Local designer HaydenNg, who attended the BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow less than two weeks ago, is now a ‘representative’ of our nation at the newly-formed BRICS+ International Fashion Federation. Who asked him?

A group photograph of about 80 attendees of the recently-concluded BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow was shared with the international press and on social media this past week. The Summit is staged in conjunction with Moscow Fashion Week, organised by Moscow’s Cultural Foundation for the Development of Fashion and Design, also referred to as the Fashion Fund, which is supported by the Moscow government. In the last row of that photo, third from the left, stood Singaporean designer Hayden Ng (吳海登), beaming agreeably and, perhaps more importantly, proudly. Mr Ng had announced a month earlier that he would be in Moscow to “foster multi-vector cooperation in the fashion industry, strengthen cultural and business ties, and address pressing issues like innovation and sustainable development”. It is not known what became of those. According to the event line-up, Mr Ng was to join a panel discussion on Global Runway: Fashion Weeks on all Continents. In the attendees’ profile on the Summit’s website, Mr Ng was identified as “President of ASEAN Fashion Designers Show/ASEAN International Fashion Week”. He saw himself uniquely qualified to pontificate on the topic of that day.

In a Facebook post shared three days ago, Mr Ng included a document with a headline that declared: “Singapore Becomes a Member of BRICS International Fashion Federation in Moscow”. He also wrote: “It is with great enthusiasm that I acknowledge the formation of the BRICS International Fashion Federation, an initiative that holds immense potential for driving growth in emerging fashion markets globally.” The newly established BRICS International Fashion Federation (BRICS IFF) saw more than 50 countries, including India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, sign a memorandum to shape the Federation. Why its formation requires Mr Ng’s acknowledgement is not known. His message was re-posted by the Russian cultural centre, Russian House Singapore, on their Facebook page. It is not clear either if he was indeed representing our nation as a designated official. But, in one possibly self-issued statement shared on his socials last month, the document was headed rather officiously: “Singapore heads to Moscow for the prestigious BRICS+ Fashion Summit.” In most of his subsequent posts, he identifies “as Founder of both the ASEAN Fashion Designers Showcase and ASEAN International Fashion Week.”

Hayden Ng, third from right, addressing the audience at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow. Photo: haydenng/Facebook

Both events are not on the Singapore Fashion Council’s (SFC) official calendar of events. SFC—renamed from Textile and Fashion Federation of Singapore (or TaFF) in 2022—is, according to their website, “the official association for the textile and fashion industry in Singapore”, and is supported by government agencies such as Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board. In addition, SFC “aspires to become a vibrant Asian hub for responsible fashion”. Its programs focus on three main “pillars”: “Sustainability, Innovation & Technology and Asian Craftsmanship.” It “works closely with diverse partners across the value chain to offer thought leadership, extensive networks, and resources—to drive impactful change throughout the ecosystem.” SFC is also “a member of the Asia Fashion Federation and the ASEAN Federation of Textiles Industries”. There is no mention of its desiring to be part of BRICS IFF. Mr Ng’s two entities, it appears, are independent of the purview of the SFC that recently concluded their annual Gala, also featuring ASEAN designers.

In a statement issued by BRICS IFF, the Federation asserted that they “are committed to providing these visionaries [participants] with a global platform and local events to ensure their creative work is celebrated globally. ” A platform in Moscow is a global one speaks volumes of the city’s ambition despite the country’s on-going war with an immediate neighbour. BRICS IFF added: “Our aim is to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices, striving to implement transparent methods that will significantly reduce the fashion industry’s carbon footprint.” That would surely sound appealing to SFC, yet the Council, proponent of Singapore Stories that resonate far and wide, did not send anyone from its organisation to Moscow, nor any of its member-designers to Moscow Fashion Week. A question, therefore, has been bugging us: In what capacity did Hayden Ng represent SG in Moscow? Personal?

Panel of speakers, including Hayden Ng, third from right. Photo: haydenng/Facebook

If SFC is “the official association for the fashion industry in Singapore, catalyst for continuous growth in the fashion ecosystem”, as described on their Instagram page, what does the combined ASEAN Fashion Designers Showcase (of which Mr Ng is the “premier founder”) and ASEAN International Fashion Week really do for the industry here? Or the region? And what did their founder’s representing SG in Moscow really mean, when even his own label Hayden Boutique is not sold in the SFC-run Design Orchard “retail showcase”? Hayden Ng, as we understand, is a serial fashion-week participant. Invite him and he will attend. Through the years, he has participated in fashion weeks everywhere—accept the big four—and has found himself following the secondary fashion-week circuit or those whose runways provide opportunities for smaller designers and brands, otherwise without a platform to show their wares, such as Mr Ng’s inaugural, three-day affair, ASEAN International Fashion Week, held last June.

Mr Ng, as it turns out, possesses some expertise on sustainability, too. At the ASEAN International Fashion Week, hailed as the “ultimate international fashion week experience”, he staged and conducted the Fashion Panel Discussion on Sustainability at the lobby of the ArtScience Museum, even if the presentations of his fashion week were not based on any discernible sustainability themes. The panelists were a motley bunch, from designers to organisers of little-known fashion weeks to a media owner, seemingly few are accredited practitioners of sustainable fashion. It is not clear how sustainable Mr Ng’s own fashion line, the four-year-old Haydon Boutique, is. The brand has yet to advantage itself with any green credentials. On Facebook, it claims that “very few names and monikers in the Asian Fashion Industry carry such weight and prominence as Hayden Ng. A name synonymous with breath-taking innovation and sophisticated artistry.” There was no boasting of any sustainability effort.

Hayden Ng, far right, with other attendees of the BRICS+ Fashion Summit. Photo: haydenng/Facebook

The 58-year-old did share an undated post on his own blog page A Singapore Fashion Designer’s Journal: “As the fashion industry continues to grapple with its environmental impact,” he informed, “promoting slow fashion offers a viable solution to mitigate the carbon footprint of fast fashion. By choosing quality over quantity, supporting ethical practices, and embracing sustainable materials, we can collectively work towards a more sustainable future.” It is not known if that was a sales pitch or the voice of true activism. Unsaid, too, was whether he was himself a practitioner of what he preaches. He concluded, “It’s time to redefine our relationship with fashion and recognize that every purchase is an opportunity to make a positive impact on the planet.” He did not say if he brought that call to action to the BRICS+ Fashion Summit.

When the group BRICS, came about in 2006, it was then known as BRIC, and comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Four years later, South Africa joined, and it became BRICS. The grouping then expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. For the Fashion Summit in Moscow, ‘+’ was added to BRICS, possibly to show even more participation by other nations not in the last line-up. The resultant BRICS International Fashion Federation has given themselves rather ambitious goals, despite the geopolitical strife of the northern hemisphere with no end in sight. Although BRICS IFF came into existence in Moscow, it is reportedly not solely funded by Russia. And it is presently uncertain whether it will be headquartered.

Hayden Ng wrote on Facebook after the Summit: “I have long believed in the power of international collaboration, and the signing of this memorandum is a testament to our shared vision of elevating local talent on a global stage.” His signature? How much weight does it really carry? Now apparently a voice for ASEAN too, he continued, somewhat authoritatively, that “ASEAN stands ready to contribute to these goals, sharing our regional innovations and perspectives on sustainable design and mindful consumption.” That’s speaking for about 673 million people across 10 member states in Southeast Asia, over 4.5 million square kilometres of land. Who asked him to, it is presently less known.

Photo (top): BRICS+ Fashion Summit