Kee Hua Chee Live!: MALAYSIA FASHION WEEK, NOW INTO ITS 3rd YEAR, WAS ANOTHER MONUMENTAL SUCCESS! HELD AT MATRADE HEADQUARTERS, IT PROVED MALAYSIA HAS TALENT---AND BY THE CONTAINERLOAD TOO!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

MALAYSIA FASHION WEEK RETURNS FOR THE THIRD YEAR

MFW by INTRADE showcased the Best of Malaysian Fashion through 4-Day Exhibition and Daily Runway Shows

Malaysia Fashion Week 2016 (MFW), a project by INTRADE, returned with a bang, delivering another year of fashion galore and more. The event was officially launched by YB Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Minister II of International Trade & Industry at the MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC).

Also present at the ceremony was Dato’ Noraini Ahmad, Chairman of MATRADE, Mark Raine, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Dato’ Nancy Yeoh, President and CEO of STYLO International, senior representatives and board members of MATRADE, participating exhibitors and designers, as well as international and local media.

The four-day event, happening from 2 – 5 November 2016, was jointly organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and STYLO International. MFW is the largest trade fashion and lifestyle event in the country and features a dedicated fashion and lifestyle exhibition sprawling over 32,800 square feet. The exhibition featured six main clusters - fashion, apparel and accessories; jewellery; beauty, hair products and cosmetics; arts and handicrafts, lifestyle and interior decor; textile and peripherals.

MFW, the only trade event dedicated for fashion and lifestyle sector in the country featured more than 300 exhibition booths by local and international exhibitors from 16 countries. They were Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Turkey and host country Malaysia.

Complementing the exhibition were hourly fashion shows by local and international designers, gala events, tribute galleries and a Premium Outlet Sale, among many others.

MFW showcased the Spring/Summer 2017 collections of over 100 fashion designers on the runway to potential international buyers, through two MFW fashion components – the Malaysia Fashion Showcase (MFS) featuring Malaysian designers; and the Mercedes-Benz STYLO Asia Fashion Week.

Visitors and trade visitors enjoyed delightful catwalks shows, realising MFW’s objective to bring fashion and lifestyle industry players together under one roof.

MFW visitors and trade buyers saw fabulous designs from top local designers such as Bon Zainal, Bill Keith, Adrianna Yariqa featuring actress, singer and TV host, Fazura, Jo Disaya, Owl by ND (a brand by Nora Danish), Adamaya and many others.

Themed as “Inclusivity”, the MFW highlighted designs from not only brands in Peninsular Malaysia, but from Sabah, Sarawak and the Peranakan community too.

Other than that, visitors experienced inspirational and educational designs in the Tribute Galleries that feature Prof Dato’ Jimmy Choo Gallery, Zang Toi Gallery and the Mercedes Benz Gallery. Another highlight was the MODESTYLE pavilion showcasing high-fashion Muslimah and modest-wear apparels and accessories.

The Pavilion was a crowd-puller represents the current rising demand for functional and fashionable Islamic and modest-wear in the world.

Perhaps, the key event at MFW that elevated the fashion event’s standard compared to other fashion events in Malaysia was the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) – MATRADE’s signature business matching programme that matches local brands with international buyers. This year, over 1,400 business meetings were arranged for local fashion players with potential international partners.

Another star component at the MFW 2016 was the Premium Outlet Sale located at the 3^rd floor of MECC. Visitors can enjoy discounts of up to 70% for genuine luxury goods by internationally renowned brands and also local premium brands.

Positioned as a springboard for Malaysian fashion companies and designers to start their global business, MFW is a public-private initiative aimed at elevating the profile of Malaysia as a fashion capital in the region.

“Being a multi-racial country, Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures, religions and backgrounds, making the nation one-of-a-kind. Fashion, in a region as diverse as Asia, is exciting but challenging too at the same time.

"We hope MFW will provide a conducive environment for fashion players from around the world to create and innovate fashion while trading and learning with one another,” said MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer as well as the Chairman of MFW Dato’ Dzulkifli Mahmud.

Exports of lifestyle and fashion products or also known as ‘soft exports’ for the past recent years have been gaining momentum. In 2015, soft exports rose double digit by 13.2 percent to RM36.91 billion as compared to RM 32.61 billion in the previous year. In the first eight months of 2016, soft exports continued to register steady growth of 5.3 percent to record RM24.76 billion as against RM 23.51 billion in the same period of last year.

“External demand continues to generate ample opportunities for local enterprises to expand their horizon globally despite the global economic uncertainties,” Dato’ Dzulkifli said. For soft exports, the USA topped the list of major markets with RM3.79 billion worth of exports last year, followed by the Singapore (RM3.31 billion), UAE (RM3.01 billion), Japan(RM1.89 billion), Australia (RM0.94 billion), China (RM0.84 billion), Turkey(RM0.60 billion), Indonesia(RM0.55 billion), Vietnam (RM0.50 billion) and South Korea (RM0.48 billion). These top ten markets accounted for 71 percent of Malaysia’s total exports of lifestyle goods.

MFW 2016’s official partners are Epson Sdn Bhd, Malindo Air, United Overseas Bank (UOB), Spectrum, IACT College & Brickfields Asia College (BAC), Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar, A Cut Above, Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA), Ortea, Cium Kissable Lipbalm, Empro, Slimming Sanctuary, Fortunate Coffee, Coway, Grabcar.

FACT FILE

INTRADE FEATURING MALAYSIA FASHION WEEK 2016

1) INTRADE exhibition

A fashion trade exhibition to support and showcase fashion and its related industries. The exhibition will include local and international designers, manufacturers and players covering the following categories / clusters:

· Fashion, Apparels & Accessories

· Beauty, Hair & Cosmetics

· Jewellery

· Arts & Handicrafts

· Lifestyle & Interior

· Textile & Peripherals

2) Mercedes-Benz STYLO Asia Fashion Week (MBSAFW)

MFW 2016 also sees the injection of luxury automaker, Mercedes-Benz presenting the Asian segment called “Mercedes-Benz STYLO Asia Fashion Week (MBSAFW)” to further boost the trade fashion event. MBSAFW presents a list of the best Asian designers from various Asian countries with MFW serving as a platform to showcase their creations.

Ranked as the 30th fashion week in the world, this “Asia for Asia” fashion week will feature international designers from 15 countries from the ASEAN and Asian region.

Malaysia Fashion Week will be held from 2-5 November 2016 at MATRADE Exhibition &Convention Centre (MECC), Jalan Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Businesses seeking to increase and widen their brand and product exposure in Asia and beyond are encouraged to join the INTRADE exhibition and designers of all categories are invited to sign up for the Trade Fashion Showcase to present their best season collection for Spring/Summer 2017. For more information, log on to www.malaysiafashionweek.my

About MATRADE

MATRADE, the National Trade Promotion Agency, under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia or MITI, is responsible for promoting Malaysian enterprises to the world.

The organisation is also actively involved in assisting foreign companies to source for suppliers of Malaysian products and services. MATRADE is represented worldwide in more than 46 locations in major commercial cities.

About STYLO International

STYLO was conceived as a lifestyle fringe activity to support Formula 1™ races in the region. It first premiered in Kuala Lumpur as one of the eight great events of the KLGP's exciting '8 on 10' programme to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of F1 in Sepang.

Using the tagline 'fashion's merely the excuse', the concept of merging the work of top Malaysian designers, inspirations of international fashion with strongly themed fashion after-parties brought thousands from the region's stylish, fashionable and racing-mad enthusiasts to come together under one roof.

The success of STYLO in providing intriguing lifestyle activities surrounding Formula 1™ earned it a place as one of the most glamorous official highlights of the Singapore GP season when the republic held the first Formula 1™ night-race in the world.