Monday July 2, 2012

Retro Raya collection

By PRIYA MENON
priya@thestar.com.my
Photos by RICKY LAI

FUN, quirky from the heart, Buttonmybuttons is the ideal fashion label for young women with an adventurous streak.

Recently, they held their Vintage Tea Party Spring Summer 2012 Raya collection at WhiteBox in MAP @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas for fashion lovers, local celebrities and the media.

The collection brought together bright spring and summer materials with ladylike sophistication. The vintage-inspired designs consisted of retro dresses and skirts with flattering silhouettes and bright, fun patterns coupled with a timeless sense of style.

Going for a green themed wedding? Look out for this piece with beautiful details on the material.

What made each piece interesting was the combination of materials used. Founded in 2007 by Shahida Sharif, Buttonmybuttons reflects her personal style and transition in life. She believes in creating versatile outfits that can be worn in many different ways.

Shahida loves using ribbons as she believes they camouflage areas like bulging tummies and make fabulous fashion accessories.

“Buttonmybuttons is something really personal for me. I create what I like and what I wear. I am not a very slim person and I find the belt can be an illusion to hide unsightly bulges,” she said.

During the fashion show, Shahida showcased the new Raya collection made from a mix and match of materials — cotton, silk and chiffon. Local artistes and models worked the rampwalk with a flirtatious jaunt to the tune of songs from yesteryear playing in the background.

Fabulous: It’s all about fun and quirky outfits this Raya at Buttonmybuttons.

Guests cheered as the artistes and models took the opportunity to have a little fun entertaining the crowd.

Among the celebrities were Akademi Fantasia star Marsha Londoh, rocker Amy Search’s daughter Nabila Huda, actresses Memey, Tania Hudson and Yasmin Hani.

“My Raya collection is colourful and is inspired by the 1950s era that I love. The pieces are soft and cut elegantly. They are made from cotton as the material is easy to handle,” explained Shahida.

The cotton material used is of premium quality and is suitable for the Malaysian climate as it is cooling, making it wearable any time of the year. Shahida imports it from China and Indonesia to ensure she is giving her customers the best.

“I love bold colours but I usually mix it with pastel colours as well. Most of the colours may not seem to match but when you see them together, it just works,” she added.

For Shahida, her designs and collections mirror each stage in her life and since the well loved designer is tying the knot soon, she decided to debut her wedding collection at the very same fashion show.

Shahida has been making wedding gowns for three years and decided to have the launch coincide with her wedding plans.

“My designs are very personal and represents every phase of my life.

“When I first started wearing a hijab (headscarf), I started designing pieces, incorporating them into my collection. Now there’s the wedding collection,” she said.

One look at Shahida’s Wedding Collection and many would wonder if simplicity is good enough for a bride. One would be surprised though, to hear that most of Shahida’s clients are looking for just that.

The designer said most brides are opting for a simple design because many feel their gowns are not suitable to be worn again after the wedding.

In fact, in the past, her customers had asked to have their outfits ‘toned down’.

The wedding collection is sweet, demure and has some embellishments. Brides would look resplendent if each is matched with fitting jewellery that will bring out the beauty of the wedding gowns.

Buttonmybuttons Boutique, is located in SS15/8B, Seksyen 15, Subang Jaya, Selangor. For details, visit www.buttonmybuttons.com