Within the world of fashion, few things measure up in terms of sheer allure and grandiosity as fashion week. Usually an annual or bi-annual event held in a capital city, fashion weeks serve as a platform to showcase and celebrate the best of a country’s homegrown talent, designers both big and small. Vastly different in design and taste, each city has certainly grown to cultivate a distinctive style and aesthetic unique to its own culture. Closer to home, one Southeast Asian city has quietly but steadfastly grown into a rightful behemoth, one that sees an international crowd of clients and media that gather every year: the state of Kuala Lumpur.
This year, the city’s premier fashion extravaganza returns for its 12th edition, bigger and brighter. Housed beside the iconic Suria KLCC shopping mall from 29 July to 4 August, Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) 2024 saw over 50 designers and brands showcase their creative prowess for approximately 13,500 earnest show attendees to see. The seven-day affair boasted a sprawling 12,000 sqft show space, stretching across from one end of the KLCC Park Esplanade to the other. Within it was the main show hall, along with various booths that saw a myriad of other adjunct brand activations. Outside, a large LED screen panel livestreamed each of the shows, allowing members of the public to also watch the show and marking a first for KLFW.
The lineup this year saw were several newcomers, young designers that showcased their debut runway collection. Amongst them were emerging ready-to-wear labels Akudesign, Ghostboy, SHALS and Tact, each showing bold and dynamic collections that illustrated their unabashed visions for the industry. Further punctuated through fierce show graphics and high-octane soundtracks, these brands more than held their own on the runway with the likes of returning seasoned veterans Rizman Ruzaini, Fiziwoo and Alia Bastamam.
Shares founder of KLFW Andrew Tan: “Following the success of KLFW 2023, we were fuelled by even greater expectations and aspirations to deliver yet another year of cutting-age fashion. The iconic show space this year is a testament to our 12-year journey in celebrating our homegrown talent, and was only made possible with the support of all the designers, sponsors, partners and the fashion forward community here in Kuala Lumpur.”
“KLFW is a testament to our unending journey in celebrating our homegrown talent, only made possible with the support of the fashion forward community here.”
In the same vein of continuing to unearth the best of Malaysia’s creative scene, this year’s KLFW Designer Search partnered with fashion week sponsor and French automobile giant Peugeot in featuring the works of fifteen finalists and their creations. Named “Design To Sustain”, this segment saw many budding designers incorporate sustainable textiles from local landfills and recycled cotton plants, followed by a judging process that saw three winners walk away with a cash prize along with the opportunity to showcase a full debut collection next year at KLFW 2025.
Below, peruse several of the standout shows from KLFW 2024.
1 / 5
Ghostboy
Titled ‘Sink”, Ghostboy’s debut collection captures the dichotomy of chaos and calm, symbolised by the transformative sanctuary of club bathrooms. Embodying and further expanding on the brand’s ethos of celebrating rave and youth culture, distressed and stringy garments hugged the models as they stomped down the runway to electric beats of custom techno remix. Each piece also featured dark washes reminiscent of rust and the wear and tear of nightlife, exuding an attitude of grunge and rebellion.
2 / 5
Kit Woo
Having received KLFW’s “menswear designer of the year” award in 2023, Woo Kit’s eponymous label Kit Woo is slowly becoming a hallmark show amongst the fashion fluent. This season, the visionaire draws inspiration from popular horror sci-fi films 13 Ghosts, The Thing and Hellraiser, along with fantastical video game Final Fantasy. A masterclass in tailoring and deconstruction, lines are deliberately shifted and details disrupted, the constant unpredictability an ode to Kit’s genius.
3 / 5
Alia Bastamam
One of the most established names in this season’s lineup—and perhaps within the industry at large—Alia Bastamam’s shows are always filled with desire and anticipation. Ahead of her Dubai Fashion Week debut in September, this 25-look collection provided a glimpse into the identity of the Alia Bastamam woman both past and present, and was a constant celebration of femininity and unparalleled elegance. Featuring sheer draped dresses, sensual linen outerwear and tailored separates, it was one fit for island living and stayed through to the deep-rooted aesthetic that earned Bastamam her rep.
4 / 5
SHALS
Showing sleek silhouettes that played on contemporary office wear, SHAL’s debut show is a reflection of the social media times that we live in. Oversized tailoring, sleek tops, and double-belting detailing in monochromatic greyscale colour palettes succinctly encapsulated the current fashion zeitgeist, and perhaps forecasted the style that the youths in Malaysia will be adopting for the coming months.
5 / 5
MSYD
A collection filled with cyberpunk and utilitarian nods, Masyadi Mansoor’s MSYD was a testament to the resilience of the human spirt. Referencing the rose flower and its thorned stems, Mansoor showed severe coats, cocoon-shaped dresses and bold fetish wear, all ensembles that played on a balance of the brazen and the demure. The casting was also diverse and eclectic, with older faces and non-binary models pushing inclusivity forward and setting a new standard for KLFW.
