ESTABLISHED LABELS VS START-UP BRANDS

What is the future of Malaysian fashion?

- SANJEEVA SURESH

How would one describe Malaysian fashion? Malaysian fashion in my opinion is the amalgamation of the nation's multi-cultural roots melded with the dynamism of forward-thinking tastemakers. From young designers who dare to strive for sartorial innovation to red-carpet savants and Muslimah, conservative fashion. In recent years, however, there has been a rise of smaller brands who are shaking up the status quo and in turn, stamping their own unique mark onto the Malaysian fashion market.

A recent tête-à-tête with a friend made me realize that local fashion brands are burgeoning one after the other and more often than not, they were spearheaded by young entrepreneurs with a large social media presence. This begs the question "why"? Is it because there's a gap in the market? A new unforeseen silhouette, pattern, or textile perhaps? Well, not really. It all comes down to branding and demand.

Take MotherChucker's for instance, founded by social media mogul and entrepreneur Jane Chuck. Mother Chucker's gained popularity during the height of the pandemic in 2020 where work-from-home culture saw a growing demand for loungewear and fuss-free staples. "It's elevated classics", says Jason the Merchandising Manager at MotherChucker's who explains that MotherChucker's have their "fingers on the pulse of current events to convey something aspirational, yet not too far-fetched from reality". Where Mother Chucker's found its own niche, so did fellow start-up label Haus of Rami. Founded by Aaron Z and Shan Shan Lim Haus of Rami was conceptualized to "craft shirts of the highest calibre". Drawing inspiration from textile traditions across the globe Haus of Rami strives to create limited-edition wearable art honing into one craft-shirt making.