Singapore calls the fashion police

Singapore: Eleven Singapore modeling agencies were fined for price-fixing on Wednesday and told their actions had hurt photographers, publishers and fashion labels in the city-state.


Singapore, a major Asian business and financial center, is popular with fashionistas from across Southeast Asia and is the host of high-profile Asian fashion events such as the annual Audi Fashion Festival and Men`s Fashion Week.

The rate-fixing began in 2005 and continued until July 2009, the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) said in a statement.

"CCS found that the agencies had fixed prices on a wide variety of modeling services, including editorials, advertorials, fashion shows and media loading usage," the competition watchdog said.

The 11 agencies that were fined included Mannequin Studio, one of Singapore`s largest with over 200 models on its books, including former MTV host Nadya Hutagalung.