In an effort to provide a platform for aspiring fashion designers to shine, ESMOD KL has teamed up with Avenue K to bring you ‘Stories’, a retail initiative. Recently launched, this pop-up store hosts tons of exciting apparel, art as well as food and beverages, making it the ultimate destination for style enthusiasts!
‘Stories’ kicked off with 10 talented fashion designers from ESMOD KL who were given the chance to showcase their masterpieces to the public. They will be exhibiting their collection alongside celebrated fashion designer Eric Choong, whose Batik-inspired apparel will also be made available at lot M-1, Mezzanine Floor, Avenue K from now onwards.
Showcased at the launch through an exciting fashion show were outfits from Bunbun, MOM, Homun Hooi, scotty., Vibrate Malaysia, GIOVANI PHANDI, Lhy, Lazyheads, ANGEL PONG and LIREN, the impressive collections of our talented ESMODians. Members of the public were awe-struck by the parading of unique ready-to-wear apparel down the escalators and onto the striking fashion runway. Besides that, entertaining performances and scrumptious snacks awaited the attendees of the fun event.
Renowned Malaysian fashion designer Eric Choong and his exclusive Batik-inspired collection.
The fashion designers themselves were also present to attend to any questions or queries the attendees had about their collections. This presented a unique opportunity for both the buyer and the retailer as customers do not usually get to meet the creative talent behind their apparel. This made for memorable moments as they exchanged feedbacks, opinions and more.
Present at the launch was Pang Sze Sze, the General Manager of Avenue K who expressed excitement over the talents’ creations, “each with its own design inspirations and stories to tell and all woven into the rich colours, gorgeous prints, funky interpretations and unique styles that define what STORIES is all about, the space for which creativity knows no bound”.
Representative of The One Academy, Loke Va Nee highlighted the recent achievements of the creative institute and the opportunity for more partnerships in her speech, stating that “of recent we have been awarded World’s Top Best Concept Art and Illustration school for the Rookie Award 2019 based on our students work submissions and we are more than pleased to share our creative growth with Avenue K and for further collaborations in bridging retail, fashion and education”.
The ESMOD and Avenue K team as well as the fashion designers with their models.
When asked about the challenges faced while preparing for this project, one of the designers, Homun Hooi, said “time was definitely a challenge. We had to design, prepare and produce a number of outfits in time for the opening. However, it was truly a remarkable experience”.
Another young designer involved, Liew Hui Ying who produced the collection Lhy stated that activities such as these gave them a chance to scope out the market. “We are able to see for ourselves what the consumers want, what they don’t like and more. That kind of feedback is really important, helps us improve our work based on market needs”, she said.
Besides giving the up-and-coming designers a chance to promote their label and collections, Stories also allows the public to immerse themselves in local talent and marvel at the amazing ensembles on hand. Ventures such as these are in line with ESMOD KL’s aim of nurturing fashion designers who are not only able to meet the demands of the industry but also to go above and beyond in the fashion world.
Stylish rewards await shoppers who spend at Stories featuring exclusive giveaways from ESMOD Kuala Lumpur designers, the Art of Eric Choong as well as Midorie Café. Head on over to Stories in Avenue K to see, shop and support our local fashion designers!
Indeed, students of ESMOD Kuala Lumpur are always encouraged to challenge themselves by participating in competitions that expose them to real life industry practice to put to test what they have already learnt from ESMOD Kuala Lumpur, which is under the umbrella of the world’s first and oldest fashion school in the world with over 170 years of history! As one of the leading fashion design institutions in the country, ESMOD Kuala Lumpur pledges to provide the best education programme and continues to nurture its students passionately through the world class intensive course of ESMOD Fashion Design & Pattern Making.
For more information, visit www.esmod.edu.my or call +603-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected] / [email protected]
One of the outfits designed by a talented ESMODian, available at Stories in Avenue K.
