All About Fashion-preneurship!

As fashion continues to grow, there is an increasing need for a diversified wider range of unique garment styles. Our Fashion Design students had the opportunity to learn the skills and mindset necessary to launch their own fashion labels from two industry experts. Sabi Sohrabi and Dirk Luebbert from the Malaysian Official Designers' Association (MODA), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the local fashion industry, shared valuable insights on creating an independent fashion line.

Fashion entrepreneur Dirk Luebbert, with 17 years of experience as Group CEO at Melinda Looi Group, shared his extensive knowledge covering everything from design to production, marketing, and distribution. Meanwhile, Sabi Sohrabi, a Senior Lecturer, emphasized the importance of passion and developing strong foundational skills before starting a fashion brand. Together, these speakers inspired the students by addressing challenges, concerns, and often overlooked aspects when starting their own fashion label.

One of the interesting topics was encouraging young fashion entrepreneurs to find their niche and grow it because a brand that caters to all, ends up competing with all. Therefore, distinctive designs not only become irreplaceable but also have the potential to set trends and establish new standards in the fashion industry that others cannot easily replicate. The speakers emphasized the importance of creating garments that reflect the designer’s unique strengths and individuality.

It comes as no surprise that the importance of putting passion before profit is an essential mindset to have in building your own label. “Fashion is all about hard work, you will only survive and succeed if you are passionate and driven,” said Dirk. He goes on to explain that passion is infectious, when a designer is passionate about their work it immediately reflects in the creation, with their colleagues and bosses.

As young designers, students are always encouraged to take every chance to learn new skills from mentors, friends, other designers and clients. “I always tell my students to participate in competitions, upscaling yourself outside of this space. It is incredibly important to understand how things you learn here, apply out there”, Sabi added. Competitions are the best platforms to learn from mistakes, get inspired and build confidence.

These insights shared by Sabi Sohrabi and Dirk Luebbert were invaluable in preparing Fashion Design students for the realities of launching their own labels. To thrive in fashion, designers must be both passionate and proactive, continuously learning from experiences and seeking growth opportunities.