Only One Earth by Corliss Chua

Visitors to the Malaysian pavilion was mesmerised by the elegant lounge decorated in a tropical ambiance in colours of black, white and blue, following closely the theme of the exhibition which is Paris. A Malaysian garden with soothing water features, surrounded by beautiful batik and songket decorations attracted the attention of visitors who came to meet Malaysian designers in their booths. Visitors were also able to taste Malaysian delights in the lounge.
 

Protect The Animal - Tang Hui Bin


Colour of Nature - Tan Eng Soon


Summer Splash - Mika Labinsin


Cherish the Freedom of Nature - Tiffany Wong


The Beauty of Midnight - Hee Kah Seng


Love Messenger - Sam Pek Wan


Beauty of The Sea - Lau Boon Hieng


Playground - Leng Jen Ting


Tears of The Ocean - Loh Sock Ling

To commemorate the first participation of Malaysian designers in the fashion capital of the world, MATRADE hosted a cocktail reception at the pavilion, inviting buyers and the media, including the French TV stations to meet and network with the Malaysian designers. The guest of honour at the cocktail reception was Malaysia’s very own renowned designer, Dato’ Jimmy Choo. Other personalities who attended the event were HE Dato’ S. Thanarajasingam, Ambassador of Malaysia to France and wife Datin Saradha Iyer. Dato’ Jimmy Choo had come to grace the event and show his support as well as encourage his fellow friends, the ten participating designers. He has always been the idol and focal point for almost all Malaysian designers to seek fashion advice. Later in the evening, Dato’ Jimmy Choo chaired a round table discussion with these designers at MATRADE Paris office to share his experience on branding and doing business in Europe.
 

Visitors to the exhibition were impressed with collections showcased by the Malaysian designers. These designers presented their personal sense of style which exemplified a fusion of traditional and modern elements ranging from luxurious to futuristic and chic designs which are a mix between the east and western influence. Jendela Batik, Tom Abang Saufi, Nazleen Noor and Mira Zarna enticed visitors with beautiful batik collections, portraying original intricate designs which differs from one another and mostly inspired by the nature surrounding interweaving mimics of life and the environment.



The responses received by Malaysian designers in Who’s Next were overwhelming with sales of over RM4 million, including many serious enquiries. Buyers were impressed with designs offered by Malaysian designers which were suitable for all occasions such as casual, office and evening wears. These designers had managed to position themselves to international buyers with a complete solution, ranging from designing and manufacturing, offering creative designs, concepts, manufacturing capabilities and logistics solutions.



Malaysian fashion has made its mark on the world through the participation of these ten Malaysian designers in Who’s Next under the organisation of the MATRADE. Malaysia had positioned itself to be the next best place to source for creative, unique and high quality designs and brands. Designers have confirmed their interest to participate in this exhibition for the following year as Paris is said to be the window for fashion designers to penetrate world markets.