The Oct/Nov 2011 London Global Classroom programme was successfully completed. Following on Group 1’s final presentation, it was time for Group 2 to step up to the plate.

Group 2 tackled the oft-lamented issue of Malaysian-made products—in this instance, fashion—competing with well-known global brands. Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism had previously launched the ‘GoGo Buatan Malaysia’ initiative, aiming to spur creativity and innovation among Malaysians in the areas of fashion design and fashion retail management in the hopes of revitalizing the creative and retail sectors of the economy. It also wanted to reposition Malaysia as the source of affordable world-class fashion, especially through the use of local materials such as ‘batik’.

In response to this project, the members of Group 2 spent some time in brainstorming and finally decided on iconic local fashion label, ASEANA. Their aim was to ensure that the ASEANA brand successfully penetrated the UK market and beyond, fulfilling the targets that were set by the Ministry.

As part of their planned revamp of ASEANA, they successfully produced a brand new design of the ASEANA logo by incorporating ‘batik’ elements, in line with their aim of creating a new corporate identity for the fashion label. They also proposed a new tagline for ASEANA: Art and Culture of Malaysia. This was aimed at promoting local Malaysian art and culture to the global audience.

The group drew inspiration from visits to places such as the ‘Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising’ and the ‘Victoria & Albert Museum’ which boasts of having the quintessential ‘little black dress’ made famous by Coco Chanel in its permanent collection.

They also had a few ideas for ASEANA’s new collections.

A comprehensive SWOT analysis was also performed to ensure viability and to identify existing and potential opportunities, in comparison to Gucci which they used as a case study.

Careful considerations were also put into place to examine the feasibility of a global positioning for ASEANA, as well as choice of location within global cities. Location analysis was performed on London, Paris, Milan and New York. Sustainable design was also highlighted as part of the group’s initiative in ensuring that both a comfortable yet energy-efficient environment was achieved.

The team also covered areas of advertising and promotion for ASEANA, presenting an advertising campaign that consisted of a template of ASEANA’s posters which they proposed to be placed in tube stations, window space and retail outlets. In line with the campaign, they also came up with a proposal to participate in fashion shows and advertise comprehensively in various media including magazines, billboards and newspapers.

A video commercial and an improved website design were also presented as part of the team’s proposed solution to best assist the Ministry of Tourism’s ‘GoGo Buatan Malaysia’ initiatives.

While there were still room for improvement, the Global Classroom students had demonstrated initiatives and skills beyond their years. Together, they have managed to work cohesively and ventured into a wide spectrum of issues within fashion design and fashion retail management. At the same time, they managed to keep in mind the global context and shifting consumer preferences and various rising influences within the fashion industry.