More than 100 runway looks, 20 cab rides and 30 hours of hard work later, the herworldPLUS team couldn’t be more glad to finally put our AFF stories to bed.
Not only was it unbelievably exciting to speak to noted fashion luminaries such as Hussein Chalayan, Jun Okamoto, Peter Pilotto, Collette Dinnigan, as well as be swept up in the fashion frenzy of the past five days, the whole process was frankly quite exhausting, but infinitely rewarding, with memories that will stay with us for a lifetime.
Here we recount the highs and lows of Audi Fashion Festival 2013.
HIGHS
1) Getting up-close and personal with designers and models backstage
Backstage was a whirlwind of excitement, and the atmosphere was buzzing, but it was heartening to know that top models Sheila Sim and Charmaine Harn were in good spirits and friendly enough to chat to us when they could have chosen to take a mini nap.
From left: Peter Pilotto, Hussein Chalayan and Sheila Sim
We were also pleasantly surprised to catch Peter Pilotto backstage before his show when the models were getting their hair and makeup done. He even spoke to us briefly, and shared about his inspiration for the collection and models’ makeup. Our editor Niki also managed to speak to Hussein Chalayan at length to discuss the impact of high fashion and his work at Puma. Such an honour!
2) Shopping the massive Blueprint Emporium
Being a part of the media has its perks. We got to preview Blueprint and all its 180 booths in all its glory before it was officially open to the public. That meant we got to mentally create a checklist of all the goodies we wanted and then make a beeline for it on Saturday. We ended up walking away with fantastic bargains you can’t find elsewhere.
3) The street style
Many stylishly dressed attendees turned up for Singapore’s biggest fashion event of the year, so much so that it was a visual feast for the eyes. Hats and headpieces were quite the popular accessory and so were suits on women. If anything, this proves that Singaporeans are truly an adventurous and fashionable bunch too.
LOWS
1) The interminable wait
Putting a real damper on things was the length of time we had to wait for shows to start. Some shows were delayed by more than an hour, and even though by day three most of us came to expect shows to begin at least an hour late, it was still not much fun to be kept waiting for that long.
2) The inclement weather
On day one, the rain that begun halfway through the opening show, the Carolina Herrera AW’13 collection kept guests stranded in the tent, unable to leave for around half an hour. The next few days too, the weather continued to be uncomfortable, with hot and humid nights the norm, so hanging around outside the tent – an essential form of socialising for any fashion week – proved to be impossible.
Although, we were more than thankful for the strong air-conditioning provided in the waiting area of the tent – as well as free Magnum ice cream being given out along with Belvedere cocktails and San Pellegrino drinks that kept us well-hydrated throughout the week.
3) The portaloos
At first, the mobile toilet-on-wheels won us over with its own air-conditioning, pretty decorated interior and wood grain-patterned toilet seats. It was clean too, and had a constant supply of toilet paper. It was definitely one of the coolest, if not, most luxurious portaloos we’ve ever seen.
However, after an whole day’s worth of usage, its allure started to fade, very quickly. Twice, as we discovered to our horror, the toilets ran out of water, so guests couldn’t flush or wash their hands, and there was a faint smell of pee in the tiny air-conditioned enclosed space. What seemed like heaven a few hours prior was now almost like a scene from hell. Not pretty at all.
Despite it all, however, the plus points still greatly outweighed the negatives, thanks to the always fantastic lineup of designers that the organisers manage to bring in as well as the convivial celebratory atmosphere that we never tire of.
For next year, we’re crossing our fingers that Audi Fashion Festival will bring in names such as fashion’s golden boy Alexander Wang, Christopher Kane, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of Kenzo, Jil Sander and other big names we can’t fit into a paragraph.
In a nutshell, the annual Audi Fashion Festival will always remain an important part of every fashionista’s social calendar in May – including mine.