THE recent Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) was a monumental one for the local fashion industry. The show which celebrated its 10th anniversary restored the local fashion ecosystem by once again providing designers with a platform.
Founder Mr Andrew Tan indeed extended a generous invitation to the designers of the Malaysian Official Designers Association (MODA) to MODA X KLFW 2022. Each of the invited guests had the privilege of showcasing their collections on the established runway.
Five designers in particular made a lasting impression on us. Read on to behold the specific pieces and discover the designers behind them!
1. Ashley Wong
With more than 30 years of local and international experience under his belt, Ashley Wong is a force to be reckoned with on the runway! His label, Ashley@Kapas which was founded in late 2006, has produced some of the best dress collections.
His style’s essence can be summarised as soft and fluid traditional dresses with contemporary accents, prodigious, stunning evening wear and glamorous bridal wear with intricate details.
For MODA X KLFW 2022, his showstopper was a super sculpted black twill duchess satin gown with black lace and boned seam details.
2. MMG
Known as Mama G, Gillian Hung is the sole mastermind behind the label, Master Mind Group (MMG). As the creative director, she employs a sense of individuality in the brand. Each of the pieces in her collection, for instance, aims to bring out one’s “rock star”.
Whether it be her unisex streetwear outfits or her premium luxury rocks, Hung’s bold sets inspire self-confidence, self-love, and strength. And her showstopper for MODA X KLFW 2022 represented just that.
Her presented set sported stylish streetwear along with her classic luxury rock with blings – all of which gave off a unique bold look that stood out.
3. Shawn Lee
Speaking of sharp outfits, Shawn Lee sure knows a thing or two about designing them. The man behind MMCLOT, Lee specialises in creating custom-made bespoke suits. And some of his suits have been worn by prominent figures in the country.
However, his outfit for this year’s KLFW differed from his usual style. Contrary to his signature formal look, Lee switched things up by merging both design styles together – formal and street style. As illustrated in the picture, the silhouette is loose with an oversized- cut.
And the style is streetwear. As for its material, the material used is TR mix in classic menswear dark blue and white pin-stripes.
4. Styled by Peter Lum
A new label in town, Styled by Peter Lum is the masterpiece of local fashion guru, Peter Lum. After years of exploring other aspects of the industry, Lum has returned once again to his first love – creating designs.
And this time around, he is reimaging and reinventing timeless and classic womenswear. In fact, it is updated for the modern contemporary woman to look effortless chic.
His outfit, La Vie En Rose for KLFW 2022 is a classic example. The psychedelic dress with a flowing cardigan captured the longing to pursue freedom yet still being wary in an unprecedented time like this.
“I wanted the lightness of the dress to represent being free, with the yellow waist sash as a gentle reminder to be still slightly wary of the virus,” said Lum when asked about the inspiration behind the piece.
5. Syahrir Nurdin
Out of everyone on the list, Syahrir Nurdin’s design for KLFW 2022 could not have come at a better time. His piece, 14 Stripes, was perfect for August as it was inspired by the colour of our Jalur Gemilang flag. The creative dress indeed was a beautiful tribute to the country.
“I dedicated my design to Malaysia. Inspired by the Stripe of Glory or ‘Jalur Gemilang’, is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes, crescent and star on a blue ground. 14 Stripes is a powerful symbol used to express patriotism,” Syahrir noted.
From the looks of 14 Stripes, Syahrir sure has come a long way since his early days founding the company, Syahrir Nurdin in 2000.
