I was very lucky to be able to sit front row and take all these detailed photos, especially after being told a number of times that the highlight of Malaysia International Fashion Week is usually Bernard Chandran’s show. 

Bernard Chandran is Malaysia’s “King of Fashion”. His creations sashay down not only his own country’s runway but also London’s and Jakarta’s. People might recognize him as the chief designer of Project Runway Malaysia as well.

This show was a tribute to his mother and the 1950s, back when he says “people took every effort to be fashionable.” What I like about this collection is the combination of retro chic and very modern geometric cuts and proportions - perfect for those who want to achieve that cliche 50s sophistication without going overboard and costume-y. Who would’ve thought metallics and cutouts could look this good with retro influences?

My personal favorite from this set is that glittery babydoll dress that reminds me of outer space for some reason. <3

We were free to choose which shows to watch, and I made sure I attended at least one show that showcases traditional Malay clothing, just so I can have a slight idea what their counterparts are for our Philippine terno and baro’t saya. Kebaya is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand (source). There was a show just dedicated to this, which I found very reflective of the Malay culture - still grounded on centuries-old traditions and absolutely proud of every single bit of it. Congratulations to designers Azfar, Sazzin, Aqar Couture, Fairuddin, Saleh Hamid, Fiza Zulkarnain, Akmal Ariffin, Erwan Asbor, Eusopth Salleh, Ehfan Ibrahim, Raff Rafael, Zulfadli Nasir, Zarrieff, Arefen Zaidin, and Erdan!

The second half of this entry is from the Autumn in KL show featuring more local YODA designers as well as ones invited from different countries - Zakwan, Ammara Hijabi, Raymond Goh, Afiq Mohamed, Amer Rafique, Yamz, Zulfadli Nasir, Farliz, Merlee Shariff, Fizi Woo, Khalik Mustafa, Fashiongeek, Roy Mulianto (Indonesia), Edwin Ao (Philippines), and Nhat Minh Thuc Ha (Vietnam).

Edwin Ao (Philippines represent!) left a lasting impression with his cut-out, tailored creations. Super love his use of gray and black mixed with different kinds of green. Meanwhile, Nhat Minh Thuc Ha stole the show with his collection’s compromise between modern usually-Western fashion and homegrown Oriental elements, with all the ethnic prints and chunky knits. Lovely mix of red and purple. That outfit in the last photo is a winner!

While Zebra Square, the venue of the Malaysian International Fashion Week (MIFW) may leave much to be desired as it’s still very unfinished, the show that started the week out definitely did not disappoint. It surprised me to be able to witness an actual Fashion Week show that was inspired by a gothic theme! The Young Designers Arena (YODA) would announce the names of their student designers Hazzerwan, Daniel Arif, Afiq Mohamed, Mohd Nizam, Tan Phaik Imm, Kok Leong Vee, Voon Sue Ying, Teo Chun Keat, Wong Sek Li, and Shannar, as well as the titles of their pseudo-collections (because they were only able to showcase at most 3 of their best work) and I would react silently in my seat whenever I would hear something that sounded very unique, as many were just called along the lines of “gothic architecture” or “romantic goth”. The collection that caught my attention most was called “egyptian goth”, which I thought was a very innovative concept! In the end, the designer for this collection, in his all-black ensemble and almost-impossible sky-high black patent boots, won as the new face/representative of his fashion school. Congratulations to him! That black babydoll “egyptian goth” dress that he made - I covet!

Other fashion schools came to show off their best student representatives moments after the awarding and some sort of peculiar variety show - to say that it was an extremely casual first day for the MIFW is quite an understatement, imho. Designers from MIA, PJCAD, TAR College, Limkokwing and Raffles International College presented their colorful-to-compensate-for-all-the-black-earlier work and my personal pick would be the collection that made use of jewel tones, turbans and a lot of nice velvety fabric. Plus points for the designer since he walked down the runway with a completely matching ensemble.

Next up: Glory of Kebaya, Autumn in KL and *THE* Bernard Chandran!