Malaysia International Fashion Week 2008 celebrated both young and established talents. CHEONG PHIN writes.

The M-IFW ’08 ended on a jolly mood with a riot of circus fashion from the Dance Company.

The innovative style of “rising star” designer Winson Tan.

Tom and her luxe-resort wear for Spring/Summer 2009.

Super sexy sleek dress in “shiny and glimmering” fabric from Sonny San’s Spring 2009 collection.

OVER four days last week, fashion styles, fashion shows, innovation, progress and chaos were sweeping across levels four and five of the Gardens Hotel and Residences, Kuala Lumpur.

The reason for the commotion was the annual showcase of Malaysia International Fashion Week 2008 (M-IFW ’08), organised by Malaysian International Fashion Alliance (Mifa).

Now in its fifth consecutive year, the premier event drew a crowd of industry observers, fashion buyers, media, students and fashion enthusiasts shuffling their way to witness a multitude of showcases from local and foreign designers; The Mifa 8 and Ten Rising Stars events cultivate fresh new design talents and the Mifa Gala honours the young and established local industry players with awards in various categories.

The “week” kicked off appropriately with the Truly Asia show which celebrates Asian fashion newness with collections created by the hottest emerging talents from around Asia including Australia, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
PU3, a collaborative effort from twin designers Azalea and Yasmin, represented Malaysia, while rising design talent Jimmy Lim, who started his eponymous label in New Zealand in 1999, closed the show.

After a night of some sizzling fashion from Syaiful Baharim and edgy ready-to-wear from Key Ng at the opening Gala Night show, the second day of M-IFW ’08 was one abuzz with celebrities, socialites and fashion admirers who came with their mothers to watch a spectacular Goddess collection from fashion veteran Albert King whose theme is a tribute to the women who have supported and admired his work for over 20 years. It was also King's tribute to his mother who has always supported him.

Ranging from daywear and cocktail dresses to his signature dramatic evening gowns, King lends his couture touch to all 48 designs wholeheartedly. Luxurious fabrics and imaginative embellishments marked every outfit that climaxed with an elaborate white bridal gown which King said to me before the show: "The train is so long that I must have the model rehearse with the gown on the catwalk to avoid any mistakes."

With a quick change into a slightly more glamorous dress code, the fashionable crowd re-assembled later that night and mingled with more celebrities and socialites to attend the Asia Magic Gala which showcased the Spring/Summer 2009 collection from some of the top designers from around Asia.

The night kicked off with an uplifting collection for men and women by Malaysia's Tangoo that was inspired by the pristine beauty of a secret Eden and many tribal cultures.

Bold animal prints, interesting mix of ethnic prints and exotic floral designs in muted earth tones and brilliant splashes of colours featured on flowy caftans and separates in silk, satin and cotton, and always styled with loads of beads, feathers and turbans.

The tribal fever was a lengthy one and it was such a relief when Hong Kong designer Dorian Ho showed an ethereal collection of delightful feminine dresses in a palette of refreshing pastel shades with his signature pleating and ruched detailing.

Floral handbags and quirky clutches with neckties dominated Thailand's Zenithorial casual collection next. Meidi Zhang of China showed his forte in cashmere knits and creative crochet dresses while Deepak Perwani of Pakistan seduced the women with his evening wear of flowy chiffon and beaded embellishments.

Closing the show was the chic Farah Khan collection by Datuk Farah Khan whose idea is to charm the inner goddess in every woman with effortless glamour. Her clothes are super easy to pack and even easier to wear.

The show started with fluid dresses in chiffon with sequined detailing before segueing into an edgy second segment of super sexy sequined dresses styled with denim and leather jackets.

An interesting play of colours, geometric lines and graphic print with sequins on short dresses ended the fabulous show on a high note.

Highlights of the third day of the event included solo shows from last year's Mifa Designer of the Year Eric Choong, and a rocking gothic-inspired collection from Jonathan Cheng.

It was another jam-packed night again for the KL Six showcase featuring Datuk Tom Abang Saufi, Sonny San, Melinda Looi, Eric Choong, Radzuan Radziwill and Sharifah Kirana.

Eric and Melinda relied on dance theatrics to introduce their couture shows while Radzuan called on actress Natasha Hudson to model his bridal creation. Kirana simply represented herself with a hand-drawn batik of her face on silky creations.

In a sharp contrast to Melinda's pale colours and crystal detailing in her avant-garde "creature and nature" Couture 2008/09 collection, Tom Abang Saufi and Sonny San surely pumped up the energy with happy colours in their Spring/Summer 2009 collections.

Tom, the queen of batik-themed luxe resort wear, presented a collection of fluid styles which are hassle-free and filled with Art Deco batik print in a mixed palette of blue, orange, yellow and green that matched perfectly with Anya Hindmarch bags.

Sonny, on the other hand, expressed his happy sentiment with an unusually colourful collection of super sexy and sleek lines in "shiny and glimmering" fabrics that were complemented with his Eclipse metallic handbags and shoes.

Ten Rising Stars show was a much-anticipated event on the last day with loads of younger fashion enthusiasts crowding the hall to lend support to these handpicked designers.

Last year's multiple-award winner Winson Tan showed a very innovative collection that is all about "distortion" with tuxedo shirts, vests and collars twisted on cotton dresses and separates.

Styled with colourful plastic Lego bricks on shoes, Tan's cutting edge designs with functionality is heading to the Japan Fashion Week next in January.

Jimmy Lim was another notable designer who showed a range of well balanced "mix-match" dressing. The long and lean looks, based on parachute jackets and trenchcoats, are re-interpreted into dresses and longer tops worn over printed leggings.

The closing Mifa Gala Night saw the presentation of six awards to honour new and established fashion talents in the industry after a mad riot of circus costumes created by the Dance Company.

Theatrical presentations have always been a part of fashion shows and perhaps it was Mifa's way of ending the event on a happy note.

And speaking of happy, the award for the coveted Designer of the Year 2008 finally went to Eclipse's founder and designer Sonny San, whose Spring/Summer 2009 show was his expression of happiness in these trying economic times.

And the winners are...

Designer of the Year 2008 — Sonny San
Model of the Year 2008 — Gwen Lu
Most Promising Designer 2008 — Michelle Hee
Best Avant-Garde Designer 08 — Michelle Hee
Best Casual Wear Designer 08 — Julia Leong
Best Evening Wear Designer 08 — Kyuan