An occasional ramble about my photographic journeys and such.
Inna Gorelli showcasing a signature flowing and colorful dress from Tom Abang Saufi
The Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2013 posting will not carry any editorial. I am sure you only wanted to view the beautiful fashion on show and how you could lay your hand on your favorite pieces.
Syafinaz Selamat belting out a song made famous by Adele during the official opening ceremony of KL Fashion Week 2013.
Today marked the day when the new Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week – Ready To Wear 2013 was officially opened. The event was presented by Kuala Lumpur City Hall and 2 fashion designers were fortunate enough to show case their collections during the opening ceremony. Although the event was delayed by nearly 1 hour, in the end Mr Andrew Tan, the founder of KLFW 2013, managed to pull off a spectacular opening act with performance by dance troupe from the KL City Hall and Ms. Syafinaz Selamat, who belted out 2 spectacular songs to mesmerized the spectators into submission.
Below are some of the photos taken during the opening ceremony.
Dockers’ Fall/Winter 2013 Collection showcases the brands latest Alpha Khaki designs, engineered for the Alpha men.
Dockers recently showcased its full range of Fall/Winter 2013 Collection, at the Chandan Gallery in Publika Shopping Gallery. The event also showcased the brands latest Alpha Khaki designs, engineered for the Alpha men. If you think you are the go-getter sort of men and your female friends always refer to you as the Alpha man….. you should be heading to Dockers fashion gallery as soon as you possibly could…. they have the sort of clothing especially designed for man like you. Yes, you, the Alpha man……
Well, if you don’t think you belong to this category of men….. well you could always try “Dorkers”….. available exclusively from Petaling Street…….
But seriously, Dockers is always associated with man’s pants, as far as I am concerned…. I have been wearing this brand ever since I was studying in the USA, many many moons ago. And I am still wearing them to this day. I don’t think you need any introduction to this brand and I will spare you the bore and show you some photos instead. 
Yvonne Lee, Ms World Malaysia 2012 in an Empress Costume
Petaling Jaya, May 16, 2013
It was a truly regal affair as the Curve Fashion Week kicked off with a night of glitz and glamour, with six of Malaysia’s popular beauty queens taking center stage at the curve Fashion Week Gala Night to showcase the hottest trends of the season.
With a huge sparkling tiara as a stunning backdrop, this year’s theme, “A Queenly Affair”, centered on fashion trends fit for a queen. Fashion brands both local and international featured the latest styles, from dazzling evening outfits to eye-catching ready-to-wear must haves, as well as fashion accessories and shoes.
Guests at the Gala Night were dazzled by the gorgeous bevy of beauty queens who walked the runway, consisting Yvonne Lee, Ms World Malaysia 2012, Chloe Chen, Ms World Malaysia 2011, Gabriella Robinson, Ms Tourism International 2011, Nadia Heng, Ms World Malaysia 2010, Thanuja Ananthan, Ms World Malaysia 2009 and Elaine Daly, Ms Universe Malaysia 2003.
Two Malaysian Fashion Icons posing for yours truly during the launching of Amber Chia’s Guide to a Successful Modelling Career.
Amber Chia’s guide to a Successful Modelling Career is the first of many to come in the Masterclass Series by MPH, a new line of books by local experts sharing their knowledge and experience in their areas of specialty.The book is not meant to be a technical know how of posing or catwalk but instead an off the cuff sort of guide book for a successful modelling career based on practical experience and personal journeys.
“I did not know a thing about modelling when I started out as a teenager. I wish there was a school or a guidebook that I could have referred to back then.” says Amber. “I managed to set up a modelling academy a few years back and now, I’m so happy that I can also produce a guidebook to help aspiring models.”
Amber Chia’s Guide consists of 11 chapters, each full of advice for young women keen on pursuing a modelling career in Malaysia and beyond. Topics covered include how to assess oneself, modelling platforms, professional attitude, personal branding, avoiding scams, other employment opportunities and much more.
Amber also shares her journey, from her childhood days in Tawau daydreaming about modelling, to winning the GUESS international ambassadorship and where she is today.
With no mentor and no connections in the industry, she could have easily stumbled and made the kind of mistakes many aspiring models make on their quest for success. But her steely determination to make it big on her terms guided Amber through the difficult years.
Now, in a single book, she shares all the best practices for succeeding in the field that she has so thoroughly dominated.
“Being a professional model is hard work, but at the end of the day, if it is something you enjoy and have passion for, modelling can be a very rewarding career choice. I made that choice a long time ago and despite the ups and downs, I’m glad I did.”
Amber Chia’s Guide to a Successful Modelling Career is published by MPH Group Publishing and will be available in all major bookstores at RM35.90 a copy. It will also be available as an e-Book via MPH Digital.
Inna Gorelli making an entrance wearing Shinju Pearls befitting a superstar
Shinju Pearls creates jewellery of understated elegance that is meant to be worn everyday, from day into evening, from blue jeans to black tie and everything in between.
Versatile jewellery design with a special twist, nature inspired, classically informed, timeless, yet modernized to complement today’s women.
Embracing jewellery as a work of art, inspirations come from daily surroundings – it might be colour combination, animal kingdom, floral elegance and even creepy crawlies, each piece is handmade using beautiful pearls and semi-precious gemstones.
Introducing Shinju Pearls…… take a look and you might walk out a different woman tomorrow…..
Supermodel Tini Bibbaby modeling the superb Voodoo themed dress and contraption created by Jovian Mandagie.
Kuala Lumpur, 21 March 2013 – It was a grand night og glamour and glitz at the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Awards 2013 themed ‘The Voodoo Ball”. The awards night, billed as the high spot of the 7-day fashion festival, was a true red carpet event as the invited guests came dressed in their dapper suits and ball gowns to celebrate a glittering night of fashion excellence.
Gracing the event was Formula One safety driver, Bernd Maylander. He was joined at the event by the cream de la creme of Malaysian high society, which included dignitaries, socialites, celebrities, and many more, making the event a truly impressive affair.
The Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Awards celebrates the best in the local fashion scene through awards in various categories such as:
The highlight of the evening was the special appearance by Malaysian Supermodel Amber Chia who dazzled in a unique, never before seen dress made of 3,000 Kronenbourg 1664 bottle caps conceptualized by STYLO and designed by Alexander Yeo. Her partner in crime is none other than Mr. Soren Ravn, Managing Director of Carlsberg Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur – For the second year in a row, Kronenbourg 1664, the French brand of Carlsberg Malaysia presented the luxuriousness of French fashion with “Not Les Miserables…”, and evening of L’Aperitif fashion at the Mercedes-Benz STYLO FGP 2013′s fourth night.
The event which was staged at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, saw the venue transformed into modern French art-deco with a total indulgent tres chic look to epitomize Kronenbourg’s inspiration of the most flamboyant periods of the French “art de vivre”.
The night kicked off with a fantastic showcase by Carven Ong with the models sporting a diverse selection of French avant-garde hair designs that literally reached dizzying heights with its “Miraculous” hair show.
This was followed by a spectacular showcase by Mercedes-Benz STYLO Designer of the Year 2102, Bill Keith, fresh from his Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mexico City gig in September last year. His collection saw a myriad of designs inspired by the ethnicity of Malaysia, called “Tropical Delusions”, with a touch of French.
One of my favorites to win the Emerging Designer finals. The design was thoughtful, meticulous, intricate and the choice of recyclable materials and color was excellent. However that’s from a person never trained in fashion designs. The professional assessment might be totally different. So good luck to all hopeful participants.
It was time again to crown the best new talent at the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Emerging Designers 2013, with the finals culminating at the Aloft KL Sentral on the 18th March 2013.
In its 4th year, the highly successful Mercedes-Benz STYLO Emerginf Designers’ Competition returned with 12 emerging designers selected from various fashion institutions across Malaysia. Presented by Mercedes-Benz and STYLO, the competition themed “Fashion Dolls” this year, aimed at challenging the finalists in using recyclable items to create stunning avant garde designs.
Judging the designs were a panel of industry professionals, headed by President and CEO of STYLO Dato’ Nancy Yeoh, Fashion Association Heads from 7 countries Felicia Gan (Singapore), JC Buendia (Philippines), Jennifer Chen (Taiwan), Ali Charisma (Indonesia), Huang Ping (China), Yoko Otsuka (Japan), Koraklod Kumsook (Thailand), Gillian Hung (MODA), Baizura Terzi (YODA) and Bon Zainal (BDA). Also present was Timothy Chen, CEO of Asia Fashion Inc, designers Michael Ong and Bill Keith, past winners of the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Designers of the Year 2008 and 2012 respectively.
One of the showcase under the Rainforest Fashion Initiative.
Kuala Lumpur – The Grand Opening of Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Grand Prix KL 2013 themed “Mannequin Fantasies” saw the usual glitz and glamour with the cream de creme of KL’s high society converging at the brand new, urban inspired hotel, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral today. The much-anticipated week-long festival simultaneously launched the impending Asia Fashion Week (AFW) & the Rainforest Fashion Initiative (RFI) on the same night.
Presented by Mercedes-Benz and Starwood Hotels & Resorts together with STYLO International, the country’s biggest fashion event kicked off with a fanfare of the best. Debuting top designers, from 7 Asian countries besides Malaysia namely Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia, the night was not short of anticipated exhilaration.
The beautiful fashion showcase in conjunction with the launch of the GP Sale.
Kuala Lumpur, 16th March 2013
The Formula 1 Grand Prix returns to Malaysia this year, and with it, comes the exciting Grand Prix Sale which takes place from 16th March to 7th April, sweeping the nation with 23 days of glorious discounts and promotions.
The sale, which is supported by the Bukit Bintang-KLCC Tourism Association, was launched by Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen at the Bukit Bintang entrance of Pavilion KL.
This was followed by a fashion show by models and production company Andrewmodels.
These sale campaigns and events are part of the Tourism Ministry and Tourism Malaysia’s initiatives of turning Malaysia into a leading international shopping destination, which has received international recognition. Last year, Kuala Lumpur ranked second best shopping city in the Asia Pacific according to the latest Globe Shopper Index, while CNN report listed Kuala Lumpur as the best shopping destination in the world.
Last year, Malaysia received 25.03 million tourists, with tourist receipts amounting to RM60.6 billion. Shopping contributed to 30.7% of the total tourist revenue, with a grand total of RM18.56 billion.
There’s no denying that tourism played an important part in the economic development of Malaysia. I just hope the government will be more proactive in improving the few sore problems that affected KL in particular – taxi service, cleanliness, snatch thieves and transportation issue in general.
Tini showcasing the beautiful Red Valentino dress complete with a matching handbag.
This is the time of the year again when all the respectable shopping malls (or mall wanabe) will throw an elaborate party to showcase their tenant’s new fashion collections for the year. This year Starhill Gallery has become the first of the many shopping malls to do so with much fanfare.
The whole Indulge floor was cordoned off by means of switching the operating direction to only one way – to exit only. Therefore guests were forced to either use the lifts or the only designated escalator near the customer service counter to enter the beautifully decorated venue. I find it a hassle though but it’s a refreshing change from the mundane.
The guests were feted to free flowing drinks and finger food and there is even a studio photography set up by Leica for those who would like to be a model for the day. Overall it was a successful opening party for the mall’s S/S 2013 Fashionweek. The brands that were feature during the fashion showcase include Kenzo, M Missoni, Parosh, Red Valentino, Khoon Hooi, Klutched, McQ Alexander McQueen and Valentino.
I just couldn’t give up the opportunity to view up close and personal all the Caterpillar “TOYS” that were on display at the Preview of Construction & Infrastructure Exhibition (CIEX) 2012. These are big toys for BIG boys. Drop by and take a look now. You won’t have many opportunity to do this in Malaysia.
Selangor, 1 Dec 2012
For some people, the fascination with heavy-duty mammoths started from a young age, while others appreciate their role in the development of towns and cities, and some drive them for a living. Most people however rarely get a chance to get up close to such enormous equipment; some of these trucks loaders and excavators are the size of a bungalow and up to 7 meters in height.
When I was invited to attend this exhibition preview event, I was initially surprised that the public will be allowed to view and even play with such huge equipments that for most of us (boys and some girls) remain as memories of our childhood toys. It really was a great opportunity for me to view first hand on the latest and greatest what Tractors Malaysia has to offer and also to share with you guys on these giant equipments.
“The Parisan House of Hairdressing” theme was a story that transmit the idea that hair as a piece of garment that can both embody and transcend fashion, therefore inspiring the hairdressers to see their craft as bespoke couture.
Prior to the winner’s announcement, guests were treated to a spectacular hair show featuring five established L’Oréal Artistic Ambassadors who lend their expertise in creating looks inspired by L’Oréal Professionnel Spring/Summer 2012 Colour Collection. Entitled ‘Artisanal Expressions’, Albert Nico, founder of Albert Nico Boutique Salon; Andy Chan, founder of AndyChan Hair Studio; Kevin Woo, founder of Centro Hair Salon; Miko Au, founder of Miko Galere and Simon Koh, founder of ELLE Hair Studio paid homage to “The Parisian House of Hairdressing”, celebrating the tradition of Parisan haute couture where the art of hairdressing is revered, practiced and perfected. The showcase transmitted the idea that hair as a piece of garment can both embody and transcend fashion, therefore inspiring the hairdressers to see their craft as bespoke couture.
The concept of ‘Artisanal Expressions’ looked into the artisanal work of craftsmanship, creating desire amongst other hairdressers. It is a continuing story of ‘La Couture’ and ‘Retro Nouveau’ with a modern twist with timeless vision of beauty. The story was unveiled in 3 chapters.
Photos of Chapters 1 and 2 were presented in Part 1.
Chapter 3 which is the ‘The Parisian House of Hairdressing’ will be showcased in Part 2 of this blog. Chapter 3 proved yet again why the 5 famed hairdressers were chosen as the L’Oréal Artistic Ambassadors. They were truly creative geniuses in the ‘hairy’ sense and I was really impressed with the combination of the hair pieces, makeup and garments which totally transformed the models into women of our wildest fantasies. A job well done guys!
Hairdressing’s most prestigious Award brought together excellence and innovations from young, creative, and talented Malaysians.
Kuala Lumpur, 20 September 2012.
L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2012 Grand Finale unleashed creativity beyond imagination with beauty in French Perfection!
L’Oréal Colour Trophy 2012, the Oscars of the hairdressing industry, culminated with an inspiring Grand Finale as 14 top finalists brought the competition to another level with extraordinary hair creations! The event also saw L’Oréal Professionnel’s 5 Artistic Ambassadors & International GUest Artiste whipped out an impressive showcase entitled Artisanal Excellence and Tribute to Beauty respectively. The shows concept reinforced the brand’s link to fashion and most importantly, reinventing the profession.
A Tribute to Beauty was aptly chosen as the theme for this year’s competition as it paid homage to the success and tribulations of famous hairdressers with styles that are distinctively French. HengThang Yih, GM of Professional Products Division, L’Oréal Malaysia commented, “This year, we celebrate a French story, a prevailing style, a higher sense of fashion and beauty in four aspects that reflect the French sense of beauty of L’Oréal Professionnel – Beauty in Hairdressing, Beauty in Women, Beauty in Life and Beauty in Arts.”
The Grand Finale was an extraordinary showdown where the 14 finalists showed what they were made of by presenting judges with amazing hair creations that were cutting edge, forward and evoked a sense of modernity. Some of the creations even phantom next season’s trends such as the colour of deep amethyst as seen on the Toyota Vios 1.5G Limited, which was prominent in the hair creations by the finalists.
Tuti, showcasing her swimwear during the X Top Swimwear Show, styled by Jimmy Wong, Keith Chee and The Idan.
Sim Hui, Winner of X Top Model Search 2011, making a special guest appearance during the Grand Final of the 2012 edition.
Kuala Lumpur, September 15 2012.
The success of the X Top Model Search 2011 has once again paved the way for the extraordinary conclusion of the 2012 edition at a building aptly named The Icon! The success of X Top Model Search in Malaysia has proven to be a breeding ground for newly minted models in the Malaysia fashion and modelling scene. The inaugural edition last year has produced a few successful models that are now gracing the local magazines and fashion shows regularly. The method deployed by X Top Model Search organisation such as their intensive training program, special shopping malls appearances, brand’s thematic photography shoots, fashion modelling, fashion photography exposure and overseas exposure has proven to produce confident and well trained models ready for the local market.
Most of those that came for this year audition, brought nothing more than their hopes to enter the final selection. Most if not all has no background in modelling, and has never ever step on a runway before. And most of them do not even know how to execute a decent cat walk let alone posing in front of the judges. But their transformation from a duckling to a graceful swan, within such a short period of time had not only stunned many sceptics but the contestants themselves. In this regards, I really have to credit the founder, Victoria Vikki and Event Director Kenji Chan for their undying commitment and positive attitude to develop the Model Search Industry in Malaysia and also their passion to see through the success of the models personally. Bravo for a job well done. I for one have been following their Organisation since their inception last year and I have to say I am truly impressed with what they have achieved thus far.
For 2012, the X Top Model Search edition has once again produced a stunning array of potential successful models judging by the quality of their cat walk and modelling personality. I wish them all the best in their future modelling endeavour. Good Luck girls! If you are interested to view all the photos taken during the event, click on Read More……. but be warned, there are more than 100 photos inside.
The former X Top Model finalist making a special appearance at the grand final of the X Top Model 2012 looking absolutely stunning.
The Grand Final of the X Top Model 2012 was done and dusted but it was an evening to remember for the organizers, sponsors, guests, finalists and photographers alike. Before I go into the event proper I would like to post some photos of the many fashionable guests that turn out dressed to their nines. It was like a fashion shoot in front of the sponsors’ board. So feast your eyes first on those stunning fashionistas while I go through all my other photos of the event in the next few days.
The legacy of Princess Diana lives on! Prince William is not only popular in Britain, he’s now a household name in Malaysia too. His visit to Kuala Lumpur this past 2 days has reaffirmed his popularity and his larger than life image as the handsome and dashing British prince.
September 14, 2012
When it comes to everything British, Malaysian certainly has some crazy obsession with 2 products from this country. One is the ever popular English Premier League (EPL) where Malaysians are more passionate about their EPL’s teams than their national’s football team. The country’s neighbourhood “Mamak” food stalls will probable go bust if EPL is banned in this country!
The second obsession is with the British royalty, especially during Princess Diana time. That’s why Malaysians from all walks of life come out in force to show their support and respect for the visiting future King. I guess this has also to do with the fact that Malaysia, like Britain is a country that still practise constitutional monarchy system.
Today we saw a huge turnout from tourists, well-wishers and Malaysians alike who are fans of Prince William and the ever beautiful Catherine Middleton. They were feted to an array of cultural performance from the diverse ethnic groups from the country. Nothing beats the experience more than some picture from some travel books. I truly hope the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do enjoy their short stay in Malaysia. The turnout itself says a lot about their popularity here and I do hope they will come back again for a longer stay sometime in the near future.
Welcome to Malaysia!
Does the moon turned blue during the occurrence of the phenomenon known as Blue Moon? The answer is….. NO! Sorry to disappoint some of you….. Note: The above photo has been photoshopped BLUE just to show how the moon would look like if there ever was a blue moon. Who knows? One day we might witness one…..
The month of August 2012 has seen two occurrences of full moon, once on the 1st and the second on the 31st. This phenomenon is commonly know as blue moon, which is an extremely rare event. The next blue moon will only occur in 2015, lending credence to the phrase…. once in a blue moon.
For more information about Blue Moon, go to Wikipedia.
Smoke trail from a burnt piece of Agar Wood. Its resin is used to make incense, perfumes and other fragrances. It is also highly sought after by the rich and famous of the Arab World.
“Black Gold”
This highly elusive type of wood can only be found in the dense jungle of Malaysia/Asia. When the tree is healthy, it has no value whatsoever. But, when it’s sick, its value is worth more than its weight in gold! A kilo of the super grade ‘A’ Agar Wood’s aromatic resin could fetch a value of up to RM100,000! Now that’s what I called a super duper wooden Gold Rush!
In conjunction with Malaysia National Day celebration, Discovery Asia Channel 551 will showcase a documentary aptly called “Black Gold” in the “Eye On Malaysia 2″ slot. If you have always wanted to know more about Agar Wood, aka Kayu Gaharu, Karas, Aloeswood, Eaglewood or Engkaras (aquilaria malaccensis) do tune in to this documentary which will be screened on 29th August at 9pm (tonight) Malaysia’s time.
Watch how the team of award-winning producer, director and editor, led by Chew Han Tah managed to find some of the last “Black Gold in Asia”.
Please note all photos are courtesy of Chew Han Tah and Jet TV Production!
For more information on Chew Han Tah and JetTV Production go to www.chewhantah.com or JetTV facebook page.
The gold rush is now on!
“Black Gold” This highly elusive type of wood can only be found in the dense jungle of Malaysia/Asia. When the tree is healthy, it has no value whatsoever. But, when it’s sick, its value is worth more than its weight in gold! A kilo of the super grade ‘A’ Agar Wood’s aromatic resin could fetch […]
It was another slow moving Saturday afternoon and since I have nothing important to do, I decided to drop by the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort to catch up on the on-going BMW Malaysian Open Tennis Tournament that feature some of the leading women tennis players in the world. But my supposedly 5 minutes […]
Below are some fashion collections created by a few aspiring young Malaysian designers as tribute to Mickey and friends. To view a slideshow of a few selected designs, please go to Fashion-KL’s Blog.
Shu uemura Malaysia recently unveiled the latest inspiration of Tokyo Lash Bar 2009 collections with the theme: Lashes in Nature. The glitzy event (with dress code – In Full Bloom) was attended by Kuala Lumpur’s who’s who in the fashion, entertainment and modeling industries. The collections was conceived and designed by shu uemura’s international artist […]
Date: 1st May 2011 Location: 1 Utama Shopping Centre Event: Fashion On 1 – Okaidi Obaidi (Children Wear) Below are a few more photos of the Okaidi Obaidi fashion showcase.
