Taylor’s University in academic partnership with Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) recently hosted 'THE SHOW' - A Fashion Fusion Showcase, an experimentation and intersection of art, fashion, sustainability, and technology. The showcase by the talented Bachelor of Fashion Design Technology (Honours) programme students presented a total of 39 innovative creations that challenged traditional fashion norms, leaving the audience made up of fashion enthusiasts, industry professionals, members of the media, and the public in awe.
“Through vivid styling that transcends cultures and geographical boundaries, 'THE SHOW' proved to be a transformative experience for all who attended. The Fashion Design Technology students harnessed their unique ability to integrate cutting-edge technology into their designs with an artistic vision. These ingenious designs emphasised the fusion of fashion and technology, pushing the envelope of creativity and craftsmanship to redefine the future of the industry,” said Maria Sandra Wijaya, Programme Director of Taylor’s Bachelor of Fashion Design Technology.
The event unveiled four fashion collection concepts – Organic Geometry that fuses materials and colours to form shapes and structures of garments, Unconventional Fashion using mixed media art to create texture and depth, Layered Fashion that layers every part of the textile, and lastly, Genderless Morphe which transforms into conversible designs.
Professor Dr Pradeep Nair, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of Taylor’s University said the Fashion Design Technology degree offered by Taylor's Design School is designed differently from other fashion programmes. “'THE SHOW' is a prime example of how we incorporate high-end technologies like body scanners and an impact-based approach into our fashion technology degree to graduate world-class designers aligned to the triple bottom line concept of sustaining people, planet, and prosperity.”
A Show and Tell Press Segment was held at Mayamode, Malaysia’s first co-working fashion studio prior to the showcase to present the nation’s first 3D Fashion Pod. The 3D body scanning technology aids precision body scanning and digital measurements, increases production speed, eliminates physical samples, lowers sample making cost, and reduces material waste – powering a more sustainable fashion production process.
This was made possible through the partnership with Puspamara Sdn Bhd, a leading garment manufacturing company since the 1970s that aims to meet evolving fashion processes following extensive product development research. “We are now moving forward as the leader in digitised garment development using the 3D body scanning and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technologies,” said Ibrahim Aiman bin Tan Sri Mohd Nadzmi, Director of Puspamara Sdn Bhd.
The integration of the 3D Fashion Pod and the CLO 3D technology, a CAD tool will further complement the top-notch facilities at Mayamode, empowering virtual fashion and made-to-measure clothing.
Apart from empowering education institutions to infuse technology in the education sphere, the 3D Fashion Pod will also complement the National Size Malaysia Campaign. Led by Ts Dr Norsaadah Binti Zakaria, Research Fellow at The Design School, and with the interest of the Department of Standards Malaysia under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the campaign aims to analyse and collect Malaysians body data measurements to develop the first national standard sizing system that will benefit Malaysian consumers and the garment industry.
Leading up to 'THE SHOW', students from the Bachelor of Interactive Spatial Design (Honours) were given the opportunity to collaborate with the Fashion Design Technology students and industry partner Mitoworld by Virtualtech Frontier to create Malaysia’s first Metaverse Fashion Show called MAYAmode – taking inspiration from the official language of Malaysia “Maya” that denotes virtual and in the same capacity of the programme’s identity, Mayamode Fashion Studio.
"We are ecstatic to join forces with these talented students to bring MAYAmode into existence. This extraordinary metaverse showcases top notch facilities and technology together with an exclusive retail pop-up for Taylor's fashion label, MAYAMODE, one which also includes an impressive display of past projects crafted by Taylor’s Bachelor of Fashion Design Technology students. Collaborating with these visionary individuals, we are charting the course for the future of fashion, embracing innovation, and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in the digital realm," said Jason Low, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Virtualtech Frontier, creators of Mitoworld.
Taking steps to future-proof graduates in a demanding labour landscape, Taylor's University continues to be a trailblazer in fashion education, empowering students to embrace technological advancements and explore uncharted territories. 'THE SHOW' served as a true testament to the university's commitment in nurturing the next generation of fashion leaders through education excellence and in shaping the future of the fashion industry, equipping students with the right skills and experience to develop the agility and creativity to tackle complex problems.
'THE SHOW' - A Fashion Fusion Showcase saw collaborations with SUB International Beauty School to provide hair and makeup services, ZALORA sponsoring footwear, OXWHITE for guest gift vouchers, Art of Botanicals Cocktail set up by Bombay Sapphire, and a long-term partnership with Komuniti Tukang Jahit to award a student with the Innovative Sustainable Design Award across the four fashion concepts.
'THE SHOW' also witnessed interdisciplinary collaborations across schools under the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management through captivating performances, canape style dishes served, and the edible art sculpture exhibition made entirely from chocolate, icings, and food materials.
