Melinda Looi scores another sparkling achievement

Homegrown couturier Melinda Looi scores another sparkling achievement.

WE know her for her avant-garde designs – beautiful pieces that marry modern lines with traditional details and fashion with art.

Since she burst into the fashion scene a decade ago winning the Asia Pacific Young Designer Award in Hong Kong, Looi has been at the forefront of Malaysian fashion. Most recently, Looi mesmerised the audience at FemmeCity (an exhibition fair organised by Clove, The Star’s monthly women’s pullout) with provocative, whimsical dresses via a fashion showcase.

Whether it’s her couture or pret-a-porter lines, Looi has always created pieces that are often elaborate and always unconventional. All these we know.

What many of us are unaware of, however, is that Looi has a line of abayas which she has been steadily developing for the past 10 years.

Though she has local clientele – both Muslim and non-Muslim – most of her abayas are bought by customers from the Middle East.

Many of these women have been loyal fans of Looi’s designs for the past decade and track her new collections via her fashion shows as well as her website.

Looi’s decision to dabble in Islamic fashion was not merely a shrewd business move (Islamic-wear is, after all, a fast-growing segment of the worldwide fashion industry). Rather, she designs abayas (the long-flowing robes commonly worn by Muslim women in the Middle East) because she is herself fascinated by them.

“I am not a Muslim but I fell in love with the abaya and Islamic fashion a while ago. It is so simple and yet so elegant. It’s beautiful. I feel there are no boundaries. Fashion is fashion,” says Looi in a recent interview.

So popular is she in the field that Looi was selected as the only Malaysian designer (one of four South-East Asian designers) invited to be a part of Jawaher, a brochure produced by Swarovski Elements featuring luxe Islamic fashion.

The brochure was photographed by acclaimed fashion photographer Neil Kirk and sees the participation of designers such as Stuart Wietzman (representing the United States), Hugo Boss (Germany), Christian Louboutin (France), Sebastian Gunawan, Biyan and So Nice by Aveda (from Indonesia).

 ‘It’s a big achievement because they are featured with top designers like Ungaro,’ says Anna Hoetzeneder.

Jawaher was launched in May with a special fashion event in Dubai where the sparkling designs featured in the brochure were paraded on the catwalk.

Looi’s stunning design for the occasion was a songket kaftan made from Royal Terengganu Songket set with Swarovski Elements. She also designed her first line of sunglasses using the crystals and several jewellery pieces.

“When Swarovski Elements first approached me, I was very, very excited and happy,” recalls Looi.

“Usually, trends-driven books like Jawaher only feature foreign designers. Asian designers are very rarely featured, so it is really a big honour and it has opened up a new window (of opportunity) for me.”

Looi’s dark chocolate kaftan has all of her trademarks: French Lace, intricate detailing and a beautiful mix of modernity and culture. Also, as with all her work, the designer infuses her love for nature in her design, using the lace and crystals to create beautiful flowers.

Looi explains the concept of her design.

“The songket is so beautiful just on its own so I didn’t want to overpower it with complicated designs. I just highlighted its beauty with embellishment around the collar and the cuffs. When you first see someone, you focus on the front and that’s where I focused all the detailing,” she says.

Choosing Looi to be part of Jawaher was a no-brainer, says Anna Hoetzeneder, Swarovski Elements’ manager for South-East Asia.

“We’ve had a very close relationship with Melinda for close to 10 years and so it was very obvious that we would include her in the project. I am very excited about Melinda’s designs as well as the work of the other designers from South-East Asia and also, very proud. It’s a big achievement because they are featured with top designers like Ungaro and they stood out very well,” gushes Hoetzeneder.

Looi has been using Swarovki Elements in her collections practically since she started designing.

“They inspire me. I love using crystals ... they’re magical, don’t you think? I am a dreamy person and crystals evoke that kind of feeling ... like a fairy tale. Every little girl wants to be a princess!”

Being a part of Jawaher secures Looi’s place as a designer of not just Western couture but also Islamic high fashion.

“I still have a lot to learn about Islamic fashion but I am happy that my designs have been accepted,” adds Looi.

On the local front, the designer has been part of the Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) in Kuala Lumpur as well as in Jakarta, Indonesia for the past three years. The experience gained from participating in the IFF (founded by Datuk Raja Rezza Shah) has been priceless, according to Looi.