More Than 120 Asian And International Cult Brands At Blueprint 2011, Presented By Lee Hwa Jewellery

29 April 2011, Singapore – More than 120 Asian and International cult brands will be taking part in BLUEPRINT 2011, presented by Lee Hwa Jewellery: a four day fashion trade and consumer event from 19 to 22 May 2011 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Hall B.

19 to 20 May: BLUEPRINT tradeshow

BLUEPRINT 2011, presented by Lee Hwa Jewellery, kicks off with a closed-door fashion trade show from 19 to 20 May 2011,  featuring more than 100 of the best Asian and International emerging designers who will be presenting their Cruise 2011/2012 collections to more than 200 international buyers.

From statement-making red carpet show stoppers to avant-garde, casual-luxe and alternative street-style offerings and accessories, look out for cutting-edge brands such as Jardin de Chouette, Beyond Closet, Steve J & Yoni P and Kaal E Suktae from Seoul; Vickeerut, Apostrophe’P and Sanshai from Bangkok; Danjyo-Hiyoji and ISIS from Jakarta; as well as Farah Khan (Kuala Lumpur), Chi Zhang (Beijing), Jatalika (New York) and J. JS Lee (London). Close to 50 Singapore brands will also be taking part, including familiar names such as Ashley Isham, DEPRESSION, AMUSE, Pauline Ning and Burgundy. Title sponsor Lee Hwa Jewellery will also be highlighting its Purple Gold™ collection as well as its latest designs during the trade show.

Buyers who have confirmed their attendance for the BLUEPRINT trade show include top-tier international and regional status stores and retail groups such as Samsung Cheil Industries, In the Woods, Boontheshop, J Roseroco NY and Lotte from Korea; Lane Crawford and The Swank from Hong Kong; as well as Triple MajoAr, Shine and Water Stone from China. 

21 to 22 May: BLUEPRINT Emporium

Consumers can look forward to BLUEPRINT Emporium: Asia’s most exciting fashion shopping event from 21 to 22 May. With more than 100 pop-up shops, Emporium will see about 80 of BLUEPRINT’s trade show designers offering seasonal, sample, and limited edition sales, with an additional 30 pop-up shops from Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul and Penang.

This is a rare not-to-be-missed opportunity for fashionistas to shop exclusive designer buys from BLUEPRINT’s trade show labels not stocked in Singapore stores, such as Timo Weiland (New York)

and Jose Duran (Dominican Republic). Other Emporium-only pop-up stores to look out for include four of the best high street stores from Korea: LeShop, Zooc, BanillaB and Lowclassic; fashion labels from Jakarta such as Geulis, Anonymous, King Barracuda and Eye Amand; Laconic from Penang, as well as Ongshunmugam from Singapore.

Also available at BLUEPRINT Emporium will be a tight edit of expat pop-up stores curated by International Expat Affairs, Singapore’s premier expat shopping events company co-founded by Singapore’s ex-supermodel Hanis Hussey. This includes the Tabitha Foundation Singapore – a not- for-profit organisation which supports the poorest communities in Cambodia by building a sustainable livelihood for the women and their families through handmade silk and upcycled products, along with nana&bird, a weekend-only pop-up store with a specially curated collection of fashion, handmade leather goods, jewellery and furnishings.

BLUEPRINT Emporium will be open from 11am to 9pm on Saturday 21 May and 11am to 7pm on Sunday 22 May 2011. 

BLUEPRINT, presented by Lee Hwa Jewellery, is organised by the Blueprint Group, a joint venture formed by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore (TaFF), MP Asia Pte Ltd (MP Asia) and Mercury Marketing and Communications Pte Ltd.

BLUEPRINT, presented by Lee Hwa Jewellery, is one of the four pillars of the Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) – a joint private and public sector initiative spearheaded by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore (TaFF) with the support of government agencies, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore (SPRING) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). AFX seeks to develop the long-term sustainability of Singapore’s fashion industry by building capability and profiling Asian talent on an international platform to position Singapore as Asia’s leading Fashion Capital.

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For more information on BLUEPRINT 2011, including show schedules and interview requests, please contact:

Charmaine Lin
PR Manager
T: +65 6299 9741
M: +65 9278 3555
E: charmaine@mercurymc.com

For the latest brand index and up-to-date profiles and high resolution images of brands participating in BLUEPRINT tradeshow and BLUEPRINT Emporium, please visit the MEDIA section of www.blueprint.sg:
Username: media
Password: blueprint

About Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery
Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery is a contemporary fine jeweller whose unique jewellery creations are based on trends and inspirations from the fashion runways every season. A strong believer in innovation, the company introduced the world’s first 19k solid Purple Gold™ in 2000. It was also the first to popularise white gold – positioning it as a lifestyle product to appeal to the fashion savvy modern woman.

Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery remains the first and only publicly listed jeweller in Singapore. At the forefront of design, quality and service, Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery exemplifies leadership in the fine jewellery retail industry. It brings innovation and refreshing creativity to their products through collaborations with leading creative luminaries such as Toshiyuki Kita, Dick Lee and Ashley Isham. Its innovative designs have led to its position as the official licensee of Forevermark, a diamond brand from the De Beers group of companies, in Singapore. Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery’s leadership position is further embodied by its showcase at the London Fashion Week 2009 and being the Official Jeweller of the Singapore Fashion Festival in 2007 and 2008 and Audi Fashion Festival 2009. With 29 boutiques island-wide, Aspial-Lee Hwa Jewellery is a market leader who is committed to providing not only the best quality products but also first-class service to its consumers.

For more information, please log on to http://www.leehwajewellery.com

About Blueprint
BLUEPRINT was created by Mercury Marketing & Communications in 2004 as a catwalk showcase to further the careers of young Singaporean and Asian design talents. It has since evolved into a platform that catapults emerging talents to international prominence. In 2004, these young designers and their labels were featured in a limited-edition Blueprint shop at The Heeren for a year. In 2008, nine BLUEPRINT product designers exhibited at the Salone Internazionale Del Mobile in Milan. In 2009, 10 BLUEPRINT designers created unique red dresses auctioned off in aid of the Singapore Heart Foundation. BLUEPRINT 2010 took place over three days with two days specifically for trade and one day for consumers. Emporium on the last day was a collaboration between fashion and lifestyle partners that culminated in a one-night only fashion party event.

About Blueprint Group
Blueprint Group Pte Ltd was set up in 2011 as a joint venture by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore (TaFf), MP Asia Pte Ltd and Mercury Marketing & Communications to organise BLUEPRINT. Each partner brings with it different strengths – TaFf with its industry reach and long experience in nurturing and grooming local fashion talent, MP Asia with its extensive work as an organiser of high quality, large scale international conferences and exhibitions, and Mercury with its commercial expertise as a public relations and events company specialising in fashion and lifestyle. This gives BLUEPRINT the invaluable push to take it to higher, global levels, in terms of supplying and grooming fashion businesses as well as marketing and positioning them in the global marketplace.

• Textile and Fashion Federation (Singapore)
  The Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFf) was formed as a consortium of the textile and garment associations in 1981. Singapore’s textile and garment industry has since been transformed from a manufacturing base to a regional fashion, marketing and sourcing hub. TaFf takes an active role in nurturing the next generation of talents, facilitating marketing and export of textiles and apparel to the world, promoting good business practices through the adoption of advanced technology. It encourages participation in research, development, innovation and other enhancement activity or social projects which add value to the industry. For more information, please visit www.taff.org.sg.
• MP Asia
  MP Asia Pte Ltd is a member of the MP International Group. Established in Singapore in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed over 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA ASIA. A member of the Pico group, MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. MP’s success with various partners is a testimony of its ability to identify opportunities and maximise the rewards for win-win partnerships. For more information on MP International, visit www.mpinetwork.com.
• Mercury Marketing & Communications
  Mercury Marketing & Communications is Singapore's top public relations and events company specialising in fashion, lifestyle and luxury events. In 2009, it founded the Audi Fashion Festival, bringing in shows by international designers Vivienne Westwood and Christian Lacroix, as well as upcoming fashion darling Gareth Pugh who also attended the event. In 2010, the Festival brought in Roberto Cavalli and DSquared2, together with their respective creative directors, Mr Cavalli and Dean and Dan Caten. Mercury is also a partner in Blueprint Group with the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore and MP Asia, an exhibition production company. Together, they own and are responsible for Blueprint, an annual fashion trade show which started in 2009. Since 2010, Mercury has also taken on the role of organizing the Asia Fashion Exchange, a public-private sector partnership spearheaded by the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore, together with government agencies SPRING Singapore, International Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board and stakeholders to promote Singapore as the fashion hub of Asia. In 2004 and 2008, Mercury was also commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board to organise the Singapore Fashion Festival, bringing to the festival international designers, as well as supermodels. Mercury also organized the award-winning Cortina Watch Jewellery Time 2006 and 2008.

About Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX)
Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) is an initiative aimed at developing the long-term sustainability of Singapore’s fashion industry by building capability and profiling local talent on an international platform, here in Asia. It is a joint effort by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore (SPRING) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the strong support of local stakeholders such as the Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore (TaFf) and Mercury Marketing & Communications, to establish Singapore’s standing as Asia’s fashion gateway. AFX comprises four pillars: Blueprint, a trade exhibition and consumer sales event designed to be an international platform based in Asia; Asia Fashion Summit, an international business conference for industry professionals to generate thought leadership content; Audi Fashion Festival, a showcase of world-class collections by top international designers and labels; and Star Creation, a regional fashion design competition to spot budding talent from across Asia. For more information, please visit www.asiafashionexchange.com.sg.

About International Enterprise Singapore
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapore’s external economic wing. Its mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade.  With a global network in over 30 locations and its “3C” framework of assistance – Connections, Competency, Capital, IE offers services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas partners and enter new markets.  At the same time, we work to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. Please visit www.iesingapore.com for more information.