‘Le Dénoue’ Sets the Runway on Fire!

Strutting down this year’s ESMOD Kuala Lumpur fashion runway at the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre were show-stopping looks! Following the theme ‘Le Dénoue’, which means the end of a story, a knot that ties everything together, our newest graduating batch of 17 up-and-coming designers showcased their collections that wowed audiences and industry experts with their chic-looking creations.

Prior to the fashion show that soon became the talk of the town, these 17 talented fashion designers had their collections evaluated during the Jury Week by fashion experts – Thomas Vasseur, Melinda Looi, Bon Zainal, Daniel Lau, Carven Ong and our Head of Fashion Department, Douglas Chew.

‘Best Fashion Design’ was awarded to Chia Qing Ying for her collection, “INSIGHTS”. The entire collection represented the beauty of imperfection inspired by the facial nerve paralysis, Bell’s palsy which she diagnosed with. Chia presented an exploration of edgy street style, that translated into bold and empowering looks. The judges were amazed by the leather jackets, knee-high boots and use of ripped denim pieces perfectly stitched together to create jumpsuits that clearly showed she was not playing it safe.

Hoh Yun Qian took home the ‘Best Pattern Making’ award for her collection, “A Love Letter from Her.”. Charmed by the clean stitches and sophisticated look of Hoh’s garments, her collection on self-love piqued the judges’ interest. Her play on asymmetrical fits, cut-outs and corsets looked surprisingly artistic as it highlighted the model’s figure perfectly which seemed almost like an illusion.

Representing an Oriental-style fashion, Lai Xuewei won the ‘Couture Prize’ award for his collection, “JADE”. The entire collection was inspired by the colonial period in Shanghai that led to the melting pot of cultures. The judges admired the depth and detailing that went into creating each garment. Carrying the original vintage allure with an up-to-date stylistic nuance, this collection re-introduced tailored tops and dresses as well as lace embellishments from the past with a touch of seductive playfulness.

The show ended with a wave of applause by the audiences, media and renowned fashion designers. Starting off by crafting garments from scratch, to having their masterpieces evaluated by industry experts all the way to hosting and organizing an entire fashion show, these graduates have all the experience they need to confidently step foot in the fashion industry. Congratulations to the graduating batch of FD2003-1, you are more than ready to take on the fashion industry by storm!