Students come up with elaborate and jazzy garments

Wednesday May 28, 2008

Students come up with elaborate and jazzy garments

Inspired by Victorian elements: Rico Rinaldi Tono (right) with his creation, 'Goddess Says Pleats', which is inspired by the Victorian elements that depict the feminine, delicate and sensitive parts of a woman's body.
GONE are the days when undergarments were meant to be hidden under one's apparel. These days, foundation garments are flaunted as part of one's ensemble.

At the Triumph Inspiration Award Beijing 2008 National Final Gala Night held recently at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 12 elaborate and jazzy garments designed by Limkokwing University of Creative Technology students astonished the crowd.

The allure of the garments lay in their creativity and detailed workmanship. Lace, fur, embroidery, frills, crystal studs and more lent appeal to the otherwise plain garments.

The creators of the sensual pieces were competing to outshine each other in order to win the honour of representing Malaysia at the award's international final.

Professional touch: Models in Triumph and Bill Keith's designer pieces.
A total of 32 countries, including Brazil, Belgium, Britain, Japan and Germany, are taking part in the worldwide contest.

Female magazine editor Seema Viswanathan, who was one of the five judges, was amazed by the students' ideas.

"Overall, they are very creative. They were imaginative and went in all directions from the theme.

"However, some of them did not follow through with their ideas.

They had big concepts and beautiful sketches but what they created weren't as impressive," she said.

Triumph marketing manager Cecilia Wong said she had seen winning pieces from other countries and she believed that the standard of the local contestants was on par with that of their overseas counterparts.

Joyous moment: An overwhelmed Merlin Yuwita with the model wearing her creation 'A Gift For Marie'.
Another judge, designer Carven Ong, highlighted a few key points in designing the "inner beauty".

"First, women should look sexy in it. Secondly, the colour match between the garment and the wearer's skin tone is important. So is the cutting of the garment," he said.

See my masterpiece: Friederich Herman (left) and his 'La Vien En Rose'.
Besides showing off the contest pieces, models also sashayed down the catwalk in Triumph garments teamed with designer pieces from Khoon Hooi, Carven Ong and Bill Keith.

Local songbird Jaclyn Victor awed the crowd with her splendid performance before the results were announced.

In the end, it was Merlin Yuwita's A Gift For Marie – inspired by French ladies and historical fashion icon Marie Antoinette – that scooped the grand prize.

Top model Amber Chia will be modelling this creation at the international final, which will be staged in July in Beijing.

Tan See Mun's Mystery of Puzzle – garments adorned with puzzle pieces as the trimming – won the Audience-Choice Award.