Singapore's First Virtual Fashion Fest

A NEW DIGITAL fashion festival called The Front Row may be what the local industry needs to become viable. The festival features virtual fashion shows and style presentations by two dozen homegrown labels, as well as interactive workshops and gallery tours, from August 20 to 29. Labels include Elohim by Sabrina Goh, GINLEE Studio, Holtan Vibes, ITT SWIM, MAX.TAN, Olive Ankara, Reckless Ericka and Shirt Number White, as well as guest collections from other ASEAN countries.

The festival offers ''front row'' seats for anyone watching it online, and promises versatile, ''season-less'' looks that you can theoretically carry across trends and seasons. Right after the show, you can click on a button to instantly purchase something - or stick around for the post-show dialogue with the designer, to whom you can pose questions virtually.

Supported by Enterprise Singapore and organised by Daniel Boey Creatives and AP Media, the festival is no doubt an attempt to combat the pandemic's social distancing measures that have kept many shoppers at home. But beyond that, an online showcase also helps address the many challenging issues facing the industry now, such as high carbon emissions, wastage and overheads.