Malaysia Fashion Week 2014: The highlights – Part 2

Malaysia Fashion Week had quite a fair share of talented designers which is why for our second round up of designers who cleverly got us hooked on the runway, we have 3 labels from the country and 1 from Indonesia. It’s hard to argue when talent is evident.

Joyce Wong – Malaysia

When we first set sight on Joyce Wong’s collection at her booth in the trade exhibition hall, we were positively enthralled so it came without question that we were seated with our eyes wide open during her runway show.

While Wong may rely on dominantly feminine silhouettes – form-fitting dresses and A-line dresses – she cleverly injects a hint of spunk into her pieces by way of bold shoulders or the inclusion of silver geometric embellishment. The colour palette was refreshingly vibrant in shades of lime green, fuschia, orange and cobalt blue – ideal for the coming season.

Our favourite pieces were indubitably the first two looks. One that had Moscow’s St Basil’s Cathedral printed on it and the other which featured the same print but with a pencil cut dress completed with mermaid like ruffles at the hem.

Rinda Salmun – Indonesia

Speaking of mermaid, here’s a collection that seemingly took inspiration from the magical aquatic world under the surface. Indonesia’s Rinda Salmun had her models grace the runway in mesh-like head gear as though to fully embody the marine life. Similarly, her collection carried rather strong underwater elements such as scalloped trims on the sides of trousers to appear as scales on a fish to pastel shades of mesh  that adorned various tops, dresses and the back of skirts in a mermaid fashion.  Additionally, the mesh was printed in such a manner that it appeared to have barnacles resting on it – innovative or sheer ingenuity? You decide.

Keeping to a largely monochrome palette, the subtle addition of pastels made for quite an intriguing collection – one that would please Ariel as well.

Cassey Gan – Malaysia

Largely inspired by Japan’s cultural elements and design aesthetic, Cassey Gan delivered a range of samurai-inspired pieces that exuded a serene yet bold disposition. Through loose silhouettes that are nonetheless flattering, to the turbulent wave print that is reminiscent of Japanese paintings to reinterpreting the samurai’s plate armour into her pieces,  it’s safe to say that Gan’s collection was all about moving like a stealthy predator – with ease and confidence.

To add a tinge of modernity, mesh panels were added to the back of tops or the side of long dresses for a subtle show of skin. Despite only being a year and a half old, Cassey Gan is definitely a promising designer to keep track of.

Melinda Looi – Malaysia

From the kaleidoscopic mix of prints to the bold, audacious use of colour and the button-like adornments, Melinda Looi’s collection looked set to be featured in a creative arts museum.

Her artful play on textures and silhouettes in flattering cuts and oversized sleeves for instance only served to lure in the audience’s eyes. Many were probably left perplexed as to how Looi found beauty and elegance in haphazard scraggly lines, clashing colours and inconsistent embellishments but clearly she had a knack for the unusual.

Complemented with several metallic finishes on dresses, shorts and jackets, the Spring Summer 2015 collection is ideally one for the keeps – whether as a collector’s piece or to be flaunted on the streets.

Tarandip Kaur

Photos: Malaysia Fashion Week, Davie Gan

Read more on Malaysia Fashion Week 2014:

Malaysia Fashion Week 2014: The highlights – Part 1
Malaysia Fashion Week 2014: Highlights from accessory labels