JC Report: What made you choose to study in Belgium rather than attending the usual Paris institutes?

MoutonCollet: Belgium has our heart, but also we believe Belgium is not under the weight of the past. In France, fashion is taught under the guise of plenty of taboos, with too much respect for predecessors. For us, that was too much restraint to learn under. We prefer to work on what we are and where we are with complete freedom. We have to be clear about what it is to be a designer today: it’s not about being an artist, it’s more about being a craftsman.

JCR: Who and what has inspired the label over time?

MC: Most of our influences are linked with the Belgian countryside, a world of silence in the middle of nature. We focus on farm animals, gardens, meadows and forest jewelry—the nature of taxidermy laboratory and hunters of insects also fascinates us. We are influenced by Jacques Tati, Marcel Duchamp and Matthew Barney. MoutonCollet is a game of contrast and opposition.

JCR: What did you learn while working with major designers in Paris?

MC: After we got our diplomas, we went straight to Paris to learn about fashion and the industry of this city. We wanted to be in the reality of fashion and to be a part of it. From there we had some of the most amazing experiences and the chance to work for many big names in international fashion. We were introduced to the Japanese philosophy of fashion thanks to Mr. Kenzo Takada. We worked in the vision of Yves Saint Laurent with Loulou de la Falaise. We grew to understand the different signatures of two Belgium designers with Martin Margiela and Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci. And we were able to admire the spirit of haute couture with Hervé Léger. Working with all these greats was the best way to learn. Paris is always Paris.

JCR: How do you feel about what Lady Gaga has done for fashion?

MC: She’s amazing, avant-garde, creative and glamourous. She is a paradox! We are very happy and honored to be in part of her wardrobe and be part of “Alejandro” by Steven Klein. We couldn’t have asked for a better combination of forces such as this. It’s always very interesting to work with an artist such as Lady Gaga, because she has created her own world, with its magic and its particular way of seeing things. This is a great asset for us because we must always be on top of the creative! We share an exciting adventure with her.

The Audi Fashion Festival, not technically a “fashion week” in the traditional sense, was held in a tent on the busy main shopping district of Orchard Road located in Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza. The five-day event was intended to showcase a selection of international and regional designers. Caten brothers’ Dsquared2 label presented its AW10 collection to open the show, which included Carmen Kass, flown in for the occasion and evidence of the “no expense spared” feel of the festival. Buyers and press from the region and around the world were flown in on state carrier Singapore Airlines and were treated to a busy schedule of shows, presentations, events, and parties. Homegrown labels such RAOUL and alldressedup were featured, as well as an eclectic assortment of invited international designers, including indie darlings KTZ, Roberto Cavalli, Henry Holland, and Marchesa.  Started by Tina Tan and her husband, alldressedup has an independent spirit reflected in it’s wearable and collection that plays subtly with shapes and textures. The design and creative team are Singapore based and reflect the emergence of home grown brands on the international scene. Sponsors such as Tiffany & Co., Herve Leger, Samsung, and others offered presentations including the Atelier Swarovski/Nicholas Kirkwood collaboration.

These diverse designers and brands reflected the city’s saturated and multifaceted retail scene. Orchard Road is home to scores of large luxury and high-street shopping malls, with many new retail developments in the pipeline. As architect and writer Sze Tsung Leong has noted, “Not only is shopping melting into everything, but everything is melting into shopping.” The idea that shopping is an integral part of urbanization and that such environments are quickly becoming defining elements of the modern city can be felt everywhere in this ambitious and rapidly growing region.

The concurrent Blueprint trade show platform has come a long way since its inception in 2004. Held in the Formula 1 pit buildings near the fast expanding marina area, the aim of the event was to support the growing number of brands vying to access the Asia Pacific market. The private and publicly funded initiative led to expanded exhibitor and show schedules, with appearances from powerhouse regional retailers Club21, FJ Benjamin, and Joyce, as well as international retail stars such as Browns Focus, Matches, Seven, Tearose, and Harvey Nichols UK. Local and regional brands and collectives such as Front Row’s presentation of Thai designers (Second Issue and Greyhound) and a British collective showcase (KTZ and J. Maskrey) were given catwalk slots. Standout brands at the trade show included Korean designer J. JS Lee, Joanne Sykes, and Nsha Atelier.  The latter was designed by former I-D magazine fashion editor Erika Kurihara and consisted of wardrobe classics such as white shirts, cotton drill skirts, shorts and summer knits rendered in a bold palette inspired by artists Mobius, Alajandro Jodorowsky and Pavel Pepperstein. The weight of fabrics and materials employed by Kurihara reflected the seasonless approach to dressing in tropical countries. The label commissioned a work by filmmaker Cameron Smith to premiere at Blueprint.

Both events were testament to what can be achieved given cooperation between the public and private sectors. Local designers and brands are keen to raise the bar in both creativity and their international appeal and there will surely be an emergence of important talent from this part of the world. Next year’s events are already being planned and organizers promise to be more focused and cohesive. The week’s daytime events were matched by equally action-packed evenings as Zouk, La Masion, and the Biscuit Club–amongst others–hosted parties and events. Singapore is a rapidly growing city state that is trying to strike the right balance right between work and play, something which went down very well with its international visitors.

While animal-friendly faux fur alternatives have increasingly appeared in more collections, the real deal was all over the recent runways. Derek Lam knit fox into a black and white cardigan, Halston’s Marios Schwab embellished the sleeves of a sweater dress and Marc Jacobs used it on the lapels of a see-thru trench. Fresh off his Swiss Textiles Award win, Alexander Wang experimented with a number of different fabrics, backing a zip-away leather jacket and criss-crossing lapels with mink. Many of these looks will show up at H&M and Forever 21 too, albeit in decidedly less expensive manifestations. The heretofore fur-free designer’s unfortunate use of pelts in his show makes sense given recent supported from Saga, but thankfully some of it won’t be produced for stores.

Leather was the most common go-to fabric for fitted, asymmetrical jackets. It was also used in more novel ways, as in the case of men’s leggings at both Maria Cornejo and Rad Hourani. To wit, Joseph Altuzarra held high-slit pencil skirts together with straps of leather, lending the pieces a vaguely S&M vibe. Threeasfour, meanwhile, paired it with wool to create a collared, almost hood-like coat and Ohne Titel’s Flora Gill and Alexa Adams coupled it with silk to fashion a chic, patchwork drawstring skirt. In addition to singular pieces, expect to see leather—both real and faux—used as embellishment or in conjunction with fabrics like wool, cashmere and twill.

Velvet’s sartorial connotations ran the gamut—little girl party dress, “festive” formal wear, hippie-chic topper—but there’s little doubt we can escape it for fall. Elise Øverland showed a velvet menswear-inspired suit and tuxedo wrap dress, while Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs fashioned a lace and velvet cap-sleeved dress for their semi-eponymous label. In keeping with his naughty schoolgirl vibe, Peter Jensen’s take was admittedly cheekier (tartan bloomers), while Zac Posen’s conjured thoughts of chi-chi late ’70s holiday parties.

Cutouts continue as a reining trend. When strategically placed they imbue basic black with some much-needed sex appeal, but not-so-gym-toned flesh might be better kept under wraps in any of the season’s other trends. Max Azria’s designs for Hervé Léger have never been a go-to for the faint of heart, so it’s little surprise that his sheer-paneled cutouts came courtesy of some killer mini-dresses. Speaking of itty bitty, Halston incorporated the technique into Grecian-style party gowns, featuring artfully exposed flesh and miles of leg. Preen offered what was perhaps the most wearable take in bandeau bra topped silk and cashmere dresses that revealed the areas above and below the décolletage—and leaving just enough to the imagination.