Fashion to the fore
NO celebration is complete without fashion. As it is, the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) anniversary also witnessed a grand and fabulous runway show.
Curated by the Malaysia Bumiputra Designers Association (BDA), it featured four prominent local talents: Bon Zainal, Rasta Rashid, Ramondzack and Tawaf Timepieces.
With the theme “Taste of Malaysiana”, the runway came alive with chic and trendy designs. All of them played on the idea of balancing old and new – specifically, the aesthetic blending of tradition and modernity.
“I focused on a traditional contemporary aesthetic,” said Chef Zainal Abd Rahman, the man behind the Ramondzack label. “I mixed songket, organza and Thai silk together for the designs.”
“We design for everyone. Our watches can be for everyday use, but we also have designs that can fit more formal occasions,” explained the husband and wife founders of Tawaf Timepieces, Kama Johari Muhammad and Adila Kamal Redzuan.
Bon and Rasta, who are the president and vice president of the BDA respectively, presented beautifully modern designs for their namesake labels, but added a twist in the form of traditional textiles.
Rasta noted: “I incorporated the batik sarung Malaysia into my collection of jackets, corsets and hoodies. People always think that the textile is traditional, but if you’re creative enough, you can make it contemporary.”
“I think everyone knows that my label is about suits. But for this collection, I paired them with local hand-painted scarves. This highlights impeccable craftsmanship, but with added personality,” said Bon.