A trend setter

Melinda Looi, a Malaysian fashion designer who is going to launch her brand in Middle East

My parents believed that artists led difficult lives, trying to eke out a living. Hence they forbade me from entering the field. But I decided to pursue my artistic dream through fashion designing because I believe it is an art – my designs are my art pieces.

I was born into a family that was into fashion.
My mother was a famous seamstress and my father owned the only pleat-making factory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. My five siblings and I used to work for our parents but now we have our own businesses. Two of my sisters are in the same field as I am while my youngest brother chose to stay in the family business and now he holds the post of production manager. During my childhood I was surrounded by a loving and nurturing family, including my grandmother. She was a wonderful lady and was instrumental in transforming me into the strong and independent person I am today.

My husband is an integral part of my personal as well as professional life.
Before I met my husband Dirk, I'd do everything by myself – right from accounting, marketing to other non-creative aspects of business. Dirk was with German Commerzbank when we met and after a year, he decided to leave the bank and we forged a joint venture. Today he is the managing director of the Melinda Looi brand. Since he came onboard, things are more systematic and organised. He guides me in the business aspect and I must say I am able to better understand what the business world is all about – very daunting for someone who is only familiar with the creative side of things. Fashion is a tough business, even with all my creativity. With his help, my three brands are heading in the right direction.

Creativity is ever-expanding.
I started with Melinda Looi creations, which was a collection of various styles, from casual to formal wear. However, two years later I decided I wanted to have a clear definition for each look. That's when I created Melinda Looi Couture which is the licensed collection for ‘Made with Crystallized – Swarovski Elements' ingredient brand. I usually showcase this brand at fashion shows and to clients like royalty, socialites and celebrities. I went on to design Melinda Looi Prêt-à-Porter for Malaysian customers and overseas boutiques. It's a collection of ready-to-wear evening and cocktail dresses and is popular among people who want to dress stylishly. The Mell collection was born when my clients suggested that I design casualwear for them. Mell has been a very busy brand because it's a casual, fun and easy-to-sell concept. We have just launched our Mell Eyewear range, which is proving to be very popular.

Receiving awards and appreciation
It all started when I was studying at La Salle Design School in Kuala Lumpur in 1994, while working for my mum in her boutique and factory. I went on to win the Young Malaysian Designer award for my very first collection, which enabled me to finish my studies in La Salle Montreal, Canada. But before I left for Canada, I took part in other competitions and, most importantly, joined MODA (Malaysia Official Designer Association). MODA took me to Singapore for the Asean Designer Award where I was the first runner-up. From there I went on to Osaka, Japan, for the Grand Prix competition and won the Cotton Award. These awards so early in my career helped establish my faith in my talent.

Exploring new horizons.
I made a foray into Islamic fashion two years ago. I have been designing for my Middle East clients for a number of years and I actually love the rich ethnic blend of colours that is so akin to their culture and tradition. We have a very loyal Middle Eastern clientele visiting us in Malaysia. Due to this interest and growing demand from the Middle Eastern countries, we are now considering venturing into this region and are looking for business partners in the Gulf.

Creating a successful brand equity.
I don't only see my company as a designer fashion company, but as a branded designing company too. Dirk and I are always finding ideas to expand and offer designing and branding services to various non-fashion fields. Part of our business strategy is to work with companies who are leaders in their respective fields like L'Oréal, Levis, Hilton Hotel and so on. This is the reason why we are working with Crystallized – Swarovski Elements, which is the leading crystal manufacturer in the world. They are always coming up with innovative products that fuel our creativity. Crystallized – Swarovski Elements is not just limited to fashion apparel. For example, we are currently designing a designer kitchen for a leading regional kitchen company wherein we are using Crystallized – Swarovski Elements from their interiors collection. Working with an international brand name usually creates interest and this has opened a lot of opportunities for us.

Giving back to the society
Charity and corporate social responsibility have unfortunately become clichéd terms. However, I am not the kind of person who simply donates money for philanthropic purposes. They say charity begins at home. For me, it began during my school days when I would run a little shop within my school selling snacks during the break and then I'd donate all the money to various charities. I have taken part in many projects like auctioning special collections of luxurious Melinda Looi Couture gowns at fundraising dinners. A project that is planned for October will teach abused orphans how to sew and apply beading techniques. This will allow them to express their creativity, hone their handicraft skills and take their minds off the horrible experiences that they've been through.

I am passing this tradition onto my children by involving them in charity projects as they need to recognise how fortunate they are.

Being ecologically aware
As someone who draws her inspiration from nature and a mother of two, it comes as no surprise that I feel the need to do my share for a more sustainable future. Where possible, I use natural materials and I have also started to experiment with alternative fabrics like silk-hemp. For me, PVC and plastic are a definite no-no. I was one of the very few selected Asian designers to participate in an inaugural ecostyle/future fashion gala and exhibition organised by IMG, one of the biggest fashion show organising companies in the world and Earthpledge. My eco-fabric design was later exhibited around the world together with the other participating designers' garments (www.earthpledge.org/ff/designers-and-shows).

Another successful campaign was carried out by Nandos in Malaysia when they stopped using plastic bags in favour of Melinda Looi-designed non-woven bags. It raised funds for the Malaysian Nature Society.