Malaysia Fashion Week: 6 things you need to know

Fashion week has become a cultural phenomenon around the world, not just limited to Milan, Italy, Paris and New York. Fashion week in Asia in particular is hitting strong and globally pervasive.

Bloomberg recently reported that Malaysia’s clothing and textile industry's export value hit a whopping USD3.8 billion, and this is expected to double by 2020.

So if you think fashion is all fluff, think again.

After a white-hot week of celebrating the best of Malaysian fashion, fans, fashionistas, professionals and industry players heaved a collective sigh as the runway of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) gracefully came to a close on Sunday.

For those of you not in the know, fashion week is that time of the year when the rich and fabulous come out and play. It has been three years today and KLFW, held at the Pavillion, again became a field of peacocks, all in vain with their OOTDs and/or shoefie. And more importantly, it is also the field for designers to potentially mark their career to soaring heights by getting spotted by buyers, in hopes of making Kuala Lumpur the region's next fashion capital.

But if you are a fashion observer and lover like me, who also earns a living writing about fashion (and other things), then putting passion aside, KLFW is nothing but a whole lot of extra work.

Fashion week is inevitable though, whether you’re a fan or not. If you can’t ignore it then you might as well embrace it. And if you missed it, here are six things you need to know about fashion week in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Nobody (really) cares if you go or don’t go to fashion week

Really, fashion week is no big deal unless you are the sort of person whose life revolves around retail therapy and fashion - like designers, buyers, bloggers etc.

2. When in doubt, wear black.

People in fashion have actually very little colours in their wardrobe. They wear monochromatic theme or all-black as if they are in a cult or something. Black is always the new black.

3. Know your (basic) fashion jargon

If you don’t know what a FROW (front seat guest or front row-ers) is and what it represents, or if you can’t tell the difference between RTW or prêt-a-porter from made-to-measure or haute couture and couture, then you really need to read up and crash course yourself to a brighter fashion avenue.

4. Be fashionably late

The gate opens on time but there was never a time that fashion showcase or catwalk commenced right on the dot, here in Malaysia. Especially when there are ministers or officials, officiating a brand. Expect to wait up to an hour or more before the first pair of long legs hit the runway. I once (just that one time) sneaked into one of the shows at Paris Fashion Week many years ago and even they uncharacteristically stuck to the schedule.

5. What freebies?

No proud and self-respecting fashionista will disclose that the catwalk might not be as interesting as the paper bags on the seats. Goodie bag etiquette requires a guest to put the paper bag under their chair and fight the curiosity of knowing what’s inside. Believe me, unless you are a FROW (please refer to point number 3), then the only thing you can find in that goodie bag is some subliminal marketing tool like press releases and discount coupons.

6. Know your designer

Save yourself the embarrassment and know your designer and their showtimes. You will get random question from bubbly fashionistas like “Who are you here for?” Getting your schedule and designer wrong will garner the skeptical and detestable look in the eyes of many other fashion-forward people lining up with you.

To me, although Malaysian designers and fashion event organisers have a long way to go to putting Malaysia out there in the eyes of the world in fashion, clothing has always been one of the key interests in my life just like everything else that is necessary to living - like home and architecture, children, environment and food.

Some find fashion lovers like me unique, while others dismiss us as being flaky and pretentious. But no matter how you what to label me, just note my undying support for home grown creations. When it comes to fashion, Malaysia is Truly Asia.