Melaka, 15th April 2023 – It was a beautiful introduction of high fashion as the city of Melaka was transformed into a glamorous metropolis of elegance and style, for the second year running, following the success of a similar Eid celebration showcase, last year.
In celebration of the Eid festivities, Sheng Tai International (STI) with Chairperson and CEO of The Straits Designers’ Gallery, Dato’ Leong Sir Ley, were honoured to host the Eid Mubarak fashion event of the year, with a charitable cause as an objective.
Dinner tables at the glamorous event were sold at RM2,500 and RM 1,800 per table with the profit being donated to Happy Angel Charitable Association.
The star-studded fashion show, following the huge success of the recent Straits Gala fashion event in January, delivered a selection of exciting new talents and well-known names who brought the spirit of Hari Raya alive in both traditional and modern ways.
The collections, from some of the most exciting design talents in Malaysia, including Jonathan Kok, Farel Mikhail, Kenny Loh, Faridz Salleh, Qif Alvarez, Yani Bakthiar and Melvin Shah were breathtaking.
Featuring a playful mix of textures, patterns and cuts, the designs included traditional baju Melayu, with brocade, silks and sequins, boasting a rainbow of fabulous, vivid colours and stunning complementary accessories. Taking inspiration from the cultures of Malaysia, the designs brought to life the essence of the joyous Hari Raya celebration.
The glittering event was attended by YAM Tengku Dato Dr Hishammuddin Zaizi, his gracious wife Che Puan Datin Hezeita Dr Mohd Hafidz, YAM Raja Shuibah Almahrum Tuanku Sultan Idris Shah, Datuk Haji Akbar Bin Haji Samon as well as other dignitaries.
The audience were also treated to exciting entertainment from the likes of popular singers Hael Husaini, Ezlynn and others, including cultural dances and resounding kompang performances.
Dato’ Leong Sir Ley, the visionary behind the escalation of Melaka as a city of fashion and culture, explained that STI’s flagship Straits Designers’ Gallery had recently been refreshed to prepare it for its role.
‘I want to ensure that we offer local brands and designers the space to grow and the support they need to attain international status. The ambition is to be able to provide bespoke services, including black tie and couture designs. Who knows, one day we might even have our own Malaysian branded fashion hotels and household wares.’
Dato’ Leong said she would like to blend culture, fashion and art and will look to the government to support her in her efforts to bring the world to Malaysia.
One example of this commitment was a recent model search conducted by STI in preparation for the Eid Mubarak show. A call out for aspiring models received an overwhelming response with over 90 candidates who turned up to audition. Even though the 25 who were successful were not all from modelling backgrounds, they were given the coaching they needed to do a very professional job of walking the runway on the night. All this is part of Dato’ Leong’s plan to nurture and cultivate new talent, and more model searches will take place in the months to come for other fashion events held by STI.
‘If you are passionate about wanting to do something, we will do what we can to help provide the opportunity and open doors for you,’ said Dato’ Leong, explaining that successful models will be offered opportunities with STI’s Angel Agency to work with foreign and local luxury brands and will receive the exposure they need to upskill and develop themselves.
‘I want to use the initiatives of art and culture, wellness, fashion and artificial intelligence (AI) to gather people from around the world to help us start new businesses, create job opportunities, facilitate the import of talent into the city and showcase Melaka on the international stage – with the financial effects and the increase of foreign direct investment felt throughout Malaysia,’ she explained.
Dato’ Leong is leveraging on the fashion concept to synergize with STI’s iconic development, The Sail. A property featuring nine towers, the Fashion Tower is one of the towers from The Sail which will be dedicated to fashion, as part of value creation for The Sail and the ambition of transforming Melaka into an international fashion city.
As a result, The Sail, Melaka is set to become a hub for the exchange of expertise, knowledge and technology from all over the world. The iconic development will be a key player in STI’s ongoing efforts to shape Melaka into a ‘creative and cultural hub of the future’ through its properties.
The Straits Designers’ Gallery (SDG)
STI’s vision of creating an international fashion and design hub in Melaka is currently centred on the Straits Designers’ Gallery (SDG) established in 2022.
Dato’ Leong Sir Ley, Chair and Founder of STI and CEO of SDG is the visionary behind the escalation of Melaka as a city of fashion and culture. She explained that STI’s flagship Straits Designers’ Gallery had recently been refreshed to prepare it for its role.
‘I want to ensure that we offer local brands and designers the space to grow and the support they need to attain international status. The ambition is to be able to provide bespoke services, including black tie and couture designs. Who knows, one day we might even have our own Malaysian branded fashion hotels and household wares.’
Dato’ Leong said she would like to blend culture, fashion and art and will look to the government to support her in her efforts to bring the world to Malaysia.
Mr Liam Yiu is the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer and fashion director since March 2023. He will be tasked with bringing to life Dato’ Leong’s vision of making Melaka an international fashion city, as well as elevating the status of the SDG brand under her guidance.
Liam has extensive experiences in the fashion industry due to his background as a professional actor and host with TVB Hong Kong. He is also an award-winner of several modelling competitions, including winning the title of Mr. HK 2006.
‘I am ecstatic about working alongside Dato’ Leong Sir Ley to realise her vision for Melaka,’ said Liam. ‘This event delivers on her promise to focus on growing local talents in fashion, design, make up and modelling, in collaboration with the Straits Designers’ Gallery – hopefully creating ample job opportunities in Melaka, and the rest of Malaysia.’
SDG is located at Metrasquare, adjacent to the AMES Hotel in Ayer Keroh, Melaka. The gallery is part of the fashion initiative that aims to gather local and international fashion designers in Melaka to promote their brands and businesses. Local fashion brands will also be offered the opportunity to cross over with international luxury brands brought in by SDG.
As a platform for local and international fashion industry practitioners to share experiences, offering exposure and facilitating collaboration, SDG focuses on guiding and nurturing up-and-coming fashion designers.
The stylish, refurbished gallery features clothing, and accessories – from West to East Malaysia and other Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Japan, Vietnam, with more to come.
About Sheng Tai International Sdn Bhd
Sheng Tai International is a diversified development, real estate, investment management and hospitality company. We offer professional services with competitive pricing and welcome productive collaboration and corporate partnerships with the focal point of providing our guests with comprehensive solutions and a tailored experience.
Established in 2012 amid the storm of global economic turbulence, our continuing success owes to our ability to swim against the tide and see opportunity in every challenge. Our commitment to growth and quality excellence is an approach that has changed little since our emergence as a budding enterprise.
Today, Sheng Tai International is an award-winning developer who has branched out across Asia, offering an extensive range of real property products, services and brands that cater to the luxury, upscale and economy markets. There are 4 main Sheng Tai’s brainches in Hong Kong, Japan, Shanghai and Beijing currently and planning to set-up more branches in other countries such as Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East to continue servicing their buyers without barriers. Continuing our ethos of passionate expansion and conscientious innovation, Sheng Tai International aims to set a benchmark as the curator of contemporary living and the leading influence in inventive real estate business models.
For more information on Sheng Tai International and its latest activities, please visit https://shengtaiinternational.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/shengtaiinternational/
