Whereas Malaysian vogue designers can (at instances) be ignored by the nation’s regional neighbours, the latest showcase at Kuala Lumpur Style Week highlighted simply how a lot potential there’s throughout the native vogue trade. From seasoned stalwarts with decades-long legacies to a youthful era experimenting with type, identification and sustainability, Malaysia’s artistic scene is formidable and more and more influential. Right here, LUXUO spotlights eight noteworthy designers — divided between the Outdated Guards and the New Era — whose work continues to form the nation’s vogue narrative.
The Outdated Guards:
These designers and types have established Malaysia’s vogue identification internationally and proceed to evolve the notion of what it means to be a Malaysian luxurious label. Designers like Dato Sri Bernard Chandran, Rizman Ruzaini, motoguo and FIZIWOO exemplify this enduring affect — every combining technical mastery with a definite artistic voice and demonstrating how considerate design can resonate throughout generations.
Dato Sri Bernard Chandran
Also known as Malaysia’s King of Style, Dato Sri Bernard Chandran has been shaping Malaysia’s trade for greater than three many years. Born in Kuala Lumpur to Indian and Chinese language mother and father, he initially skilled in accounting earlier than pursuing design at Kuala Lumpur’s Worldwide Style Coaching School in 1988. His expertise rapidly gained worldwide recognition, changing into the primary non-European to win each the Silk Reduce Younger Designers Award and the Open European Contest for Look of the Yr in Paris in 1991.
Returning residence within the early ’90s, Chandran established his namesake label, reinterpreting conventional Malay costume with daring gildings and unconventional materials. Chandran’s affect has prolonged nicely past Malaysia. He debuted at London Style Week in 2000, opened flagship shops in Kuala Lumpur and Paris and was commissioned to design the official apparel for Malaysian athletes on the 2012 London Olympics. His work has dressed Malaysian excessive society in addition to world icons reminiscent of Dato’ Michelle Yeoh and Girl Gaga. Honours reminiscent of his “Dato” title in 2006 and the Malaysia Style Awards’ Designer of the Yr in 2017 recognise his contributions to each tradition and trade. At the moment, Chandran continues to champion range and construct on his legacy by means of exhibitions and digital platforms, solidifying his position as one in every of Malaysia’s most important vogue figures.
His BC Seashore Tradition assortment reaffirms Bernard Chandran’s long-standing legacy as Malaysia’s “King of Style”. By remodeling kaftans, Cuban shirts and beachwear staples with lace, crystals and couture-level ending, BC Seashore Tradition extends his long-standing narrative of remodeling on a regular basis clothes into objects of luxurious. By remodeling remnant materials into resort-ready luxurious, Chandran not solely continues his ethos of sustainability but additionally reinforces his popularity for pushing boundaries whereas protecting heritage on the coronary heart of his design language.
Go to Dato Sri Bernard Chandran’s official web site right here.
Rizman Ruzaini
Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Jamil first crossed paths as vogue college students greater than 20 years in the past, rapidly recognising in one another a shared ambition and eye for glamour. By 2005, the duo had launched their namesake label, which might develop into one in every of Malaysia’s most recognisable vogue homes. Recognized for his or her sharp silhouettes, intricate detailing and couture-level end, Rizman Ruzaini turned synonymous with red-carpet dressing and has designed for a lot of of Malaysia’s most outstanding public figures.
Through the years, the model has balanced status with accessibility. Whereas its couture creations stay the benchmark, the launch of RR by Rizman Ruzaini through the pandemic launched a ready-to-wear line that introduced their aesthetic to a wider viewers. At the moment, the label operates at each ends of the luxurious spectrum: creating bespoke, hand-finished robes whereas additionally providing extra attainable items that retain the model’s signature sophistication.
Marking their twentieth anniversary in 2025, Rizman Ruzaini unveiled a particular Raya Capsule RTW Assortment, revisiting a few of their most celebrated silhouettes. At the moment, with couture and ready-to-wear coexisting below their umbrella, Rizman Ruzaini continues to steadiness aspirational artistry with enterprise savvy — reinforcing their position as pillars of Malaysian vogue.
Go to Rizman Ruzaini’s official web site right here.
motoguo
Based in 2015 by Moto Guo, Kinder Eng and Jay Perry Ang, motoguo has change into one in every of Malaysia’s most distinctive vogue exports. Initially launched as a menswear label, the model rapidly advanced right into a genderless platform, recognized for pushing sartorial boundaries and standard notions of identification and presentation. motoguo collections are recognisable for his or her offbeat storytelling, mixing the romanticism of childhood nostalgia with satire to ship daring, typically unconventional design decisions. Playfulness and cynicism sit facet by facet of their work, difficult standard concepts of magnificence and style whereas cultivating a cult-like following throughout Asia and past.
Each artistic administrators convey complementary views: Moto Guo’s penchant for darkish humor and precision element is balanced by Kinder Eng’s softer, extra romantic sensibilities. Collectively, they’ve crafted a model language that’s unmistakably their very own. At the moment, motoguo is stocked internationally and has proven at world vogue weeks, positioning the label as a part of a brand new era of Southeast Asian designers making an affect on the worldwide stage.
Go to motoguo‘s official web site right here.
FIZIWOO
Based in 2009 by Hafizi Radzi Woo — with Izree Kai Haffiz becoming a member of in 2011 — FIZIWOO has change into one in every of Malaysia’s most outstanding vogue labels. Hafizi’s early publicity in his mom’s tailor store laid the groundwork for his precision — which mixed with Kai’s architectural sensibility — formed the model’s robust emphasis on proportion and construction. FIZIWOO’s design signature — dramatic peplums, sculpted quantity and meticulous development — displays a seamless fusion of engineering and romance. Their items will not be solely visually distinctive however technically formidable.
Every year, their Raya collections underscore the model’s ingenious spirit. The “Riviera Raya” line, as an example, drew on Mediterranean motifs with smooth pastels, guipure lace and jacquard textures — marking their tenth anniversary in festive vogue. The 2025 “Journey” assortment took that additional: impressed by Arabic souks and religious renewal, it revisited iconic silhouettes from the model’s previous decade and launched its first Raya RTW Baju Melayu, merging trendy tailoring with conventional Malay heritage. FIZIWOO’s means to mix craftsmanship with cultural nuance — notably in festive dressing — continues to form Malaysia’s vogue panorama.
Go to Fiziwoo‘s official web site right here.
The New Gen:
Rising expertise in Malaysia is pushing boundaries in sustainability, gender fluidity and experiential vogue. Designers like Package Woo, Hatta Dolmat, HUNTILANAK and ShazNash are exploring new narratives, from conceptual tailoring and eco-conscious manufacturing to sculptural wearable artwork and daring runway statements. Their work is outlined by an consciousness of tradition and neighborhood signalling a assured, forward-looking chapter for Malaysian vogue.
Package Woo
Since launching his eponymous label in 2016, Package Woo has established himself as one in every of Malaysia’s most cerebral designers — famend for deconstruction, sharp tailoring and a gender-fluid method that pushes the boundaries of type and performance. Skilled at Raffles School of Increased Training in Kuala Lumpur and later in New York, Woo honed a design vocabulary rooted in technical experimentation and an virtually architectural interrogation of clothes.
Every assortment serves as each analysis and provocation. Woo typically treats tailoring as a medium of inquiry, dismantling and reassembling acquainted clothes to query silhouette, proportion and notion. His work has been described as “vogue as critique” — intellectually pushed but grounded in impeccable development.
For his Prepared-to-Put on 2025–26 assortment — “The Earth is Flat” — Woo sharpened this imaginative and prescient additional. The 23-look lineup explored the stress between flatness and quantity, intentionally presenting clothes that appeared two-dimensional from the entrance however revealed sculptural depth in profile. Key particulars included a hunchback drape that distorted blazer traces, a boomerang panel development throughout trousers and skirts that created looping silhouettes and a re-engineered “bar jacket” — subverted right into a masculine “armour” by means of set-in panels and bonded materials.
Regardless of his popularity for monochrome severity, Woo launched teal and khaki this season, increasing his palette whereas sustaining the stark, architectural really feel of his work. Outsized slant shirts and streamlined skirts supplied extra accessible entry factors into the gathering, although all the time throughout the uncompromising framework of his design language. Positioned inside Malaysia’s vogue scene, Package Woo stays distinct: much less involved with mainstream commerciality than with cultivating an avant-garde perspective.
Go to Package Woo’s official web site right here.
Hatta Dolmat
Hatta Dolmat has emerged as a number one voice in Malaysia’s sustainable vogue motion. Recognised because the nation’s first totally sustainable dressmaker, he made historical past with a group formally documented by the Malaysia E book of Data, setting a benchmark for environmentally acutely aware clothes manufacturing. On the latest Kuala Lumpur Style Week 2025, Hatta introduced his newest assortment — “Perahu Kertas” — marking a decade-long journey with the platform. Drawing inspiration from the fragile, weightless type of a paper boat, the gathering displays resilience and the non-public evolution of the designer. Breathable materials reminiscent of cotton, linen and denim anchor the items in practicality, whereas origami-inspired silhouettes and refined particulars infuse the gathering with a way of reminiscence and craftsmanship.
Past clothes, “Perahu Kertas” additionally featured a collaboration with Opai to launch the perfume “HOPE”, merging scent and design into an intimate, multisensory runway expertise. By means of this venture, Hatta underscores his dedication to sustainability, considerate storytelling and cross-disciplinary creativity, positioning himself as a standout determine in Malaysia’s subsequent era of vogue innovators.
Go to Hatta Dolmat‘s official social media right here.
HUNTILANAK
Based by Kuala Lumpur-born designer Ryan, HUNTILANAK is a Malaysian label that transforms conventional motifs and private experimentation into wearable artwork. The model is finest recognized for its “Monster Jackets,” denim items that includes 3-D recreations of Asian masks, full with protruding horns, jagged tooth and expressive eyes. Every garment merges craft and idea, typically hand-sewn and incorporating unconventional textures impressed by Southeast Asian tradition and Ryan’s private archive of summary materials explorations.
Ryan’s design method is intentionally sculptural and performative. Performance takes a backseat to inventive expression, with clothes conceived as statements quite than utilitarian clothes. The artistic course of typically includes repurposing previous experiments — from fossilised supplies to childhood discoveries — translating them into three-dimensional, tactile varieties that convey the label’s imaginative universe to life.
HUNTILANAK has gained recognition throughout world vogue platforms, together with Highsnobiety, The Vanilla Subject and huge social media protection from main vogue weeks — marking Ryan as one in every of Malaysia’s most compelling up-and-coming voices in up to date vogue. The model continues to evolve as Ryan works towards increasing his Monster-inspired assortment, positioning HUNTILANAK as a bridge between native cultural heritage and conceptual vogue experimentation.
Go to HUNTILANAK’s social media right here.
ShazNash
ShazNash made a placing debut at Kuala Lumpur Style Week (KLFW) 2025, showcasing a group that captivated audiences with its intricate detailing and daring design decisions. The model’s presentation featured a mix of textures and gildings, together with feathers, stripes and teardrop jewels — creating a visible feast that illuminated the runway. Within the realm of menswear, ShazNash launched energy fits crafted from creamy velvet, adorned with corsetry parts and outsized brooches. These designs not solely highlighted the model’s dedication to craftsmanship but additionally underscored its means to merge conventional tailoring with up to date aptitude.
The debut at KLFW 2025 marked a big milestone for ShazNash, positioning the model as a promising new voice in Malaysia’s vogue panorama. With a eager eye for element and a daring method to design, ShazNash is poised to make a long-lasting affect within the trade.
Go to Shaznash‘s official social media right here.
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