Committed to upholding the guiding principles of style, luxury, innovation and craftsmanship that together form the long-standing connection with the world of fashion, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia presented the second instalment of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week KL (MBFWKL) to great success across four themed nights (Cutting-Edge Malaysian Designers, ConnectionAsia Showcase, International Trends Showcase and Mercedes- Benz Gala) at the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, in partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, NARS, Kimarie, TRESemmé, Habib Jewels, Somersby and Martell.
The exclusive invitation-only event saw the attendance of over 1,000 guests throughout the four nights. While Mercedes-Benz took the occasion to showcase its vehicles from four product portfolios in grand style, including Compact Cars, Limousines, SUVs and Dream Cars, MBFWKL featured an astounding array of fashion by upcoming local designers, regional and international renowned fashion players, including bespoke menswear by S. Bahar, playful and quirky women’s ready-to-wear by Kittie Yiyi, luxury eveningwear by Brian Khoo, innovative menswear by Nuboaix, Malaysia’s leading designer of modern luxury womenswear Khoon Hooi, and CH Carolina Herrera as the gala’s international highlight.
As a media partner, Augustman Malaysia had the pleasure of attending the ConnectionAsia Showcase, featuring designers from around the region, and discover the latest collections from Malaysia’s Justin Yap, known for his sartorial interpretations of feminine elegance; Singapore’s Nuboaix, featuring street-cum active menswear with a cutting-edge twist; Jakarta’s Hian Tjen, with a modern, elegant collection inspired by an indigenous group of people in Peru; and Thailand’s Tawn C, who delivered chic, playful luxe in simple, feminine silhouettes and sophisticated details.
Besides the runway show from the designers with their collections, the Mercedes Benz Gala night also announced the winner of the Fashion Futures Design Competition, Will Lim, selected by a panel of judges made up of Khoon Hooi; Cho Wee Chee, renowned stylist; Natasha Kraal, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia; and Elaine Hew, general manager of marketing communications and sales and marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
New under the MBFWKL spotlight was the Model Mentorship Programme, where a total of 130 models joined the casting session that was held earlier this year. Only eight models were shortlisted to be personally trained in all aspects of modelling by the producers of MBFWKL and undergo a complete makeover by Kimarie Salons and NARS. The models made their runway debut during the four nights of MBFWKL 2019 by walking for some of the designers, simultaneously launching their modelling career.
Photographs: Saufi Nadzri