MICHAEL Ch’ng Chern Kooi, 23, confesses to being a romantic at heart and thus his fascination with bridal wear.

“I’m planning to venture into the bridal wear industry. My dream is to own my own bridal line and serve as a wholesaler to bridal houses in the country,” said the Penang lad who used to work as an assistant to bridal designer Keith Kee.

“My present collection is somewhat revolutionary; something I visualised bridal wear would be.

“I was inspired by a peony painting that belonged to my late grandfather, hence the Oriental art concept. Out of the many elements in Oriental art, I liked the peony flower because I felt that could best be translated into my bridal wear.”

Ch’ng used bridal satin as his fabric, and did the freehand painting strokes with acrylic. His embellishments came in the form of sequins and Swarovski crystals.

Femininity and elegance

The Taj Mahal - one of the Seven Wonders of the World – was Jessica Sin’s source of inspiration.

“I based my research and design on its beautiful architecture and interior design,” said the 22-year-old who hails from Mauritius.

“My whole collection is based on sophistication; layers of chiffon were used to show the flow in every garment to reflect femininity and elegance.”

Sin found it exciting yet tough as she worked with her friends to put on their first fashion show within three and a half months.

“I learnt about leadership skills, how to communicate with everyone and work together as a team. There’s a sense of satisfaction knowing that the effort was well worth it.”

Ch’ng and Sin were among the 21 Limkokwing University Fashion & Retail Design diploma students whose works were showcased during the university’s graduate fashion show, themed Magic, at The Pavilion KL.

The event included a show of the Limkokwing London Collection and Limkokwing Prize Collection, the latter featuring winning designs by Limkokwing students from Botswana and Cyberjaya.

Anthony Sefemo had bagged the first prize at the Urban Cosmopolitan Couture event at the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower show, while his counterpart Opelo Lesake won third place.

Kuching native Tan Siok Hoon’s winning design for the Paco Rabanne Black XS perfume advertisement photo shoot was also displayed.

The entire event, including the fashion design, makeup and hair design, modelling, music, stage design and event management, were produced and managed by Limkokwing’s students and faculty members.

Present were Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing, Pavilion KL chairman Tan Sri Zainol Mahmood, and fashion industry bigwigs like Lewre Lew, Key Ng, Khoon Hooi and Jovian Mandagie.

The fashion show is an annual event that offers a platform for the students to showcase their final-year submissions to the industry and the public.

“People come to these shows to source for new talent. Young people are the ones with fresh and creative ideas, and they are the ones who could be the next big thing,” explained the event’s artistic director Tiffanee Marie Lim.

“The theme - Magic - tries to explain the pizzazz and energy of the people, and all the things put together by them to create a great show.”