FashionSpace, World's First Social Magazine Platform Launches, Takes 20 Asian Fashion Brands on the Road

SINGAPORE, September 21, 2012 (Press-News.org) This September, FashionSpace celebrated its public launch with the inaugural 20 By Two - Fashion Beyond Borders showcase. The launch and showcase were hosted by the Red Dot Design Museum's September edition of the Market for Artists and Designers (MAAD).

(Full press kit available here: http://bit.ly/20bytwopresskit)

20 By Two is a collaboration between FashionSpace and Tongue in Chic and a novel cross-cultural fashion exchange between Singapore and Malaysia. This inaugural exchange will see 20 fashion brands from both countries showcase their works in twin retail events.

FashionSpace is a social publishing site, powering Asia's first fashion affiliate programme and the world's first truly social magazine platform. With 20 By Two, 20 Asian brands - along with another eight online-exclusive brands from the Plus 10 initiative - will join the likes of such international labels as Gucci, Lanvin, and Prada on FashionSpace.

MAAD HOSTS 20 BY TWO
According to Red Dot's Elvin Seah, the September MAAD received over three thousand visitors in one day, one of the highest attendance numbers in MAAD's history.

Seah added, "Such collaborations unite the creative industry in Singapore, fostering the vibrancy of our local creative scene. We're happy to have had this opportunity to work with 20 By Two."

The Singaporean brands involved in the 20 By Two showcase include such established names as AL&ALICIA, Lauren Jasmine, trioon, SKYE and the multi-label store h'muse, as well as up-and-coming brands Triologie, By Invite Only and AMEN.

Participating Singaporean menswear labels include Coupe-cousu, Totally Jut by Bedlam and -J-A-S-O-N-.

Malaysian labels include such renowned names as Joe Chia, Justin Yap, Alia Bastamam, Yadotsa, KLutched, Chic Yamada, Thirtyfour, Shoes Shoes Shoes and Armoire.

Each event is a conceptual blend of fashion, art, and technology. Visitors will not only experience the latest collections exhibited as works of art, but will also be able to purchase from these new collections using state-of-the-art retail technology.

Singapore leg: 6 to 8 September 2012 at the Red Dot Design Museum
Malaysia leg: 14 to 16 September 2012 at Publika
Online pop-up store: Mid-September to 31 October 2012 at 20bytwo.com

FASHION MEETS ART
Held in the Red Dot Design Museum, which displays some of the best works of industrial design in the world, the Singapore leg of 20 By Two showcased the latest works by the brands involved as art installations in the spirit of bricolage, a postmodern assemblage of signs and symbols.

The showcase took place in this unexpected space for as few as two days, thus reflecting the transient qualities of fashion. At the same time, the space, typically suited to housing works of high art and design, emphasised fashion's ties with not only other fields of design, but also its pervasiveness in the way we live.

FALL 2012 & PRE-SPRING 2013 - A FIRST LOOK
Held in September, 20 By Two will see many designers on the line-up debuting their Fall 2012 and Pre-Spring collections to the public. These collections will not only be showcased at twin pop-up stores, they will also be available for purchase.

A CROSS-CULTURAL FASHION EXCHANGE
With 20 fashion brands from both Singapore and Malaysia, 20 By Two is a pioneering fashion exchange. At each event, designers and owners of the visiting country will be flown in to represent their brands and to talk about their latest collections.

In so doing, 20 By Two hopes to cultivate relationships and further opportunities for collaboration, whether between brands of different countries or simply within the same country.

Says Loo Jia-Wei, Tongue in Chic CEO, "I'm quite surprised that this hasn't happened sooner, actually. Urban markets in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are so small, I think it's a great opportunity to look at fashion beyond our local markets, and into regional markets."

"It will be a great opportunity for the Malaysian designers to connect with their existing and new fans and expand beyond just Kuala Lumpur." 

FASHION + TECH = A NEW RETAIL EXPERIENCE
20 By Two offers a new kind of shopping experience. Using the format of the pop-up store, each 20 By Two event introduces fashion shoppers to the latest in fashion retail technology.

At the inaugural 20 By Two pop-up, visitors registered for luck draws using QR codes powered by Qryptal. Designers also offered discounts on new collections through the Smoov system for shoppers who scanned a QR that posted a message to their Facebook walls.

UPCLOAD'S ASIAN DEBUT
The biggest hit with the crowd was the use of German start-up UPcload's sizing technology. UPcload uses a laptop's built-in webcam to determine a shopper's measurements. Once these measurements are saved to a profile, an online shopper is able to determine the fit of apparel before making a purchase.

The 20 By Two showcase saw the debut of this innovative technology in Asia and the 20 By Two online pop-up store will be the first in Asia to offer UPcload's sizing widget to help shoppers determine their apparel fit.

Says Danielle Siauw, FashionSpace Founder and CEO, "As Asia's first fashion affiliate programme, we are always seeking to push the boundaries of what is possible for our local and indie fashion brands."

"Our brands often tell us that they struggle to take their brands to the next level and to go international. We have a great deal of talent here, but at some point, we felt that we needed to step in, and to use our technological savvy to help these local talents reach their full potential."

UPcload's Director of Communications Steffen Poralla added, "The cooperation with 20 By Two's pop-up store is a great opportunity for UPcload to make a first step into the Asian market. We are happy to collaborate with innovative designers from different countries and we want UPcload to become a real benefit for Asian fashion designers, retailers and users soon."

DIGITAL POP-UP STORE OFFERS FASHION BEYOND BORDERS
To offer a fashion experience that truly goes beyond borders, 20 By Two will run an online pop-up store in tandem with the two showcase events. Collections available at the showcase, as well as online-exclusive pieces, will be available for sale online and ship anywhere around the world.

This two month-long digital pop-up store, powered by StoreViva and set to launch in the middle of September, thus seeks to take Singaporean and Malaysian brands to international shoppers.

To receive news and updates, go to 20bytwo.com

About FashionSpace
FashionSpace is a social publishing platform that lets you:

•Discover emerging designers and fashion trends
•Monetise your blog and social networks with Asia's First Fashion Affiliate Programme
•Create lookbooks on the World's First Social Magazine

FashionSpace brings to you the best brands from around the world under one roof. From Depression to Prada, aggregate fashion products from both independent and established brands so that you can shop from the comfort of your keyboard, tablet or iPhone. Enjoy the thrill of the hunt, finding that new fashion addition or your next shoe crush, with our thousands of retail partners and fashion curators.

For more info, visit fashionspace.com

About Tongue in Chic
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tongue in Chic is a platform for fashion news, trends, talent, shopping and beauty from around the World. Founded in 2008 by Joyce Wong of Kinkybluefairy and Adrian Yap of Freeform, Tongue in Chic has grown into the definitive voice of fashion in South East Asia.

We hope to create a buzz for young fashion designers, photographers, makeup and hair artists, stylists, illustrators and talents all trying to make their mark, and provide real information to those who want to get to know South East Asia through fashion.

For more info, visit tonguechic.com