Passion For Fashion

Passion For Fashion

CREATIVE FORCES: (From left) Chow, Wong, Nur Jihan and Najib Salman

IF you thought the contestants of Project Runway had it rough, spare a thought for the crushing deadlines faced bythe students of International Fashion Training Centre (IFTC) who only had one month to come up with theirindividual collections.

Students had to come up with designs for the Asian Contemporary, Ready-To-Wear and Hari Raya categories.

The seniors also tackled evening and bridal wear while graduating students had quite a bit on their plate with theirtask of creating designer couture concept collections.

Graduating student Nur Jihan was all smiles and residual energy after the show. "It's such a relief to finally have theshow and get it over with. At the end there's such a profound sense of accomplishment, it was definitely worth allthe stress."

Her offerings included an eye-catching interpretation of Hari Raya fashion. "My collection was inspired by the  colours usually on display during Hari Raya, but I wanted to take itup a notch. To really express the occasion with colour," she said.

Her high fashion collection was inspired by vintage glamour, intended to emphasise a woman's curves. Her next step? "Paris, for my degree course," she revealed with a smile.

For 27-year-old Najib Salman, fashion design was a calling.

"Previously, I worked in an advertising agency for  several years but somehow I knew my creative talents were meant for the fashion industry. So, I decided to risk it and changedcareers," said the UiTM graduate who is currently in his fourth semester at IFTC.

His Hari Raya creations were borne from his own years of wearing traditional garbs whichwere suitable but made for an uncomfortable experience each time.

"You have to wear the same outfit the entire day when you go out visiting families and friends, and the common materials used for baju melayu are usually thick and heavy, which don't work well with our weather. I wanted an outfit which was loose, breathable and comfy," he explained, still dressed in his re-imagining of the modern baju melayu - a yellow and grey checkered Kaftan-inspired top with matching palazzo pants which he modelled himself.

Bridal wear always has an ethereal feel to it, an impact craved by most brides on their big day. Senior student Jackson Chow wanted to create something for the modern bride, maintaining that ethereal feel without too much of the fluff usually attached.

"The piano was my muse for the bridal collection. I'm really happy about how the show turned out. There were one or two near disasters backstage but everything worked out in the end," said Chow with a relieved chuckle. He credits the guidance of his teacher Mr Loy at IFTC and Wong for his successful showing.