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Seeking the Muse: Inspired by the KL-Asia Fashion Week 2005

by Clarissa Lee (Nov 2005)

For every creative person, there is that defining moment, that eureka, that 'ah-ha', which catapults an anonymous, struggling artist/artiste into the spotlight of fame. So, it isn't any different where fashion designers are concerned, and one could practically 'see' the cerebral juices spilling out as young and not-so-young designers compete for the attention of industry key players, would-be-buyers and adjudicators of their collections during the fashion exposition.

Young designers, many of whom are recent graduates or had recently completed their internships in fashion houses, or had just started out, are competing for the chance to make their mark in the local fashion scene together with their more established counterparts whilst some of their seniors, who are no longer upcoming, but not quite the household name as yet (though you would ask, which household?) competed for the Mercedez-Benz Asia Fashion Awards, the finals of which would be held in Singapore. So, what's the overriding fashion theme for all these designers this year? Well, for the women's clothing, there seems to be a strong projection of the feminine, vixen and sexy female, as well as the feminine, demure and sexy female. Like clothes for looking pretty and hip but mostly for staying indoors or going shopping (or any indoor activity). However, one designer's collection is inspired by the hip-hop culture, and hence has a more outdoorsy feel. There is a sprinkling of designs for the more androgynous type (streamlined tops and suits with pants or jeans), but none too many. While the clothes are designed for the confident woman (you have to be confident to be wearing flimsy-looking clothes on 5-inch heels), it doesn't mean that you are going to look good in them. After all, you aren't a walking line-drawing and not all women have endless legs or proportioned bodies. Even the everyday woman (the non-models) that the fashion magazines try to depict in their sartorial best projects the high-maintenance image. But then, it could also have been the combined expertise of a professional styling team, the photographer and magazine designer, though one should not begrudge that many of these women (while we have male models showing of menswear, we seldom have the ordinary/not-so-ordinary man showing off his sartorial tastes) do look gorgeous. It could be the inner beauty shining through (and the spare-no-expense beauty regime).

Let's talk again about the designers. While I would not spend unnecessary time expounding on their designs (as it has already been done elsewhere), I wish to point out that most of them, especially the newer ones, have a noticeable design-school impression in some of the clothes showcased. Or could it be the fashion-magazine influence? Or is it just a matter of trying too hard? The reason I say this is because I detect similarity of styles in some of the collection, with the styles I've seen from reading not so recent issues of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. Of course, it is normal for fashion designing to involve a recycling of previous ideas as nothing is really new under the sun. It is just how you re-present it. While these young designers, especially the finalists, show great talent and craftsmanship, some of the designs in their collection still contain that raw just-out-of-design school feel, and even lack innovation. Maybe you can't always be inspired throughout the collection, but some of the clothes definitely would have looked better if they had been given more thought. Some of the designs, though creative and interesting, with bright festive colours, have a decidedly Mardi-Gras or ah-liannish tinge to them, depending on your visual inclination. Nothing wrong with that either. As for clothes for men (there are decidedly very few in this year's showcase), most tend towards the sporty/holiday-maker lifestyle, though there are some which are casual and stylish. The hair? I am inspired to rush out and get myself a collection of wigs. I daresay that sporting a different hairdo every time changes your image more than any clothes can.

As it was a fashion week, KLCC, Avenue K and the KL Convention Centre (I'll call it KLCC2) went into full mode. While the average person-in-the mall might not find it easy to gain admittance into the gala events and award shows, they get to participate in the day shows (though they have to stand around the barriers) at Avenue K and hang around the circumference of the KLCC concourse podium and watch more accessible (though maybe costly, by the standards of the average Malaysian income-earner) high-street clothes on parade, some by the very same models you see in the gala shows at night. It certainly attracted a large crowd, and there were some audience participations as well in the KLCC, quite expected in shows like these. And the apparels on show are more geared towards the mainstream, which would include the less fashion-inclined. Hence, both pret-a-porter and haute couture have the chance of exposing themselves to different market segments via these different channels and I do wonder that the fashion items see a leap in sales by the end of the events, especially now that it's close to the party season. No doubt there are enough materials to provide inspiration even to the fashionista with a not so generous bank account.

But, at the end of the day, the mark of a true artist is someone who creates the trend or the movement, instead of merely jumping onto the bandwagon like so many fashion-hangers-on and wannabes. While craftsmanship can be developed with patience and experience, the innovative spirit require constant stimulation, and sometimes, it pays to look beyond the narrow confines of the industry. But, at the end of the day, high fashion and more-expensive pret-a-porters are dictated by the public's inclination towards conspicuous consumption.

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Seeking the Muse: Inspired by the KL-Asia Fashion Week 2005

by Clarissa Lee (Nov 2005)

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