Julien Fournié, French Couture Week 2012 Singapore (Photo courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks)
As we are approaching the end of the year, I decided to feature some of the most memorable events that I had a chance to attend in 2012. From fashion exhibitions in London to various fashion weeks in Asia, they were all truly amazing and inspirational. Have a look at the pictures below and don't forget to leave a comment with your favourite fashion event of 2012!
Wolf & Badger Launch Party - London
Wolf & Badger window display at Dover Street (Photo by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine)In April, Wolf & Badger celebrated the opening of their second boutique in London. The launch party with live DJ, animated installations, cocktails and a fashionable crowd, took place at their new location, 32 Dover Street, and attracted a lot of interest from the industry insiders.
A trendy store in Mayfair carries mainly British designers, unique fashion accessories and luxury beauty products. There is an exhibition space downstairs, The Gallery, which hosts parties, fashion shows and product launches.
Christian Louboutin Exhibition - London 
Design by Christian Louboutin (Photo by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine)In May, The Design Museum presented the first UK retrospective of iconic French shoe designer Christian Louboutin, celebrating a career which has pushed the boundaries of high fashion shoe design.
Louboutin's exquisite shoes, with their instantly recognisable glossy red soles, are a unique fusion of fashion, craftsmanship, engineering and sculpture. The exhibition celebrated Louboutin's career to date and showcased twenty years of designs and inspiration, revealing the artistry and theatricality of his shoe design from stilettos to lace-up boots, studded sneakers and bejewelled pumps. Louboutin's shoes are the epitome of style, glamour, power, femininity and elegance.
Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 - London 
Design by Gareth Pugh (Photo by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine)
Also in May, one of the most exciting fashion exhibitions came courtesy of Kensington's newly renovated fashion gallery at the V&A museum. And the good news is, you can still see it until 6 January 2013.
The exhibition covers over sixty years of a strong British design tradition that continues to flourish.
Eveningwear from the V&A's vast collection, by designers including Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders and Hussein Chalayan, is on show alongside dresses fresh from the catwalk shows of Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Erdem and Jenny Packham.
A selection of royal ballgowns is on display, including a Norman Hartnell gown designed for Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Diana's 'Elvis Dress' designed by Catherine Walker and gowns worn by today's young royals.
Show stoppers include a stunning Gareth Pugh dress made of mosaic metallic leather (created especially for the exhibition) and an Alexander McQueen dress made entirely of ostrich feathers, worn by Daphne Guinness at 2011's Metropolitan ball.
Go Figure: New Fashion Illustration - London
Cristian Grossi (Courtesy of the artist)Another event in May - a small, but really outstanding exhibition held at London College of Fashion.
Go Figure: New Fashion Illustration was the second in a series of exhibitions, which showcased the brightest young talent across the field of fashion. The series featured makers who, though not yet widely known, are some of the most outstanding of their generation - whose work takes its place among the best of contemporary practice, while also defining future directions, agendas and tastes around fashion creation.
The exhibition brought together more than sixty works by thirteen international fashion illustrators who execute work in a variety of media, from the digital to the hand-drawn via the physical. Most of the illustrators brought influences from other disciplines including fashion design, graphic design, photography and film, which provided an insight into a creative field that is truly multi-faceted.
International Couture Fashion Week 2012 - Bangkok 
Frederick Lee, International Couture Fashion Week 2012, Bangkok (Photo by Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine)In September, Top Thai and international designers have come together to create a first-ever international couture event in Asia. International Couture Fashion Week 2012 was held at Siam Paragon in Bangkok and it proved that the Thai capital has become a new important destination on the international fashion map.
Frederick Lee, a Singaporean designer known for his sophisticated and extravagant fashion shows, presented modern ethnic pieces combined with exotic accessories at the fashion week in Bangkok. The collection was inspired by African and Asian ethnic clothes, mainly from Kenya, Burma, and Northern India.
"These gowns can be for ordinary people but for special occasions. As a fashion designer, you have to be a very good storyteller, you can be whimsical or you can be dramatic. It's all about entertainment to me." - commented the designer in an interview before the show.
Amber Lounge 2012 - Singapore
Jerome d'Ambrosio / Lotus-Renault, Amber Lounge Fashion, Singapore (Photo by Eva Fydrych)
Also in September, I had a chance to attended one of the most glamorous Grand Prix parties in Singapore - Amber Lounge. The unforgettable night at Temasek Reflections was full of attractions: from an exclusive performance by Lemar to La Perla lingerie show and F1 drivers walking the catwalk in Brioni and Stefano Ricci suits.
An English R&B artist and record producer Lemar gave a powerful performance at Amber Lounge as he presented one of his biggest hits "If There's Any Justice". A luxury lingerie brand La Perla showed their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection entitled 'Perfume of the Orient'. Asian inspired details, obi belts, kimonos, and lacquered screen patterns were elegant and very feminine. Delicate fabrics from lace to satin and silk gave this collection a touch of seduction and glamour.
R&B singer Lemar and Eva Fydrych / Fashion Studio Magazine (Red dress by a Singaporean designer Sabrina Goh) Photo by Alvinn LimAfter La Perla catwalk show, six F1 drivers, including Sebastian Buemi, Sam Bird, Esteban Gutierrez, Jules Bianchi, Dani Clos and Ma Qing Hua presented exquisite designs by Brioni and Stefano Ricci. It was definitely a night to remember!
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week - Tokyo
SOMARTA Spring/Summer 2013, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO (Photo courtesy of WWD)In October, SOMARTA presented her Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week TOKYO.
The collection featured an eclectic mix of fabrics, from delicate lace to rich knits. Graphic prints contrasted with plain textures and all skirts and dresses were paired with tights and fishnets (a signature item of the label). The models sported creative hair styles and futuristic makeup.
The designer behind the brand, Tamae Hirokawa, is a graduate of Bunka Fashion College and was mentored by one of the most famous Japanese designers Issey Miyake. While working for Mr Miyake, Tamae Hirokawa created her own design firm called Soma Designs and SOMARTA was part of this umbrella organization that also included graphic design and sound direction.
"Thanks to Issey Miyake, I could manage to look at fashion as a creativity of design or art. From fashion point of view, it was a superb experience for me to be in a process to complete clothing from just one piece of string." - said the designer in an exclusive interview for Fashion Studio Magazine.
Japan Couture Evening 2012 - Singapore
Yumi Katsura, Japan Couture Eveening 2012 Singapore (Photo courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks)In November, Singapore witnessed an array of exciting fashion events. Japan Couture Evening 2012 (part of Fide Fashion Weeks) featured three of Japan's most respected Couturiers – Somarta by Tamae Hirokawa, Junko Shimada and Yumi Katsura.
"We have carefully selected these elite Asian Couturiers with very determined objective of showing to the world that Asia contributes substantially to the fashion industry than just being the world's
consumers and manufacturers of fashion, that we will indeed be a very important force in taking global lead in determining the future of fashion." - commented Dr Frank Cintamani, Singapore's Chairman and Founder of Fide Fashion Weeks.
Yumi Katsura, a Japanese fashion designer who has become a legend designing bridal dresses for the past four decades, amazed the audience with spectacular wedding gowns that were glowing in the dark (see the picture below).
Yumi Katsura, Japan Couture Eveening 2012 Singapore (Photo courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks)French Couture Week 2012 - Singapore 
Yiqing Yin, French Couture Fashion Week 2012 Singapore (Photo courtesy of Fide Fashion Weeks)French Couture Week 2012, a highly anticipated fashion event showcasing exquisite pieces from Parisian Haute Couture houses, took place last week at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
The catwalk shows were attended by both local and international celebrities including a Japanese designer Kenzo Takada, a fashion critic Suzy Menkes and Mr Didier Grumbach, President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. The opening night started with a showcase of Yiqing Yin, a Chinese designer based in Paris. It featured amazing dresses with ruffles and folds like origami, luxe fur jackets and statement gowns with crystal embellishments. Other designers taking part in this glamorous event included Maurizio Galante, Julien Fournié, Christophe Josse, Gustavo Lin, Alexis Mabille and on aura tout vu by Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilov.
