Sunday November 29, 2009

Stylishly modest

By DZIREENA MAHADZIR

A palette of beautiful colours and interesting designs was seen at the recent Islamic Fashion Festival 2009.

THE recently-concluded Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF), which ran from Nov 23 to 25, ended on a high note with a gala night graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah.

The night showed off glamorous Muslim-inspired clothing and amazing performances by singers from Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Its fashion extravaganza featured Amna from the United Arab Emirates, Oscar Lawalata from Indonesia, Jamal Tasleq from Palestine, Radzuan Radziwill from Malaysia and Etro from Italy.

A gorgeous ballgown from Radzuan Radziwill.

This year’s festival carried the theme “Ahlan Wasahlan” (greetings) and, rather aptly, saw partcipation from an international group of designers and brands.

Other participating countries included Jordan, Morocco, Iran and Britain. Malaysia was represented by several well-known names like Tom Abang Saufi, Albert King, Khoon Hooi and Melinda Looi.

The collections on show ranged from the gorgeous and divine to the eclectic and colourful, though there were a few that did not quite subscribe to the idea of Islamic clothing.

Thankfully, there were a number of designers who stood out for sending out lovely, wearable pieces made more beautiful by the fact that the model was completely covered from head to toe.

For anyone who thought it impossible to look elegant in modest attire, then the collections boasting lovely materials, jewel-like colours, embroidery and glitter beading will certainly set them straight.

Oscar Lawalata from Indonesia shows simplicity of design on a traditonal kebaya.

Nadia Chawad from Morocco showed a lovely collection that conjured up images of her country with intricate designs on the upper half of the garments and piping running down the length of sleeveless overcoats. These coats were worn over plain, loose long dresses with detailing at the sleeves and down the front.

Chawad’s ingenious mix of greens and reds, and lilacs and yellows made a striking combination. Her collection was certainly a personal favourite.

The collection by Itang Yunasz, a well-known designer from Indonesia, was just as divine. It was all floaty, swirly and silken, with a smattering of well-placed glitter and shine to accentuate the fall of the material. The flattering colours, which ranged from pale hues to jewel-tones, made one want to wear everything on show!

Tom Abang Saufi has already perfected the art of kaftans and flowy clothes in beautiful colours, so her collections will always be wearable and graceful. This time round, she showed saturated colours and striking jewellery, and scarves tied turban-style for headgear.

This collection also debuted singer Camelia’s new bag line called Mekar, which added just the right finish to the clothes.

Other collections worth mentioning were those from local designer Radzuan Radziwill, who always comes up with lovely creations; “Jawaher” by Crystalized Swarovski Elements which featured gorgeous crystals on the clothes (watch out for more on this range next week); Indonesia’s Oscar Lawalata, Ghea Panggabean and Deden Siswanto; and Jordan’s Hana Sadiq for showcasing clashing colours and striking designs.

Overall, this year’s IFF had a good mix of everything.