Thursday April 26, 2007
On track to fame
By DAZMAN MANAN
Designer Syaiful Baharim is making waves in the local fashion scene.
SYAIFUL Baharim’s fashion career is shifting into high gear.
His confidence has been fired up especially after design stints in London and Japan, where he created a series of automobile designs for Mercedes Benz in Yokohama.
The 28-year-old, touted as the Next Big Thing in Malaysian fashion, is making fresh tracks again, this time opening a French-styled boutique in Plaza Damas, Kuala Lumpur.
Mark of excellence: Syaiful with Sudanese model Aleh Wek.
With the credentials he has chalked up in his fast-rising career, the art and design graduate from Universiti (Institut) Teknologi Mara (UiTM) doesn’t look likely to run out of gas soon.
The protege of renowned local designer Rizalman Ibrahim made headlines when he bagged the Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Award (MBAFA) at the Malaysia-International Fashion Awards (MiFA) 2005.
But Syaiful’s potential was really confirmed, when he emerged grand prize winner of the coveted MBAFA 2006 in Singapore.
It was a tough field. Syaiful, the first Malaysian winner of the contest, went up against designers from Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and his contemporary from Malaysia, Scott Chu.
But judges and audience alike were bowled over by his Alice in Wonderland-inspired collection, where he showed his innovative tailoring skills that blended elements of haute couture.
His stunning designs included a reversible skirt and a “chameleon” blouse that can be worn in different styles.Syaiful won a cash prize of US$10,000 (RM35,000) as well as internships with Singapore’s London-based fashion designer Ashley Isham for over two months and a one-and-a-half month stint at the DaimlerChrysler Advanced Design centre in Yokohama, Japan.
“The two assignments were very different,” he explains. “One involved fashion design and the other automobile design, something totally new to me.”
With Isham, he did almost everything from research work for the designer’s spring/summer 2007 collection called Tropicalia, sketching, tailoring, draping and more. “It was a great challenge, considering that he’s very precise in all that he does, plus the fact that everything is done on a much bigger scale.”
He remembers working on several sketches that took two weeks to perfect.
Syaiful adds that Isham and his team worked until 3am (call time was 6am!) on the day of his runway show.
“However, this does not mean that we were late and past our deadlines. It was just that we wanted everything to be as perfect as could be and Isham appreciated that. Despite the long hours it was great working round-the-clock, especially with a dynamic team,” he says.
One of his most memorable experiences was being assigned to three different cutters. Two of them also work for British couturier Alexander McQueen and French fashion house Balenciaga, and one used to handle the creations of French designer Thierry Mugler.
Industrious designer: Syaiful working on one of Ashley Isham’s gowns in London.
“Over there, cutters work on a freelance basis and competition is great. They strive to get the most number of jobs and the most press coverage!” he explains.
“A cutter is very important to a designer; a really skilled one can cut a dress to perfection, so that it falls and flows in exquisite and exact measure.
“Which is why a cutter must understand a designer’s sketch and design concept very well before he starts working on an outfit.”
From a collection of 38 pieces that Ashley Isham showed for spring/summer 2007 during London Fashion Week late last year, 12 were made by Syaiful.
“They were the showpieces and intricate details like beadwork, draping and tailoring were the most challenging. One of the things I discovered about Ashley is that he tries to create new silhouettes when he does draping, and they always come out nice and right.”
Apparently, Isham became familiar with Syaiful’s deft hands as he was one of the judges at the MBAFA 2006. He was quoted as saying that Syaiful’s winning collection had a “demi-couture” (a combination of off-the-peg and impeccable haute couture) feel and look.
While he toys with the high-end style of fashion – which often includes the use of embellishments – Syaiful uses the bling sparingly. “Elegance and glamour to me is not only about shine and sparkle. What brings out a woman’s beauty even more is when she wears something that’s simple and fine. Being fashionable these days is more about dash than flash,” he notes.
Two dresses displayed in his boutique’s window-display best sum up his fashion principles; a cobalt blue long dress with multi-layered skirt and a navy blue kaftan accented with light sprinkles of white jet beads on the neckline.
With his love for sleek and simple things, working at the DaimlerChrysler Advanced Design centre in Yokohama was a breeze. “I was asked to design a car but before that I had to do research on the lifestyle of people living in Tokyo.”
The designs he came up with were inspired by his favourite place, Omotesando, sometimes referred to as Tokyo’s Champs-Élysées. Three were eventually selected. Syaiful’s Mercedes models were chic, stylish and sophisticated. “I don’t know if they’d be made into real automobiles but I would surely hope so!”
Whether his car designs take shape or not, Syaiful’s already geared up to bring a breath of fresh air to the local fashion scene.
we look great, hehehe...
