ABC Extra Stout goes beyond promoting its beverage. As part of its branding and corporate social responsibility exercise to reach out to local community, it launched the ABC Lions of Fashion last week in the capital.

The primary aim is to unearth talented Cambodian designers and models to revitalise the local fashion industry.

The fashion festival comes with a series of exciting activities that includes a contest for amateur fashion designers and models, fashion shows, leading up to an exclusive Fashion Show Gala.

“Instead of just promoting our brand, we now want to engage with the community. We launched the art, business and community platform and Lions of Fashion is our second project after we supported the [Cambodia] young entrepreneurs (award).

“Now we want to move to art - design and fashion and link to our [Cambodia] garment industry. Our garment business is very big but compared to neighbouring countries we cannot add any added value."

“If we recruit potential designers we can added value to the garment business."

“Because of the labour costs, Cambodia is no longer competitive like other countries, it is the right time to do this and fashion is very important. Later designers can sell their ideas,” Moon Yoo, marketing director of ABC Extra Stout told The Post after the launch of the ABC Lions of Fashion at a lounge in the capital on April 30.

Moon says Cambodian fashion industry has lot to offer.

Along with Sovrin Magazine, Cambodia’s leading fashion magazine, and Arise Modeling Agency, the ABC Lions of Fashion will feature the country’s most successful designers and models.

In the contest for designers, 10 designers will be selected, featured in videos on Facebook and participate in design challenges. Their designs will be featured in the pages of Sovrin Magazine.

Winners will receive cash prizes to support them as they start their own fashion line, with the top winner receiving an all-expense-paid trip to an international Fashion Week, and an exclusive feature in Sovrin Magazine.

For the models’ competition, 10 aspiring models will be selected, and they will be featured in videos on Facebook, participate in challenges and be featured in the pages of the magazine as well.

ABC remains a leading brand in the Kingdom.

The top winner will receive a modelling contract with Arise Modeling Agency as well as a front cover feature in Sovrin Magazine.

Any Cambodian resident, female, aged between 20 and 35, with a passion for fashion can take part in the contest.

On a question why the event is themed ABC Lions of Fashion, Moon said “It is called Lions of Fashion because we want to uplift the young, up and coming designers and models to become more confident, successful, to become leaders, to be exceptional – simply put, to become Lions of Fashion.

A series of events to engage the fashion community in the Kingdom started on May 1.

Media attends the launch of the event last week.

Some of the Cambodian models present at the launch.