Whereas Malaysian style designers can (at occasions) be missed by the nation’s regional neighbours, the latest showcase at Kuala Lumpur Vogue Week highlighted simply how a lot potential there’s inside the native style business. From seasoned stalwarts with decades-long legacies to a youthful technology experimenting with type, id and sustainability, Malaysia’s artistic scene is bold and more and more influential. Right here, LUXUO spotlights eight noteworthy designers — divided between the Outdated Guards and the New Technology — whose work continues to form the nation’s style narrative.
The Outdated Guards:
These designers and types have established Malaysia’s style id internationally and proceed to evolve the notion of what it means to be a Malaysian luxurious label. Designers like Dato Sri Bernard Chandran, Rizman Ruzaini, motoguo and FIZIWOO exemplify this enduring affect — every combining technical mastery with a definite artistic voice and demonstrating how considerate design can resonate throughout generations.
Dato Sri Bernard Chandran
Sometimes called Malaysia’s King of Vogue, Dato Sri Bernard Chandran has been shaping Malaysia’s business for greater than three many years. Born in Kuala Lumpur to Indian and Chinese language dad and mom, he initially skilled in accounting earlier than pursuing design at Kuala Lumpur’s Worldwide Vogue Coaching Faculty in 1988. His expertise rapidly gained worldwide recognition, turning into the primary non-European to win each the Silk Reduce Younger Designers Award and the Open European Contest for Look of the Yr in Paris in 1991.
Returning residence within the early ’90s, Chandran established his namesake label, reinterpreting conventional Malay costume with daring gildings and unconventional materials. Chandran’s affect has prolonged nicely past Malaysia. He debuted at London Vogue Week in 2000, opened flagship shops in Kuala Lumpur and Paris and was commissioned to design the official apparel for Malaysian athletes on the 2012 London Olympics. His work has dressed Malaysian excessive society in addition to international icons akin to Dato’ Michelle Yeoh and Woman Gaga. Honours akin to his “Dato” title in 2006 and the Malaysia Vogue Awards’ Designer of the Yr in 2017 recognise his contributions to each tradition and business. Immediately, Chandran continues to champion variety and construct on his legacy by way of exhibitions and digital platforms, solidifying his position as one among Malaysia’s most vital style figures.
His BC Seaside Tradition assortment reaffirms Bernard Chandran’s long-standing legacy as Malaysia’s “King of Vogue”. By remodeling kaftans, Cuban shirts and beachwear staples with lace, crystals and couture-level ending, BC Seaside Tradition extends his long-standing narrative of remodeling on a regular basis clothes into objects of luxurious. By reworking remnant materials into resort-ready luxurious, Chandran not solely continues his ethos of sustainability but additionally reinforces his repute for pushing boundaries whereas preserving heritage on the coronary heart of his design language.
Go to Dato Sri Bernard Chandran’s official web site right here.
Rizman Ruzaini
Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Jamil first crossed paths as style college students greater than twenty years in the past, rapidly recognising in one another a shared ambition and eye for glamour. By 2005, the duo had launched their namesake label, which might develop into one among Malaysia’s most recognisable style homes. Recognized for his or her sharp silhouettes, intricate detailing and couture-level end, Rizman Ruzaini turned synonymous with red-carpet dressing and has designed for a lot of of Malaysia’s most outstanding public figures.
Over time, the model has balanced status with accessibility. Whereas its couture creations stay the benchmark, the launch of RR by Rizman Ruzaini through the pandemic launched a ready-to-wear line that introduced their aesthetic to a wider viewers. Immediately, the label operates at each ends of the posh spectrum: creating bespoke, hand-finished robes whereas additionally providing extra attainable items that retain the model’s signature sophistication.
Marking their twentieth anniversary in 2025, Rizman Ruzaini unveiled a particular Raya Capsule RTW Assortment, revisiting a few of their most celebrated silhouettes. Immediately, with couture and ready-to-wear coexisting underneath their umbrella, Rizman Ruzaini continues to stability aspirational artistry with enterprise savvy — reinforcing their position as pillars of Malaysian style.
Go to Rizman Ruzaini’s official web site right here.
motoguo
Based in 2015 by Moto Guo, Kinder Eng and Jay Perry Ang, motoguo has turn out to be one among Malaysia’s most distinctive style exports. Initially launched as a menswear label, the model rapidly developed right into a genderless platform, identified for pushing sartorial boundaries and traditional notions of id and presentation. motoguo collections are recognisable for his or her offbeat storytelling, mixing the romanticism of childhood nostalgia with satire to ship daring, typically unconventional design selections. Playfulness and cynicism sit facet by facet of their work, difficult standard concepts of magnificence and style whereas cultivating a cult-like following throughout Asia and past.
Each artistic administrators deliver complementary views: Moto Guo’s penchant for darkish humor and precision element is balanced by Kinder Eng’s softer, extra romantic sensibilities. Collectively, they’ve crafted a model language that’s unmistakably their very own. Immediately, motoguo is stocked internationally and has proven at international style weeks, positioning the label as a part of a brand new technology of Southeast Asian designers making an impression on the worldwide stage.
Go to motoguo‘s official web site right here.
FIZIWOO
Based in 2009 by Hafizi Radzi Woo — with Izree Kai Haffiz becoming a member of in 2011 — FIZIWOO has turn out to be one among Malaysia’s most outstanding style labels. Hafizi’s early publicity in his mom’s tailor store laid the groundwork for his precision — which mixed with Kai’s architectural sensibility — formed the model’s sturdy emphasis on proportion and construction. FIZIWOO’s design signature — dramatic peplums, sculpted quantity and meticulous development — displays a seamless fusion of engineering and romance. Their items usually are not solely visually distinctive however technically bold.
Every year, their Raya collections underscore the model’s ingenious spirit. The “Riviera Raya” line, for example, drew on Mediterranean motifs with mushy pastels, guipure lace and jacquard textures — marking their tenth anniversary in festive style. The 2025 “Journey” assortment took that additional: impressed by Arabic souks and religious renewal, it revisited iconic silhouettes from the model’s previous decade and launched its first Raya RTW Baju Melayu, merging trendy tailoring with conventional Malay heritage. FIZIWOO’s capacity to mix craftsmanship with cultural nuance — notably in festive dressing — continues to form Malaysia’s style panorama.
Go to Fiziwoo‘s official web site right here.
The New Gen:
Rising expertise in Malaysia is pushing boundaries in sustainability, gender fluidity and experiential style. Designers like Equipment Woo, Hatta Dolmat, HUNTILANAK and ShazNash are exploring new narratives, from conceptual tailoring and eco-conscious manufacturing to sculptural wearable artwork and daring runway statements. Their work is outlined by an consciousness of tradition and group signalling a assured, forward-looking chapter for Malaysian style.
Equipment Woo
Since launching his eponymous label in 2016, Equipment Woo has established himself as one among Malaysia’s most cerebral designers — famend for deconstruction, sharp tailoring and a gender-fluid strategy that pushes the boundaries of type and performance. Educated at Raffles Faculty of Greater Schooling in Kuala Lumpur and later in New York, Woo honed a design vocabulary rooted in technical experimentation and an virtually architectural interrogation of clothes.
Every assortment serves as each analysis and provocation. Woo typically treats tailoring as a medium of inquiry, dismantling and reassembling acquainted clothes to query silhouette, proportion and notion. His work has been described as “style as critique” — intellectually pushed but grounded in impeccable development.
For his Prepared-to-Put on 2025–26 assortment — “The Earth is Flat” — Woo sharpened this imaginative and prescient additional. The 23-look lineup explored the stress between flatness and quantity, intentionally presenting clothes that appeared two-dimensional from the entrance however revealed sculptural depth in profile. Key particulars included a hunchback drape that distorted blazer strains, a boomerang panel development throughout trousers and skirts that created looping silhouettes and a re-engineered “bar jacket” — subverted right into a masculine “armour” by way of set-in panels and bonded materials.
Regardless of his repute for monochrome severity, Woo launched teal and khaki this season, increasing his palette whereas sustaining the stark, architectural really feel of his work. Outsized slant shirts and streamlined skirts provided extra accessible entry factors into the gathering, although all the time inside the uncompromising framework of his design language. Positioned inside Malaysia’s style scene, Equipment Woo stays distinct: much less involved with mainstream commerciality than with cultivating an avant-garde perspective.
Go to Equipment Woo’s official web site right here.
Hatta Dolmat
Hatta Dolmat has emerged as a number one voice in Malaysia’s sustainable style motion. Recognised because the nation’s first absolutely sustainable clothier, he made historical past with a set formally documented by the Malaysia E-book of Data, setting a benchmark for environmentally aware clothes manufacturing. On the latest Kuala Lumpur Vogue Week 2025, Hatta offered his newest assortment — “Perahu Kertas” — marking a decade-long journey with the platform. Drawing inspiration from the fragile, weightless type of a paper boat, the gathering displays resilience and the non-public evolution of the designer. Breathable materials akin to cotton, linen and denim anchor the items in practicality, whereas origami-inspired silhouettes and delicate particulars infuse the gathering with a way of reminiscence and craftsmanship.
Past clothes, “Perahu Kertas” additionally featured a collaboration with Opai to launch the perfume “HOPE”, merging scent and design into an intimate, multisensory runway expertise. By means of this undertaking, Hatta underscores his dedication to sustainability, considerate storytelling and cross-disciplinary creativity, positioning himself as a standout determine in Malaysia’s subsequent technology of style innovators.
Go to Hatta Dolmat‘s official social media right here.
HUNTILANAK
Based by Kuala Lumpur-born designer Ryan, HUNTILANAK is a Malaysian label that transforms conventional motifs and private experimentation into wearable artwork. The model is finest identified for its “Monster Jackets,” denim items that includes 3-D recreations of Asian masks, full with protruding horns, jagged tooth and expressive eyes. Every garment merges craft and idea, typically hand-sewn and incorporating unconventional textures impressed by Southeast Asian tradition and Ryan’s private archive of summary materials explorations.
Ryan’s design strategy is intentionally sculptural and performative. Performance takes a backseat to inventive expression, with clothes conceived as statements quite than utilitarian clothes. The artistic course of typically includes repurposing previous experiments — from fossilised supplies to childhood discoveries — translating them into three-dimensional, tactile varieties that deliver the label’s imaginative universe to life.
HUNTILANAK has gained recognition throughout international style platforms, together with Highsnobiety, The Vanilla Difficulty and huge social media protection from main style weeks — marking Ryan as one among Malaysia’s most compelling up-and-coming voices in up to date style. The model continues to evolve as Ryan works towards increasing his Monster-inspired assortment, positioning HUNTILANAK as a bridge between native cultural heritage and conceptual style experimentation.
Go to HUNTILANAK’s social media right here.
ShazNash
ShazNash made a putting debut at Kuala Lumpur Vogue Week (KLFW) 2025, showcasing a set that captivated audiences with its intricate detailing and daring design selections. The model’s presentation featured a mix of textures and gildings, together with feathers, stripes and teardrop jewels — creating a visible feast that illuminated the runway. Within the realm of menswear, ShazNash launched energy fits crafted from creamy velvet, adorned with corsetry components and outsized brooches. These designs not solely highlighted the model’s dedication to craftsmanship but additionally underscored its capacity to merge conventional tailoring with up to date aptitude.
The debut at KLFW 2025 marked a big milestone for ShazNash, positioning the model as a promising new voice in Malaysia’s style panorama. With a eager eye for element and a daring strategy to design, ShazNash is poised to make an enduring impression within the business.
Go to Shaznash‘s official social media right here.
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