Award-winning designers aim to enthrall global audience at MSE 2009
Six of Malaysia's award winning design houses are set to captivate global audiences at this year's Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE 2009), running from March 17 to 19 at the Dubai Airport Expo.
Firmly established in the local scene, Jendela KL, Melinda Looi, Tom Abang Saufi, Khoon Hooi, Ridz Collection and Deanoor International are already making their mark on the world stage and are hungry for more.
With a growing international clientele and a long list of acclaimed shows in Paris, London, Tokyo, Dubai, Sydney, and beyond, the six influential design houses aim to raise the profile of Malaysian design. Their international experiences, capabilities and awards indubitably illustrate that they are on par with any other international designer and are prepared for serious expansion.
MSE 2009 will bring together the six designers in its Gallery of Design to showcase a range of services that speak of the quality of locally conceptualised and produced design, from haute couture to prêt-a-porter to ID to living accessories to corporate branding to design consultation and more.
Further underscoring the unique value of Malaysian design services is the distinct touch of a rich local culture within a contemporary frame, as exceptionally demonstrated by the six participating design houses who are Malaysian in spirit but global in appeal.
Deanoor International has taken great strides in promoting its batik designs on the international stage, with a solo show of its masterpieces scheduled for the upcoming Milan Fashion Week in September 2009. MSE 2009 will also witness the launch of Deanoor's Fabric D'Art, a signature collection that has won the appreciation of fashion icons like Mariella Burani and Giorgio Armani.
A firm believer in the relevance of batik to the Malaysian identity, Jendela KL is a master in a weaving the ethnic art into contemporary lifestyles and trends. Launched a few years ago as a boutique promoting exquisite batik to an exclusive clientele, Jendela KL today is a sought after fashion brand with five different portfolios.
Melinda Looi, crowned twice as Designer of the Year at the Malaysia International Fashion Week, is famous for her signature avant-garde and vintage style. She has three distinct brands - Melinda Looi Couture, Melinda Looi Prêt-à-Porter and MELL - and a global clientele spanning the US, Europe, Australia, South Africa and the Middle East.
Tom Abang Saufi's designs, deftly articulated in fabric as well as her fashion columns, reflect a carefree spirit and fun-loving approach to life. Tom creates with the modern woman in mind, her design goals being minimum fuss and maximum style accentuated by a bold use of colour.
Unabashedly addicted to natural fibre, Khoon Hooi believes the power of women is in her feminineness. Clothier Creation, which he founded in 1999 has admirers across the globe for its soft, flowing bridal wears, and has already strut the catwalk in New York, Texas, California, London, Kuwait, Taiwan and Singapore.
'Though it is my first show in Dubai, I am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead at MSE 2009. It is a great platform for Clothier creation to showcase all our design services," Hooi commented.
Ridz Collection, the brainchild of the young and exceptionally talented designer and entrepreneur Encik Ridzuan Buhari, is hailed as a 'contemporary classic' in batik and chiffon and are worn by many celebrities and stars in international stages. "I have always had Malaysia and the world in my mind in my approach to hand-painted motifs and designs. MSE 2009 will certainly be a good opportunity to showcase the versatility of our services and our capability to meet the demands of the Middle East market," Ridzuan remarked.
MSE 2009 is being organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the national trade promotion organisation of Malaysia, which has 34 offices across the world, including in Dubai and Jeddah. The exhibition will bring together 202 service providers from 13 industry clusters, aiming to expand their coverage into the vibrant and emerging markets in the Middle East, North Africa and CIS.
"Malaysia has a dynamic services sector lending its knowledge capital and skill sets to industries, businesses and organisations worldwide. Aesthetics is an essential element of the quality for which Malaysian services are known for and in recent years this sense of finesse and finish has found its true reflection on the exquisite collections of our design houses," said Noraslan Hadi Abdul Kadir, Trade Commissioner of Malaysia in Dubai.
"Dubai being a major stop for fashionistas and the leading source market for a large, extended region, MSE 2009 will be a useful meeting point for the participating designers and their potential clients," Mr Abdul Kadir concluded.
MSE 2009 follows the success of the inaugural Malaysia Services Exhibition held at Sharjah Expo in 2008. Other industry clusters represented at MSE 2009 are: construction, engineering, financial services, healthcare and hospital-related services, ICT, oil & gas, education and specialised training, energy and power generation, logistics and transportation, professional services, franchising and art.
MSE Objectives
Promote services from Malaysia to West Asia and surrounding regions (MENA) - Gain and further enhance the visibility of Malaysian services capabilities and expertise;
Brand Malaysian services by showcasing Malaysian companies' achievements in the international arena;
Provide an avenue for Malaysian services providers to network and forge strategic alliances with their potential clients or partners overseas; and
Provide a platform for international businesses to source the best of Malaysian services for their needs
-Ends-
About MATRADE
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) was established on March 1, 1993 as the external trade promotion arm of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). Its functions are:
- To promote, assist and develop Malaysia's external trade with particular emphasis on the export of manufactured and semi-manufactured products and services;
- To formulate and implement export marketing strategies and trade promotion activities to promote Malaysia's export;
- To undertake commercial intelligence and market research and create a comprehensive database of information for the improvement and development of Malaysia's trade;
- To organise training programmes to improve the international marketing skills of Malaysian exporters;
- To enhance and protect Malaysia's international trade investment abroad; and
- To promote, facilitate and assist in the services areas related to trade.
For further information on MSE 2009, please go to www.malaysianservices.com or contact:
In GCC and surrounding countries
Mr. Ahmadur Rahman
Marketing Officer
MATRADE Dubai
GL: +971-4-335 5528
DL: +971-4-335 5538
Fax : +971-4-335-2220
Mr. Walid Abu Shaban
Communication officer
Media Hub International
Mob.: +971 50 6469751
Tel: +971 4 2972740
Fax: +971 4 2972741
In Malaysia
Mr. Jonathan Rao
Head of Corporate Communications
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation
GL: 603- 6207-7077
DL: 603-6207 7402
Fax: 603-6203 7194
© Press Release 2009
