Speech by Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Minister-in-charge of Entrepreneurship at the Designers Show on Monday, 15 October 2007, 10am at 72-13 Theatre works

Mr Patrick Lee

President of the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFf)

Mr Bert Tan

Chairman, The Designers Show

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Introduction

I am very pleased to join you today at the opening of the Designers Show.

Globally, about US$276 billion worth of apparel is traded every year. From cotton growing to synthetic fiber manufacturing, textile to garment manufacturing, from design to distribution, the apparel industry is probably amongst the most global and competitive industries with its supply chain distributed across vast geographies. The apparel industry has changed and is still evolving.

Amidst this change, the textile and apparel industry in Singapore has also evolved and grown. Today, there are over 610 establishments employing more than 8,700 workers, making up 2.4 per cent of Singapore's manufacturing jobs.

The evolution of the fashion industry

Over the decades, Singapore garment manufacturers have regionalized. They have set up manufacturing locations in China, South East Asia and South Asia to take advantage of the lower cost and tariff quotas in these locations. Back home, our textile players re-invented themselves by building up their capabilities in design, product development, material sourcing, logistics and information management. Our players understand the re-configuration of the global supply chain. They have also capitalized on the growing trend of outsourcing. Division of labor and specialization according to capabilities now characterized the industry.

In recent years, we have begun to see the emergence of our own promising designers. I was told that our pioneer group of designers, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” – Bobby Chng, Kelvin Choo, Peter Kor, Esther Tay, Thomas Wee, Tan Yoong and Celia Loe have made a name for themselves and inspired the development of the fashion industry in Singapore. Today, many more homegrown labels have mushroomed. Examples include BYSI, M)phosis, Chomel. Our young designers such as Paris-based Andrew Gn, Jonathan Seow and London-based Ashley Isham, whose collection I just saw in Beijing a few days ago at the Singapore Season Gala Dinner, have achieved international fame.

The importance of Branding

Good designs coupled with strong branding enable our labels to go far and help our fashion designers communicate their label’s values to the market.To support the industry’s development of its branding capability, IE Singapore and SPRING Singapore jointly launched the “Brand Pact Programme” in 2005. To date, more than 3,500 companies have benefited from various Brand Pact initiatives which included training workshops and use of brand assessment. Companies have in total received $9 million worth of co-funding support for brand development projects. One of our local fashion brands, BYSI has benefited from Brand Pact since it embarked on its branding journey two years ago. Today, it has successfully expanded its operations into 11 outlets both locally and regionally.

In addition to Brand Pact and other programs, SPRING and IE Singapore also work closely with TaFf to organize events such as The Designers Show to raise the profile of our local designers and their labels. IE Singapore also conducts overseas missions to connect our designers with potential overseas partners, buyers and distributors.

Design Singapore Council also plays an important role in nurturing our local design talent. Under its Overseas Promotion Partnership Programme, local designers who have successfully gained access to prestigious international platforms, such as Paris Fashion Week and World Fashion Week, can receive funding to cover the cost of their overseas showcases. With all these agencies supporting them, it is our hope that our local designers and fashion players will establish themselves in the regional and global market.

Conclusion

Finally, I wish to congratulate and commend TaFf for making The Designers Show bigger and better year-after-year. The Designers Show will continue to be a platform for aspiring designers to launch themselves internationally. I wish you all great success in your endeavors.

Thank You.