©The Sun
(Used by permission)
Given our rich cultural heritage and the varied sources of influence on our
fashion, Malaysia has no excuse to claim a lack of inspiration.
The tailors operating from the backrooms might still have their loyal customers
who want their baju kurung and sari blouses done a certain way. And the little
shops in Sungei Wang Plaza still pull in the crowd that wants to keep up with
fashion trends without parting with a month's salary.
But one thing has changed over the years: the emergence of local fashion
designers.
Although many, like Sonny San and Edmund Ser, are content to focus on running a
business, others like Melinda Looi are spreading their wings and experimenting
while gaining a following. And then there is the Malaysian trio who have
literally put the country on the fashion map of the world.
Zang Toi
Toi's story has an air of romanticism about it, perhaps because he's constantly
referred to as the kampung (village) boy from Kelantan whose red–carpet glamour
dresses now grace the racks of New York's best, including Nordstrom and Neiman
Marcus.
Toi spent his formative years at SM Sultan Abdul Samad in PJ where he toyed with
the idea of becoming an artist, an interior designer, and architect before he
realised his true calling.
By 18, he'd moved to New York, ending up at Parsons School of Design, where he
spent five years apprenticing with Mary Jane Marcasiano and Ronaldus Shamask
learning the intricacies of running a business.
In 1989, with a modest collection of bright sarongs, strong suits and regal
dresses, he opened his own atelier. He instantly made a name for himself among
the fashion elite and is today a favourite of fashionistas including Sharon
Stone, Ivana Trump, Kelly Preston and Meg Ryan.
In 1991, Toi won the Mouton–Cadet Young Designers Award recognising him as one
of the most talented young designers in the US.
Toi's strength lies in his exceptional command of vivid hues which, in his
hands, are transformed into sophisticated, sensual and feminine designs. The
general consensus in the industry is that this Malaysian boy has helped usher in
the era of contemporary late 90s design with his bold yet timeless styling.
Bernard Chandran
Unlike Choo and Toi, Bernard's future in the fashion industry was rather
unpredictable.
Like many aspiring fashion creators who believe that the best way to gain
acceptance in their own country is by winning the confidence and hearts of those
in the world's established fashion capitals, Bernard headed to Paris when he was
18.
After five years, he returned to KL, with the dream of making a name for himself
still intact.
But KL was no Paris and he soon realised that Malaysians didn't like his style.
It was the early Nineties and his sleek Parisian style was too "out there", and
wasn't as appreciated as colourful, embellished clothes. His business didn't
take off.
He tried a new strategy. He decided to give customers what they wanted but by
infusing his style in every piece he designed. If a baju Melayu usually required
four metres of fabric, he'd use six instead. His strategy opened up his
customers' minds. Bernard Chandran, the label, took off.
That lesson in life taught him that in order to penetrate a new market, it is
imperative for a designer to learn the culture first before attempting to change
it, slowly.
In order to penetrate foreign markets, he began designing sleek, sexy pieces
that belong in the pages of a glossy and yet look fabulous on regular women.
This idea was born after he studied Londoners and their fashion sense before
attempting to gain a spot in the prestigious London Fashion Week.
Bernard's first showing at the London Fashion Week in 2006 was a runaway
success. He made such an impact that his spring/summer 2007 collection was
featured in Vogue.com and was carried by InStyle UK.
Locally, Bernard is considered the Prince of Fashion and since this month, the
chief designer of the reality TV show Project Runway Malaysia.
Jimmy Choo
To the rest of the civilised world, Datuk Jimmy Choo OBE is an icon whose
stunning shoes with price tags to match have graced the feet of some of the
world's most respected women, from the late Princess Diana to Madonna.
But to his closest friends, he is just Jimmy, a highly talented craftsman from a
humble family who has created a name for himself through sheer hard work and a
lot of luck.
His late father ran a little shoemaking shop in Penang, and as was the custom
back then, parents didn't work just to provide for their children. Children
worked with their families to spur the growth of the family business. By nine,
he could competently make a pair of sandals from scratch.
He found his calling in London where he paid for college by sweeping factory
floors.
In 1988, his dream came true. Kate Phelan, one of the assistants at Vogue UK
(now a fashion director at the magazine) saw a pair of his shoes in a window.
She called saying that she wanted to feature his shoes. That sealed his fate.
Last year, Choo was awarded the prestigious Freeman Award by the city of London,
making him only the third Malaysian to receive this honour after Tunku Abdul
Rahman and HRH Sultan of Selangor.
He's also been conferred the OBE (Officer of the Excellent Order of the British
Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the shoe and
fashion industry.
Back in the early days, Malaysians in London scorned at his designs simply
because he was Malaysian. Choo realised that the best way to win his fellow
Malaysians' hearts was by making something of himself in one of the world's
fashion capitals.
Today, the common quip he receives is, "Jimmy, I can't afford your shoes."
Trio who made it big time
30 Aug 2007 12:00 am