It was like a scene from Project Runway, the American reality TV show in which designer hopefuls encounter harsh commercial reality when they have their clothes judged.
Except it was in Singapore, in a scenario set up by the organisers of the upcoming Audi Fashion Festival (AFF), and the apprehensive young designers were all Asians.

No one was eliminated though. Instead, they were illuminated with insight.

The scene: a cosy second-floor studio of home-grown multi-label store Blackmarket in Jalan Pisang.

The date: March 28.

The premise: the stars behind four rising regional labels meet one of the industry's most highly feared critics.

In one corner sat the white-bearded, acclaimed British fashion commentator Colin McDowell, in town to attend the AFF press conference. He serves as the event's creative director.

In front of him sat quiet but alert Filipino designer Gian Jorge Romano, 27, of the label Gian Romano; Singaporean Sabrina Goh, 24, of home-grown label Elohim; and Afton Chen, 22, Diorelle Sy, 22, Ruth Marbun, 24, and Louis Koh, 26, of Singapore-based label Reckless Ericka.

Indonesian designer Nina Karina Nikicio, 24, of Nikicio, was represented by Blackmarket owner Jasmine Tuan.

McDowell kicked off the afternoon with a stern warning: 'Someone at my hotel said yesterday that I look like Father Christmas but I'm not like him. I don't give presents.'

The senior fashion writer at British newspaper The Sunday Times has a reputation for being outspoken, with his witty though not always kindly comments on some of fashion's biggest names.

He famously wrote of a Givenchy show in 2000: 'It would have disappointed in a medium-priced label in London, let alone as an offering from a big French house.'

But that afternoon in Jalan Pisang, he showed that his bark was worse than his bite as he dispensed serious advice to the designers.

Each of them will present 10 outfits at the AFF event, Blueprint 2009 featuring Blackmarket, to be held on May 7.

McDowell was a hands-on critic, feeling every piece and inspecting it inside out with almost surgical precision. As he did so, he asked practical questions such as 'Do you intend to sell this alone or as a suit?' and 'How much do you intend to price that?'.

His relentless questioning threw everyone off-guard when, examining a cape by Elohim, he asked: 'Can you hail a taxi in that?'

He was concerned that the coat's fake sleeves did not allow for free arm movement.

In a phone interview from London with Urban last week, he explained: 'Some young designers have difficulty realising that runway excitement is one thing and selling clothes is another.

'The clever ones get the balance right - do exciting things to get yourself in the media but always do things that women can identify with.'

The interview turned up pearls of wisdom cultivated through more than 30 years in the business and close interactions with fashion's finest - he has written books charting the rise of John Galliano and Jean Paul Gaultier, among others.

'You have to convince others that you are better than them,' he told the designers here matter-of-factly.

'Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Marc Jacobs - they all got there by having strong self-belief.'

He stressed that he met the Blueprint bunch not to intimidate but to encourage them, saying: 'The future of fashion is (about) young designers who are very idealistic and we have to keep that idealism going for as long as we can.

'That means the people around them need to be idealistic too and to have belief not just in them but also in their future.'

He went about developing such a support system in Britain in 2004 by starting Fashion Fringe, a talent search involving a £100,000 (S$222,000) grand prize and a star-studded advisory panel that includes American Vogue editor Anna Wintour and designers Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen.

Past winners have included Basso & Brooke in 2004 and Erdem in 2005, both now London Fashion Week regulars.

He hopes to stir the same kind of enthusiasm in Singapore.

'The centre of fashion is the West but that probably wouldn't continue in the lifetime of the young designers that I met (at the session),' he said.

'They were very literate, focused and explained themselves exceedingly well, which some designers have difficulty doing. And their designs were very interesting.'

Aided by local modelling agency Carrie Models, an official Blueprint supporter, Urban shows what labels Elohim, Reckless Ericka, Gian Romano and Nikicio have up their sleeves.

ELOHIM The designer: Singaporean Sabrina Goh, 24. Established: January this year. Blueprint 2009 will be the label's first show. The look: Structural, gender-bending pieces that can be worn by both men and women. Best advice from McDowell: To be practical and reasonable in pricing. We put in so much effort and creativity but the only way to actually see returns is with reasonable pricing. Hope for Blueprint: To show that local and regional labels, which are often overlooked by international names, can share the same platform and be of the same standard. Blueprint collection: Control Freak. Inspiration: The idea of a person who is obsessive about doing things her way. The look is extremely clean, slick and structural. Side-release buckles are used as design details to play up the theme. McDowell's comments: Your jacket is extremely beautiful - it has a very nice shape - but there is one problem: Can you lift your arms wearing that? You have to think about that, but other than that, I love the lines.
GIAN ROMANO The designer: Filipino Gian Jorge Romano, 27. Established: 2000. He used to sell at the now-defunct hip Manila boutique Milkwear. The look: Androgynous and structured with a strong focus on form - there are very few straight seams in the clothes.     Best advice from McDowell: We should relish our positions as young designers today who can be creative and individualistic and reach out to all. Hope for Blueprint: To say a big 'Hi!' and introduce myself to all who will be there. Blueprint collection: Fettle Derelict. Inspiration: Nomads and the homeless. Romano takes his usual obsession with the human anatomy - the swirls on the dress shown here, for example, are supposed to represent intestines - along with quilting skills to express the concept of displacement. McDowell's comments: I take back my reference to (Scottish star designer) Christopher Kane. It's a lot more interesting after hearing about your inspiration. I think you are very smart and do a lot of thinking when you design.
RECKLESS ERICKA The designers: Indonesian Ruth Marbun, 24, Singaporean Afton Chen, 22, Filipino Diorelle Sy, 22 and Singaporean Louis Koh, 26. Established: January this year. Blueprint 2009 will be the label's first show. The look: Structural, avant garde silhouettes crossed with classic tailoring for men and women. Quirky yet wearable.     Best advice from McDowell: While design should not be sacrificed, it is important to think of commercial viability too. Hope for Blueprint: To reach out to more people and to learn and grow from the experience. Blueprint collection: Brit Kid Goes To India. Inspiration: Exotic and traditional India as seen through the eyes of a young British punk. Think typical Indian elements like vibrant colours, multiple layers and soft draping mixed with structural tailoring and finished with the Union Jack symbol. McDowell's comments: I see elements of (Vivienne) Westwood and I think it's great. This jacket, for example, features a tailcoat which is traditionally worn by old men but made into something very cool. Consider using more fabrics from the region - you should be proud of what you have here.
NIKICIO The designer: Indonesian Nina Karina Nikicio, 24. Established: 2006. The look: Quirky yet classic so that it enhances, not takes over, the wearer's personality. Nikicio also prizes quality. Couture techniques such as French seams, bias binding and hand-stitching are used heavily.   Best advice from McDowell: (The designer did not attend the session.) Hope for Blueprint: To show that fashion can be easy and accessible to everyone. Trends need not be followed too religiously. Blueprint collection: War: Crossing The Line Between Love And Hate. Inspiration: The concept of how things can be worlds apart yet cannot exist without the other. The jacket shown here, for example, has partial black and white striped sleeves, piping and patches on the reverse. It can be worn on both sides. McDowell's comments: Sometimes designers forget that the simplest pieces are actually the nicest and I'm glad to see you haven't. I must say that the reverse side of the jacket, which can be worn on the outside, is a bit much. It's a little clown-like and if you are going to sell it on the racks with that side out, you'll lose 70 per cent of your customers.