This Month in Malaysian Fashion
The June 2024 Report
Welcome to This Month in Malaysian Fashion, a monthly report on the coolest, juiciest, and sometimes funniest things that went down in the local fashion scene.
You are reading the inaugural report.
TLDR
Malaysia’s Olympic 2024 uniform is a mess
Motherchuckers launches their first ever concept store
Tangsi Tujuh goes minimal with TANGSI 24 BABAK 2
Olympic Council of Malaysia reveals the contingent’s Paris 2024 uniform
And it was giving very much Dua Lipa’s performance of New Rules at the 2018 BRIT Awards - go girl give us nothing!
With the global sporting event right around the corner, the OCM has revealed Malaysia’s Olympic uniform earlier last week in a very lacklustre ceremony. The clothes were – to put simply – uninspiring, but what made the whole thing even more affronting was the way in which these outfits were presented.
On mannequins! Ones that looked raggedy and cheap, at that.
This choice was baffling to me knowing that we have so many athletes who could’ve done the modelling instead. Fine, maybe they’re too busy training, so couldn’t they have gotten young athletes from sports schools and academies to do it? I’m sure, to paraphrase my sister’s brilliant point, being part of an Olympic-related ceremony and standing next to Datuk Nicol Ann David, a national icon, would’ve inspired and motivated these budding athletes to keep on going with their craft.
On to the uniforms. Designed in partnership with Yonex Sunrise Malaysia, netizens found them to be rather tacky and resembled the kind of sports uniform worn by schoolchildren. I think it’s the collar - something about collared jerseys are just so junior to me. But also just the general lack of creativity and imagination – the iconic tiger stripes were supposed look fierce, no?
In response to the backlash, chef de mission Datuk Hamidin Amin, as reported by New Straits Time, said:
"With 31 days left until the Olympics, the media and fans need to support our athletes, not question small things like this. There is no point [in] having nice attire but not winning gold."
But the attire, I believe plays a part in getting our athletes there, for fashion is more than just its garments. It’s a talisman. It transforms the person wearing it, like how a suit completely transformed the way Cousin Richie viewed himself and his job. So, was it wrong for the people to have high expectations of our Olympic uniform? We’d want our athletes to swell with national pride and motivation when wearing them, right?
At the time of writing, Sinar Harian reported on the 3rd of July that the OCM has redesigned the uniform based on the criticisms and feedback. Huzzah!
What are your thoughts on the uniform?
Welcome home: Motherchuckers launches Apartment 103
On the 21st of June, Motherchuckers opened the doors to its first ever concept store, Apartment 103.
Taking inspiration from popular store cafes like Café Kitsuné and Café Leon Dore, Apartment 103 seeks to offer its patrons more than just a space for them to shop the brand’s collections, but also a place to gather and chill. So to make this happen, they’ve partnered with 103 Coffee, a local cafe with whom Motherchuckers have had a very long and fruitful partnership with.
According to Mandy Gioh, creative director of Motherchuckers,
“We’ve always had a very good working relationship with our dear friends at 103 Coffee, so we wanted to work with them on [Apartment 103] to further strengthen our relationship and to give our respective consumers the opportunity to explore each other’s brands”.
I’ve been following Motherchuckers for awhile now. Their editorial shoots and clothes have always been a source of inspiration, so when they announced the opening of a physical store, I made a point to pay them a visit. I went on the first Saturday and it was bustling with patrons sipping on their drinks and browsing the latest collection.
The store itself, I thought, was the perfect embodiment of Motherchuckers: cool, clean, and stylish. I loved the dark wooden shelves and tall glass window which made the store blend seamlessly with its surroundings.
Speaking of surroundings, Apartment 103 is located in APW Bangsar, a trendy creative space housing many cool eateries and stores alike.
“We’re very familiar with APW. It’s close to our HQ and it’s a landmark of the neighbourhood too, so it was only natural for us to open our first store there.
When asked about her aspirations for Apartment 103, Mandy hopes that it would become more than just a store. She hopes that it would evolve into a creative hub one day, with the creative director expressing that she would love to host live musicians and community talks too.
Tangsi Tujuh releases TANGSI 24 BABAK 2
Three months after releasing their first 2024 collection, Tangsi Tujuh expands the Tangsiverse with the release of TANGSI 24 BABAK 2 on the 7th of June.
Despite it being a continuation of the previous collection, they seemed to have dialled down on the elaborate and intricate designing for TANGSI 24 BABAK 2. The silhouettes are a lot more androgynous and casual, the designs more minimal, and while there are still elements of traditional clothings, they do not make up the majority of this collection.
It’s a lot more “timeless, genderless, fearless” as Juliana Nazar, co-founder of Tangsi Tujuh, puts it.
“There isn’t a specific, singular inspiration for [TANGSI 24] BABAK 2. Instead, what we feel, hear, [and] see on our daily basis becomes an inspiration that [guides] this series. Hence, the warm and cool tones, and minimal embroidery.”
My favourite piece from the collection is the T35, a wrap skirt with front pleats and slit made from dead stock 2000s fabric. The little organza flap with the red embroidery is what wooed me, but I also think I was drawn to this piece because of how much it captures the essence of their older collections, JAGAT and JAGAT BABAK 2, which remains their best collection to date in my opinion.
So, if you loved the JAGAT series for all its splendour and pomp, then this collection might not be for you. But if you’re looking for something more wearable, practical, and comfortable with a touch of that Nusantara elegance, then you would want to get your hands on this collection ASAP!
That concludes the debut report of This Month in Malaysian Fashion. I hope it has been an insightful and entertaining read.
Thank you so much to Mandy Gioh and Juliana Nazar for chatting with me – this report wouldn’t have been complete without you!
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