APEC leaders meeting in Singapore next month will don a Peranakan-inspired outfit designed by local designer Wykidd Song.

The customary leaders' attire is an enduring Apec tradition, and costumes from Chinese silk jackets and Vietnamese ao dai, to last year's Peruvian ponchos in Lima have been seen at the annual summit's photo session.

Singapore breaks with tradition somewhat by unveiling the design before the meetings, says Koh Lin-Net, who chairs the Apec 2009 organising committee.

She added that her committee had decided that instead of an outfit worn just for the cameras, the outfit should be something comfortable enough for the leaders to wear throughout the Singapore Evening - a night of entertainment and dining at the Esplanade organised for the foreign delegates.

Mr Song, whose Song+Kelly label is carried in luxury stores in London and New York, said that the committee's brief to him suited his preference for being 'pragmatic and stylish, modern and sophisticated'.

The design seeks to capture 'the essence of what Singapore is about, and to be forward-looking while still retaining a certain 'Asian-ness' in the design', said Mr Song. It features an embroidered hybrid lotus design with 21 petals, for the 21 Apec economies.

Linen and silk will be used for the male and female leaders' attire respectively, and were chosen for being light and breathable fabrics suitable for Singapore's climate.

The male leaders have already chosen blue, red or green outfits, while female leaders' will wear a red outfit with more elaborate embroidery and lace details.

The attire will also come with sterling silver cufflinks for the men and brooches for ladies, featuring precious gems.