping it is appreciated by international buyers and consumers,” Romoff said.

 

Romoff’s designs are predominantly feminine yet modern and sophisticated.

Luxurious bags Aranaz, a luxury Filipino bag label, chose the Blueprint Emporium event to launch its latest Resorts 2012 Collection. Creative Director Amina Aranaz-Alunan's thrust was to “de-ethnicize the ethnic,” juxtaposing native materials such as mother of pearl, coconut shell, and wood beads with sparkling crystals, stones, luxurious fabrics and leather.

Aranaz's latest collection was anticipated not only by the consumers but also by Singapore’s fashion media. The brand had its share of positive publicity and even caught they eye of the Singapore-based, women’s internet portal for style — Herworld.com.

 

Herworld.com has named Aranaz as one of the 15 brands that stood out among the hundreds

displayed. The site has recommended Aranaz to its avid followers as well. Versatile swimwear

 

Meanwhile, Filipino swimwear brand Wanderlust paraded its latest collection at the tradeshow. The buyers were drawn to the versatility, wearability and uniqueness of the swimsuits, more so that the standards were similar with commercially available international brands but with friendlier prices.  

 

Wanderlust designer, Xeng Zulueta, was pleased with the international crowd’s enthusiasm. She is now driven to participate more in such platforms, but with the hopes of “the Philippine government showing more support to local designers.” Zulueta noted, “Most designers here were subsidized by their government. I wish the same initiatives will be adopted by our country one day.”  

 

All three Filipino brands got what they came for at The Blueprint Emporium. They all said the experience was “tiring but productive.” Aside from attracting buyers to their respective brands, they were confident that in their own ways, they generated awareness and once again put Philippine fashion on the international map, proving that Filipino products are at par with global brands. - VVP, GMA News