Apec leaders to sport Asian fusion at Singapore summit

Asian fusion will be the fashion theme when Apec leaders including US President Barack Obama appear for a traditional group picture at their Singapore summit next month, organisers said yesterday.

The 20 male leaders will sport long-sleeved linen shirts with mandarin collars, a style inspired by the blend of Chinese, Malay and Indian culture found in Singapore. They can choose from blue, red or green variants.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, the only female leader, will wear a V-necked blouse in red silk with elaborate embroidery and lace.

They are all made by Singaporean designer Wykidd Song, whose creations have been sold at Harrods and Selfridges in London and Barneys in New York.

The annual Apec summit photo session has seen some of the world’s most powerful politicians dressed in a variety of costumes, from calf-length silk tunics in Hanoi in 2006 and leather bomber jackets in Seattle in 1993 to Peruvian ponchos in Lima last year.

The host nation dictates the theme, with mixed results reflecting the variety of body shapes, heights and fashion sense of the leaders.

“For Singapore, we wanted something reflective of what kind of host we are and what kind of country we are,” said trade ministry official Koh Lin-Net, chairwoman of the Apec Singapore 2009 organising committee.

“It must be so comfortable that they would want to wear it again,” she said at a media briefing.