MBFWKL 2022 UNDERSCORES LOCAL TALENTS & THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY
Held at Zepp Kuala Lumpur over three consecutive days and a ended by over 1,000 guests ranging from local designers, celebrities, socialites, fashion muses and fans of Mercedes-Benz, the fou h edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week KL (MBFWKL) successfully took its course in 2022 with the theme “Electrifying Sustainability,” featuring some of the biggest and upcoming names in the local and regional fashion industry including Joe Chia, Carven Ong, Justin Yap, Unitedwood by Jonathan Cheng and Voon Lai, Wardrobe, Outdwell by Oscar Lee, Afiq M and more.
The theme, according to Sagree Sardien, CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and head of Region, South East Asia II, was “in line with our global commitment to go carbon neutral by 2039 as well as our commitment to fashion which spans over 20 years in the international arena. Through our ‘Sensual Purity’ designs and innovative technology, we want to create an emotional experience when it comes to luxury and sustainability.”
Michael Jopp, vice president of sales and marketing, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, added, “Design is deeply rooted in our core and so is sustainability. With our newly launched EQ range and our global commitment to lead in electric, it is amazing to see how these designers drew inspiration from our EQ models and are also leading sustainable change in the fashion industry without compromising the unique emotional and sensual appeal.”
As MBFWKL continues to serve as a pla orm for upcoming and seasoned designers to showcase their collections and inspirations through the Fashion Futures design competition, this year, five designers were handpicked to produce four sets of original ready-to-wear looks incorporating sustainability in their final collections. Winner of the MBFWKL 2022 Fashion Futures design competition, Helmy Harun, was awarded an allexpenses-paid trip to a end an international Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week event and gain fu her exposure and insights on the fashion industry.
In addition to the original collections presented by the Fashion Futures contestants, Augustman had the pleasure of discovering the innovative talent of Oscar Lee, creative director of Outdwell, who floored us with his strong and radical take on menswear, and pe ect blend of edgy style and technical savoir-faire. MBFWKL 2022 was brought to a spectacular close by our very own Men of the Year award-recipient Joe Chia, who throughout the decade has truly lived up to his name as one of the most prominent iconoclasts of the fashion avant-garde. Last but not least, a big shoutout to our A-Lister Saint Kylo for keeping the energy going and the spirits high in between the shows with your signature dynamic pe ormance.