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Brings Asian designers together
More than 60 designers from 15 Asian countries have showcased their latest collections at the inaugural Malaysia Fashion Week (MFW) in Kuala Lumpur
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ore than 60 designers from 15 Asian countries have showcased their latest collections at the inaugural Malaysia Fashion Week (MFW) in Kuala Lumpur.
The event was a collaborative effort between Malaysia's national trade promotion agency, MATRADE, and the country's fashion event organizer, Stylo International.
The event was launched at World Fashion Week in Paris, showcasing collections of top Malaysian designers, namely Bon Zainal, Joe Chia, Hazree Wahid, Fairuz Ramdan, Melinda Looi and Radzuan Radziwill.
MFW's chairman and the CEO of MATRADE Datuk Wong Lai Sum said the event was a platform to further the Malaysian retail sector and boost the country's standing as a top global fashion destination.
'There's been a significant development in Malaysia's fashion industry in the past 10 years. We've had many fashion events before but Malaysia Fashion Week aims to make Malaysia the next fashion destination,' she said. 'Through this platform, designers from other Asian countries can show their products. There's so much that we can offer here in Asia to the world.'
Despite the glitches that occurred in the sound system or, at some extent, it was poorly organized, overall the fashion week offered many fresh ideas from Asian designers to the world.
Three accessories designers, Illiza Ho and Sakura from Malaysia, and Lapalette from South Korea, opened the fashion week by showcasing with their latest collections.
Ho, who is the protégé of internationally renowned shoe designer Jimmy Choo, showcased her 2015 spring/summer collection, called 'Exploration', which included simple and multifunction bags.
'A lot of people like traveling nowadays, so I want to make handbags that are multifunctional, something you can bring around the world but still look fashionable,' she said. The handbags were all made from calf leather that came in a fresh and cheerful color palette.
The blue yellow sling bag that can be turned into a square clutch, the bright green and pale pink clutches that were tied into one and a sky blue clutch with golden rope detailing it looked chic if used with monochromatic outfits.
All bags had stripes cut out, allowing the inner material of the bag to peep out, which defined Ho's signature.
In another segment, blogger-turned-fashion-maven Joyce Wong also presented 12 looks from her 2015 spring/summer collection that she called 'Secret Fragmentation'.
Inspired by her inner thought throughout her fashion designing experience, the collection featured bright and dark color palettes that represented happiness and sadness in her life.
Wong presented body contouring dress, playing around with prints, crepe and lace with glass beads, some in 3D format.
A bright green sleeveless dress looked casual but stylish as Wong decorated the bottom part with lace and gave a glitzy touch with the beads on the pockets and neckline.
Designers from Indonesia, Rinda Salmun, Rafi Ridwan and Angela Chung, also received warm applause at the event.
Twelve-year-old Rafi presented his latest collection, divided into two color tones, bright and bold. Apart from showcasing a spectrum of colors, he also explored the used of different types of fabrics, including batik pesisir and torso tenun woven cloth, which were merged into modern cutting styles.
An orange strapless dress with a ruffles accent from the waist down, a green tie-dye peplum top combined with Capri pants with huge pockets, and a tailed vest that matched green pencil pants were the highlights of his collection.
For the event, Japanese designer Steven Tach presented his secondary line, 'bau steven tach', bringing an architectural nuance to the runway.
'The concept of the collection is 'Contrast Beauty', as I wanted to show the contrast of the fabrics used in the collection, and the contrast of the cutting,' he said.
Tach showcased his Fall/Winter collection that comprised women's wear inspired by men's wear. It featured winter coats mostly made of wool with the application of leather that decorated the shoulders and cuffs.
'Through this collection, I also want to bring out the masculinity in a woman,' he said.
From the Philippines, Albert Andrada displayed his skill in producing fine evening gowns, rich in details.
A see-through shift dress decorated with organza and other materials all over the body, creating the impression of a bird's wings; a pink empire dress; a bluish white strapless dress and a floor-sweeping sheer dress with beads detailing the neck down to the bottom could be listed in the fashion week's list of best dresses.
At the end of the event, Malaysian veteran designer Melinda Looi wowed the audience with her avant-garde designs.
In the collection, Looi focused on prints based on two paintings by Brazilian artist André Mendes.
She beautifully married the artwork in a lace, chiffon, organza that was enriched by the application of
Ramie fabric and metallic leather.
For example, her boxy tops matched with girly cut dresses in summery colors, such as orange, poppy red and sunflower yellow, instantly grabbing everyone's attention in the hall.
'Mendes is my best friend, I fell in love with his art and always wanted to work with him. So this collection is a collection of friendship and love that is cheerful and colorful,' Looi said.
'JP/Novia D. Rulistia
