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Everything you need to know about KLFW 2021

03.11.2021

By Kelly Lim

Everything you need to know about KLFW 2021

After last year’s all-digital showcase, Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week makes a grand physical return this year at the heart of the city in Pavilion KL. Including local favourites Alia Bastaman, Behati, Kit Woo and Borneo-born Wynka, a total of 48 homegrown designers will be showcasing their latest ready-to-wear collections, both digitally and in real life, as part of KLFW’s biggest show yet. Read on for everything you need to know about the comeback:

1. The week-long of local fashion kicked off with digital shows on Monday via hurr.tv, where 14 shows and 12 designers including Celeste, Cassey Gan and Andy Bandy, presented their collections, alongside meet-the-designer segments and talks with industry insiders on the current and future state of the industry. Missed it? You can watch a playback of the whole thing here.

 

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2. Celebrating KLFW’s joyous return to the IRL world, a total of 26 physical shows will be taking flight throughout the week, where local designers such as Alia Bastaman, Behati, Kit Woo, Rizman Ruzaini, and Borneo-based Wynka will be presenting their latest ready-to-wear collections in the middle of Pavilion KL.

3. Physical shows will kickstart with a launch on November 3 to unveil the Top 12 Winners from the Samsung Model Search. Each of the winners will be wearing one look from the participating designers of the week, as part of a preview presentation that will pay homage to the resilience and continuous creativity of local talents during difficult times.

 

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4. KLFW will also be reviving ‘Thread of Heritage,  A Truly Malaysian Textiles’ exhibition as part of their initiative to foster a deeper appreciation for the local fashion and textile industry. Running from November 3 to 7, the exhibition will be a tribute to Malaysia’s lush versatile textiles and is showcased by Cheminahsayang. The one-of-a-kind collection features a hand-blocked batik design intricately curated by Her Majesty, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and produced exclusively by Yus of Kakee Batik.

5. Joining in the exhibition is also a new initiative called The Patung Project, which sees KLFW collaborate with Taylor’s University and Barbie Mattel in an effort to showcase and preserve the hallmark of the diverse arts and crafts across different ethnicities in Malaysia. Students from Taylor’s Fashion Design Technology programme will be presenting their artwork at KLFW’s exhibition, which features a series of Barbie dolls dressed in garments based on four artisanal themes: Nyonya Beading, Tekat Embroidery, Calligraphy and Henna. The exhibition will also be taking place at Pavilion KL throughout the week.

6. 2021 will also see KLFW introduce the first-ever Kuala Lumpur Fashion Awards, a prestigious fashion award that celebrates both the industry and its designers. Presented by Lexus Malaysia, it will be Malaysia’s first fashion-focused award and will “also serve as a platform to highlight undiscovered talents,” according to Akio Takeyama, Deputy Chairman of Lexus Malaysia.

Stay tuned for updates. 

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