Natural winner

FUELLED by a passion for all-natural fabrics, buoyed by a quirky sense of fun, Malaysian designer Melinda Looi entered the Asia-Pacific Young Fashion Designer Show 2000 in Hong Kong--practically at the last minute, mind you--and walked away with the grand prize. 

The 26-year-old from Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, is the first Malaysian to win the top prize in this prestigious competition that draws participants from over 17 countries every year. The closest Malaysia came was when Eric Choong took the second prize back in 1998. 

Looi with the models clad in her winning designs.

The contest, which is held in Hong Kong annually, required the designers to produce eight creations to show by Jan 17. But Looi only made up her mind to enter after hearing about it at a Malaysian Official Designers Association (MODA) meeting last July--which didn't leave her a lot of time. 

But the young designer was determined to go through with it. 

"I wanted to gain more exposure and meet international designers," she told The Star after returning triumphant from Hong Kong a week after the competition. 

She wasn't the only one to think she should enter the competition. MODA president Orson Wong said Looi was the perfect candidate as she had what it takes to compete. 

"The competition requires designers to come up with creative ready-to-wear designs and Melinda fit well into this category," Wong said, adding that financial backing from her family had also helped. (Looi's sister Beatrice is also a designer and her mother runs a dressmaking business.) 

The fact that the young woman already had several competitions--and wins--under her belt also helped enormously. In 1995 she won the MODA Young Designers Competition; that same year she became second runner-up at the Asean Young Designers Contest in Singapore, and took the Cotton Award at the Young Designers Contest in Japan. In 1997, she took first prize at the Vo Lait (White Creations) contest in Montreal, Canada; her Canadian sojourn was the result of a scholarship that had been part of her MODA contest prize in 1995. 

A trench coat with silk organza skirt under it.

With such experience, having only six months to create designs captivating enough to melt the hardened hearts of competition judges didn't seem too impossible. Besides, she already had an idea in mind thanks to her fascination with natural fabrics. 

So off she went on a round of research ... and more research and yet more research: "The more I researched, the more difficult it was to select the perfect combination. I came across so many types of colours and fabrics," she sighed. 

Again, it was Looi's sense for things natural that bubbled up and influenced her decision. She chose colour combinations that consisted of earthy shades or, as she put it, "(my designs) revolve around 'mundane' colours like brown, green and black." She worked with fabrics like mohair, silk organza, and Chinese and Thai raw silk, spending almost RM10,000 in all. 

Accessories in silver, coral, bone and leather added an interesting primitive touch that complemented the natural fabrics and colours Looi used. Then there were those cow horns, of course ... that was Looi's fun side coming to the fore, obviously! 

The collection was named Tales for an interesting reason: "Each design that I created had its very own character and it reminded me of every individual who has their role to play in life," said Looi. 

It was a proud Looi who, accompanied by family and friends, watched her designs being displayed in front of an appreciative fashion-savvy audience in Hong Kong. 

"It was hard work but, in the end, it was a joy being able to see my designs paraded on that stage." 

Looi's hard work paid off when she beat 16 other contestants and brought home an array of prizes including a challenge trophy, a Swarovski crystal trophy, and a return air ticket to Hong Kong. 

"I never thought that I could bag the grand prize as there were many creative outfits by other designers there," said the young designer with refreshing modesty. 

Melinda Looi's sense of fun shows in this outfit comprising a silk singlet, silk apron and pleated A-line skirt.

So how does the Malaysian public get its hands on Looi's designs? She markets a line of them in Designer Corner at Isetan in Lot 10 shopping complex, Kuala Lumpur. 

The collection on display at the shop reveals a range of items made from Indian and Thai raw silk. Looi is indulging in her long-held admiration for intricate and elaborate designs--there are a lot of these elements in material from India and Thailand. 

"I simply love saree material as it can be easily transformed into lovely outfits," she enthused. 

Looi has plans in the future for her own label, she said confidently: "I am just starting out in this industry. I hope to be able to have my very own boutique with my own label one day." 

Confidence and talent are a potent brew. What do you bet Melinda Looi will make her mark one day? 

For enquiries, call Melinda Looi 017-881 0240. 
 
 

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