Singapore may only be a small market when compared to the textile and fashion giants in the United States (US) and Europe, but that is not going to stop some 7,000 people from flocking to the slew of events lined up for the 19th Singapore Fashion Week (SFW), which kicks off today.

Ms Joanna Fong, deputy director of the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore (Taff) and event director for Singapore Fashion Week, explains Singapore's importance to the regional and international fashion trade: "Regional designers and original design manufacturers (ODMs) use Singapore to sell their creations to the world, and international buyers make use of Singapore's excellent infrastructure to source for suppliers and designers in this region."

Over the last 18 years, SFW, now recognised as a flagship event of the region's garment and fashion industry, has thrust Singapore into the regional and international fashion limelight. It has become an important date on the calendars of both fledgling fashion businesses, small outfits and larger, more established names in the garment and textile industry.

Chairman of SFW06 and head of his own textile machine manufacturing business Benny Pua says: "These events are important vehicles to inform more people in the region about SFW, and to let them know that it is growing.

"Ultimately, through SFW, we hope to increase Singapore's profile and awareness about the local industry in the international fashion stage, as well as promote ourselves to buyers from all over the world."

Building on this vision, and driven by this year's theme, Gateway To Asia, SFW06 aims to have something in store to help every sector of the local and regional fashion industries, says Ms Fong.

"Budding design talents can compete in the Singapore Fashion Designers Contest and the Asian Young Fashion Designers Contest; graduating design students have Fresh! - The Graduate Showcase, and mature and established design talents will show in The Designers Shows.

"Fashion and design businesses will have the opportunity to learn and update in the Fashion-Tech Solutions Conference, and to socialise and network at InspirAsian and the SFW golf tournament," she adds.

The driving force behind the events is to help local designers and labels establish and sell in foreign markets, Ms Fong explains.

"We made big progress last year in terms of being able to attract more serious buyers from as far as the US and Europe, and giving participants a chance to present their collections to these buyers," she says, adding that three local designers were able to break into the tough market conditions in the US through the Access USA programme. A New York-based consulting firm was engaged to help overcome the vast logistical obstacles facing foreign companies who want a piece of the American fashion pie.

"The 2005 programme was limited to participants from Singapore," says Ms Fong. "This year, we will be extending this programme to foreign participants in SFW06; we are also looking into similar Access Europe and Access Korea programmes."

Other events to note will be two new exhibitions, Intimate Asia and Labels Asia, both to be held between Nov 2 and 4 at Singapore Expo. The former, a first in Asia, is a specialised trade exhibition showcasing intimate apparel, beachwear, fabrics and accessories from 110 local and international companies.

The latter will bring together 110 trend-setting labels and 2,000 international buyers in an exclusive business-to-business fashion exhibition, divided into five segments - high-end fashion, directional urban wear, alternative and underground, young creative design, and contemporary and casual wear.

All events have been conceptualised, organised, planned and presented with the same goal in mind - to cement Singapore's place as a regional fashion hub, and to establish SFW as a major place for international buyers to source for Asian designers and ODMs.

"Through SFW06, we also want to show the local players that it is important to think big, and encourage them to step out into the international market," says Mr Pua.

"Often, making it in this business is not just about sales volume - it is also about branding and commercial viability," he adds.

"We may not have a very big market, but we will work on cultivating and developing high quality."

Mr Pua adds that this year's events will build momentum for a bigger, grander celebration next year, when Singapore Fashion Week will mark 20 years since its inception, as well as the 40th anniversary of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean).

Meanwhile, Ms Fong says the organisers will not lose sight of the SFW's core visions - to establish Singapore as a fashion business hub, and SFW as the sourcing event for international buyers to source for Asian brands, designers and ODMs. She says: "We will work to make the event even bigger, so that more regional designers, labels and ODMs can showcase their collections to international buyers."