KUALA LUMPUR Fashion Week 2019 may have come to an end, but it has ingrained an enduring impression of bold statements, ambitious presentation and great fashion in our minds – proving that KL is gaining a foothold as a burgeoning fashion capital.
Fashion heavyweights like Jovian Mandagie showcased understated resort wear inspired by the luxury exuberance of the island of Capri, Italy. Alia Bastamam announced her debut in Milan Fashion Week this September in her collection where she interpreted the vivid imagery of Paperback Romance to present soft sensuality and a sense of androgynous dominance that balances femininity and masculinity. Fiziwoo’s haute-couture love for durian reimagines the national fruit into elegant and extravagant dresses.
Other young fashion catalysts like Cassey Gan continue to surprise us with eccentricity filled with bold colours and textures. Gan surprised us even more when she explored gender fluid alternative, dressing up male models in non-form fitting silhouettes. Avant-garde designer Kit Woo presented futurtistic contemporaries of deconstructed contraptions through textile manipulation to resemble monstrous garments.
Behati helmed by Kel Wen made his first KLFW debut where he transformed familiar traditional wear into radical get-ups for the ultimate statement. For instance, his baju kebaya becomes a power suit with exaggerated shoulders, mermaid skirt with cylinder hoop embedded at the hem and seven-inch slides to triumph the runway.
While high-profile attendees were sitting front row absorbing trends for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2020 collection, I was backstage documenting what happened behind the scenes for some of my favourite designers this season. I managed to capture the real stars of the fashion week: coordinators, hairstylists, makeup artists and models working together so cohesively to bring a fashion designer’s vision to life.
