Smart casual combos
A new range, launched last year by an established fashion brand, promises practical, wearable ensembles, writes Meera Murugesan
CLOTHES should be easy, versatile, suited to our everyday life and still, make us feel fabulous. A tall order you may say but Mimpikita has pulled this off with its diffusion like, Mkita, which was launched last year.
With casual, stylish ensembles that fit the average woman in gorgeous colours and prints, these are clothes which take you from the office to casual dates or fun times with friends.
Mimpikita is known for its beautifully embellished stand-out bridal and bespoke designs but the brand decided it was also time to come up with a more practical line, hence the launch of Mkita.
“This is a wearable, everyday range and we came up with the idea because we wanted a diffusion line, with more practical, basic pieces which could complement existing Mimpikita pieces,” says Nurul Zulkifli, creative director of Mimpikita.
Mkita is also the brand’s CSR project as a portion of sales from the line will be channelled to worthy causes.
THE EVERYDAY WOMAN
Mkita comprises tops, pants and skirts as well as baju kurung in designs which make them appealing as everyday wear.
Casual drawstring pants with side seam pockets, made from a blend of cotton and polyester, for example, are both comfy and stylish and come in shades like emerald green and nude, while loose fitting turtleneck tops with three quarter sleeves and front patch pockets, are ideal as office wear. Coming in colours like mustard yellow or off white, these blouses are the perfect complement to a basic skirt or pant.
A boxy-cut striped top (in either orange or green) is also part of the range and offers multiple possibilities.
It has a turtleneck collar and a detachable belted tie at the waist. It comes in long sleeves and a relaxed fit and is an easy match with a plain skirt or smart tailored pants.
Long sleeved shirts with overlapping cuffs, feminine tops with bell sleeves which look great with jeans, and classic asymmetrical skirts are also part of the Mkita collection. The skirts are stretchable with side zips and have a relaxed vibe.
“While we love cotton, to keep the pricing for this range affordable, we could not use 100 per cent cotton but instead a blend of cotton and polyester and also polyester and viscose, and while the colour scheme is mostly neutral, there are occasional pops of colour like dark green, mustard yellow and fuschia pink,” says Nurul.
She adds that Mkita was conceptualised as a range that will take you from day to night easily and also offers pieces that can be worn over the weekend with jeans.
The target customer is between the ages of 18 and 55, and while some of the ensembles are very basic, others have a little twist to them such as extra detailing on the sleeves or buttons.
There are also individual pieces which can be styled in two or three different ways.
“Basically, this is a range with a lot of possibilities and will appeal to women who want a versatile everyday wardrobe.”