The fashion runway lights up in April when Singapore's fashion initiative – Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) – is launched as part of a joint effort by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore (SPRING), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the private sector.

A four-month study was commissioned by the three agencies last March to better understand the needs of the local fashion industry. Covering major international and Asian fashion events, it involved fashion professionals from Singapore and London in mapping out industry gaps, and identifying opportunities for Singapore to evolve as a sustainable design-led fashion industry.

Singapore Tourism Board, director of tourism shopping and dining, Andrew Phua said, "We recognise that as a new brand, the AFX will take time to grow and root itself in the minds of fashion professionals. The New York and Milan Fashion Weeks took years to develop their strongholds of the industry and we hope that the AFX will quickly step up to fill a current gap in the industry and become a fashion exchange hub of the region."

The AFX is designed to address some of these industry needs and will comprise both businesss-to-business and business-to-consumer components. To be held annually, the AFX aims to develop a strong base of local design talent, stimulate demand for local fashion brands locally and internationally, and position Singapore as a gateway to Asian designers and markets.

For its launch in 2010, AFX will showcase events such as Blueprint, Asia Fashion Summit, Audi Fashion Festival, and a fashion design competition to identify promising local and regional talent. Further details of these individual events will be unveiled over the coming months.

Image courtesy of Daryl Loh on Flickr