MERCEDES BENZ STYLO ASIA FASHION FESTIVAL’s 10th
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATIONS KICK OFF WITH
“FASHION OSCARS PRESENTING MY
FAIR LADY…OR GENTLEMEN”
A SHOWCASE OF GLAMOUROUS
EVENING WEAR BY DESIGNERS AND THEIR MUSES
To
mark its 10th anniversary, Malaysia’s leading fashion festival, the Mercedes-Benz STYLO AsiaFashionFestival 2017 kicked off five nights of fashion entertainment in a stunning display of creativity and colour at its opening gala
at Bangsar South’s KL Gateway Mall.
Themed, “50 shades of RED”, this year’s festival saw the
newly opened KL Gateway Mall transformed into a glitzy and glamourous cinematic
platform to honour the classic icons of fashion, TV and movies past and
present. Bedecked in red and black with crystal chandeliers, the concourse area
and third floor of the prestigious shopping mall took on an air of glitzy
sophistication as designers and guests prepared for a multi-sensorial night of
drama.
A classic black and red STYLO arch stood at the entrance of KL Gateway Mall and a
resplendent display of the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz automobiles greeted
A-listers as they moved along the red carpet.
In signifying the opening of the festival, a beautiful
carriage embellished with tinsel was drawn out onto the concourse bearing a red
STYLO tape. Following that, a
ribbon-cutting ceremony commenced, led by Dato Nancy Yeoh-Reissiger, President
& CEO of STYLO International and Chairman
of MBSTYLOAFF together with Dr. Claus
Weidner, President, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia; Professor Datuk (Dr) Jimmy Choo
OBE, Honorary Advisor of Mercedes-Benz STYLO AsiaFashionFestival; Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Group
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of The Star Media Group; Datuk
Ter Leong Hing, Group Managing Director, Suez Capital Sdn Bhd; Datin Winnie
Loo, Chief Executive Officer, Director and Creative Director of A Cut Above; Jeremy
Khaw, Commercial Manager for Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand Beam Suntory; and
Julia Teo, Associate Marketing Director for Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena.
Models wearing specially designed STYLO t-shirts then appeared on
a specially constructed runway as a prelude to the night’s fashion
entertainment.
Dato
Nancy Yeoh said, “On behalf of STYLO, we are pleased to present our 10th
anniversary edition showcasing the best of Asian and Malaysian fashion. STYLO began as a lifestyle fringe event in support of
the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 10 years ago, and I’m proud to say that it has gone
on to become one of the most visible and talked-about fashion events in the
region.”
The
night opened with “Fashion Oscars
presents My Fair Lady or Gentlemen”, featuring glamourous evening gowns,
party dresses and dapper suits from Malaysian and International fashion
designers and their muses. The show
premiered with a range of creatively quirky bags depicting the grace and beauty
of migratory birds by Illiza Ho, a Malaysia-based Taiwanese designer and
protégé of world-renowned shoe couturier, Professor Datuk (Dr) Jimmy Choo OBE. This
was quickly followed by a presentation of eight high street “My Fair Lady Goes
to Malaysia” looks in black, navy blue, maroon and brown by Nawre.
Next,
Malaysian couturier, Keith Kee showcased a colourful range of French lace and
silk bridal dresses to an appreciative audience before Bran et Daguet took to
the stage with stylish wear depicting the transformation of Eliza from flower
girl to high society lady. Tangoo presented an enchanting, elegant collection
that brings out the sophistication and mystique of a woman. The mood of the
show then switched to being light and flirty with Bluebelle by Nadia Razak showcasing
chic, crisp white separates and soft ruffles combined with songket and
embellishments putting a modern take on traditional elements. Dominique Chan
showcased sexy but classy couture emphasizing simplicity and contemporary
design whilst Ashley@Kapas presented another dimension of Anita Sarawak –
black, sleek and sexy designs.
Guests
were treated to a beatbox performance before the second part of the night
commenced with a show themed, “Dark Romance - English Rose Garden” by Malaysian
designer, Toi – The Dressmaker featuring stunning gowns and elaborate eclectic
headgear by Bremen Wong. Wong also showcased two of his own signature looks at
the show. Following the fashion show, participating designers and their muses
were presented with the Fashion Oscars Winner 2017 awards.
The
opening night ended with a grand finale photo opportunity with designers, muses
and festival partners on stage; and beatboxers and models on percussion leading
guests to the after party.
Mark Raine of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia said, “Mercedes-Benz
is pleased to return as the title sponsor of yet another STYLO AsiaFashionFestival which
has become Malaysia’s premier fashion event. This year’s MBSTYLOAFF is particularly special
as it marks the 10th Anniversary of STYLO and 10th
year partnership between Mercedes-Benz and STYLO International.
“Mercedes-Benz is a committed
supporter of fashion industries around the world and we are excited to join in
the festivities in celebration of excellence in creativity and design as we
showcase our newest range of automobiles this fashion season,” added Raine.
Partners and sponsors of this year’s MBSTYLOAFF include KL Gateway Mall, Neutrogena, Auchentoshan Whisky,
Mantra Rooftop Bar & Lounge, Trinidad Tobacco, Truefitt & Hill, Robb
Report, Luxury Guide, Airbus Helicopters Malaysia, Fraser Yachts, A Cut Above,
Keep It Local, The International SeaKeepers Society Asia, Fashion Revolution,
VistaJet, LOGO, Nestle® Kit Kat®, Makeup Miracle and BIMS International.
About STYLO
Launched with Mercedes Benz in 2007 by SPB
Tuanku Nur Zahirah, the Raja Permaisuri Agung and Dato' Jimmy Choo, STYLO was
conceived as a fashion and lifestyle fringe event in celebration of the 10th
year of F1 racing in Sepang. The first STYLO event, held in March
2008 was called the STYLO KL Fashion Festival. 5 months later, it entered Singapore with
Mercedes Benz as its principal sponsor for the launch of the first ever F1
night race in Singapore and was called STYLO Singapore Fashion Festival.
Two years later it was renamed as the
Mercedes-Benz STYLO Fashion Grand Prix. Subsequently,
STYLO spread its wings beyond Malaysia’s borders with events organised in
fashion partnership with Mercedes Benz in Delhi, Mumbai, Prague and Mexico City
as it celebrated the combination of speed and fashion.
Next came Jakarta and London in 2011.
In conjunction with Mercedes-Benz’ 150th
anniversary celebrations in 2012, Mercedes-Benz STYLO Asia Fashion Week
(AFW) was born and held its first AFW concurrently as the STYLO Fashion
Grand Prix.
Malaysian External Trade Development
Corporation (MATRADE) and STYLO became partners in 2013 with the Malaysia Fashion Week. It is the
country's first B2B fashion initiative; in 2015 Malaysia Fashion Week brought
RM126 millions of soft exports to the country. The MFW runs concurrently with
the AFW, bringing participants from over 17 countries to Malaysia every
November.
This year, the Malaysia Formula One will
no longer be held in March but in October. STYLO will be showcased as
a fashion show at the evening of the Mercedes Benz Petronas F1 party.
However, in maintaining the tradition of
having a fashion event every March since 2008, the Mercedes Benz STYLO AsiaFashionFestival has been created in March featuring Autumn Winter and classic
collections from top Asian designers for a B2C showcase. These include
accessories designers such as hair, make up, bags and shoes.
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NADIA RAZAK OF BLUBELLE AND DOMINIQUE CHAN
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