September 04, 06:00 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 
Did you know that homegrown ladies footwear and accessories brand Charles & Keith is 20% owned by luxury goods group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy)? LVMH acquired the stake in Charles & Keith for more than $30 million in 2010.
Kudos to Singaporean labels!
Charles & Keith has begun to make waves internationally. A first for the local label, Charles & Keith staged a fashion show to launch their Fall 2013 Collection at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. Shows that have been staged there include Audi Fashion Festival and Singapore JewelFest.
I remember a time when Charles & Keith catered to heartland housewives and like. Can't believe how far they have come! Today, Charles & Keith has 390 stores in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. A vast improvement from its humble beginnings of one store at Amara Shopping Centre in 1996.
The secret to their success? Borrowing styles straight off the runway. There was this exact moment a few years back when I walked past one of their stores and noticed Brian Atwood and Christian Louboutin designs in the display window. That was when I realised Charles & Keith was ready to take on the international fashion stage.
More importantly, Charles & Keith is doing its part to support local talent. It is one of the local firms to award scholarships to candidates under IE Singapore's Young Talent Programme, to help groom local talents for global roles.
Charles Wong, the Managing Director of Charles & Keith, won the ASEAN Youth Award 2005 for his contributions in promoting youth employability in 2006. Charles & Keith provided support to students, young designers and young graduates through internships, product sponsorships and career opportunities.
Snippets from the runway show.
Korean heartthrob Daniel Henney
Eager, roaring, and ready to spend, Charles & Keith spared no expense on their latest fashion show. The star-studded event was graced by local celebrities such as Fann Wong and Zoe Tay, and international celebrities. The list includes our first Asian Victoria's Secret Model Liu Wen, and K-Pop sensations Korean-American actor Daniel Henney and the girls from SNSD Girls' Generation. Charles & Keith even flew in famous fashion bloggers Bryan Boy and Han Huo Huo business class with Singapore Airlines just for this event.
The proper way to take a photo with a K-Pop cutie... Selca!
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