Lowdown on tie-ups

THE most talked-about high-low fashion tie-up this season may be Isabel Marant's insouciant-chic designs for H&M (which will be released on Nov 14). But one doesn't need to camp out at a chain store to get a piece of collab action. Closer to home, home-grown labels are also joining forces with international fashion wunderkinds to whet the appetites of style trendites.

Malaysian fashion retailer Dude & the Duchess, which specialises in well-tailored shirts and dresses, for one, has snagged rising fashion star Jonathan Liang, a fellow countryman who is based in Paris, for its first-ever collaboration - DD x JL.

"There is an ongoing movement of brands at all levels, from luxury to mass, and the trend of launching collaborations has helped many levels of businesses, giving them a different edge and helping them appeal to different demographics," says founder of Dude & the Duchess Kristy Yong, who has already started work on yet another collection with Mr Liang after enjoying the experience of teaming up on the capsule line. "It has been a very intense six to seven months of Skyping across Kuala Lumpur and Paris time zones, and we're incredibly excited about the outcome."