Working with Malaysian Designers

Chermaine Poo and I dressed in Bernard Chandran (Photo: Foong)
Since working in Malaysia, I never really tapped into the Malaysian Fashion Scene and the last couple of months have led me to many introductions with the fashion greats. First of all, walking into Dato’ Bernard Chandran’s showroom was such a delight. There is something interesting about his aesthetic and sensibility that makes him stand out as a designer, based in London. Its no wonder that he’s already caught the attention of Lady Gaga, Estelle and even Rihanna!

In Carven Ong’s dress with another designer Eric Choong (Photo: Lux Malaysia)
Next, I had the pleasure of attending the Lux Princess Search Finale last month as an invited guest among noted designers like Eric Choong and Dato Lewre Lew. I found out that they were both from Perak (as am I) and were reigning with their beautiful gowns and wonderful shoes. The princesses dressed in the respective brands definitely made the event even more stunning. I was dressed in a one-of-a-kind Carven Ong gown with beautiful beading and a velvet train.

In Syomir Izwa for Mobile World’s Covershoot
And most recently, I was asked to be on the cover of Mobile World with the opportunity to feature sponsored clothing. My manager suggested a good friend/designer Syomir Izwa as one of our options. He became my only option because I just wanted to wear all of his clothes, especially the gold jumpsuit I saw on the runway. His use of fabrics and design aesthetic is incredibly sophisticated. He’s definitely going to be an up-n-comer in the fashion industry!
I know us Malaysians rarely give props because we live and die for the other international designers like Lagerfeld or Galliano but I think nurturing and finding what is unique to our culture is just as important. I just hope I can continue to support Malaysian designers wherever I am because I believe in their work and sustaining their craft in a tough industry cannot be easy. I had the true honour of wearing some clothes with wonderful craftsmanship. I hope you guys like the outfits too! Make sure you check out their work!