ION’s Fashion Funhouse is a first of its kind to hit S’pore

Singapore — Malls offer an ideal escape from the current hazy outlook, which also means a little retail therapy is in order. And if you like this positive perspective, then you will appreciate what ION Orchard is offering. From now until Oct 21, shoppers at the mall can experience what is possibly the first Fashion Playhouse on Orchard Road, featuring three fashion-inspired playrooms that are aimed at injecting added fun into this year’s Autumn/Winter season.

Located outside the mall at ION2, these clever installations feature popular optical illusions that make for some Instagram-worthy snapshots. The runway-themed Fashion Proportions room, for instance, features strategically placed swings that distort the depth and perspective of the room.

Taking the trick factor up a notch is the Fashion Inversion room, which boasts a nod to Singapore’s old playgrounds. And as its name implies, its clever installation of two familiar playground essentials will have visitors in seemingly gravity-defying poses. “Retail therapy is about fun and playful multi-sensory experiences and this is how we want to welcome the Autumn-Winter season,” said Chris Chong, Orchard Turn Developments’ chief executive. “Our shoppers are trendy and digitally connected, (and) marrying fashion and social media for this Autumn/Winter season will be the perfect match.”

Many can live out their fantasy of gracing the cover of a magazine in the Fashion Reflection room, with its wall of gilded photo frames and fashion props such as hangers and mannequins.

“The Fashion Playhouse will treat visitors to an amazing shopping experience at ION Orchard with a spectacle of optical illusions. The emphasis is on fashion infused with quirky fun,” added Chong. The experience is open to shoppers who spend a minimum of S$80, which entitles them to two admission tickets. Tourists enjoy complimentary admission by presenting their passport and a minimum of 3 Instagram posts with the hashtag #IONPlayhouse.

That said, Chong stressed that safety comes first. “We give the highest consideration to the safety and health of our shoppers and employees, and have put in place a string of measures for the haze season. Our outdoor Fashion Playhouse will be closed if the PSI is over 150 and we have equipped staff with masks to protect them from the haze.”

More information is found on the ION Orchard website at http://www.ionorchard.com/.