MALAYSIAN label Motoguo is a brand of delightful opposites. It's romantic but downright quirky, cute but sometimes strange. You have to digest its items and decide whether it's a yay or nay.

And for Jay Perry Ang and Kinder Eng, who co-founded this fashion label, that uniqueness is the whole reason for this clothing and accessory brand's existence. Motoguo is not known for not blending in.

Its genderless designs have been featured in Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai Fashion Weeks and in 2016, it became the first Southeast Asian label to be shortlisted for the LVMH Prize for young fashion designers.

This year, Ang and Eng received another feather on their caps for being listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.

"We are extremely grateful to have what we work for, day in and out, and be recognised by such an esteemed organisation," Ang says in an email interview.

"It is a pleasant surprise to have what seems like years of silent grinding, be appreciated on an international level,"

 Motoguo’s cool and eccentric clothes are getting global attention. Credit: Constantine Qi
Motoguo’s cool and eccentric clothes are getting global attention. Credit: Constantine Qi

GLOBAL RECOGNITION

Motoguo's Mirage Knit was recently featured in HBO's Euphoria Season 2, and its Marblelous Mac & Cheese shirt was worn by Youn Mille Desirs for Vogue France.

The brand is available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Malaysia and China, and has a flagship online store in China's Tmall.

Ang says Motoguo started off by having little to no stockists, but now, it has an expanding list of international retailers.

"We'd like to think that we're slowly finding our niche in this market. Instead of toning down our designs and diluting our personality, we focus on finding like-minded people to share the love together.

"As cringe-worthy as it may sound, it also helps that we have the mindset of nothing left to lose. So the only way is up," he says.

The brand’s take on knitwear.
The brand’s take on knitwear.

WHAT IS MALAYSIAN FASHION?

Ang says that while it goes without saying that Malaysia has a rich and diverse traditional costume culture, the local fashion industry doesn't have a solid stand.

"It is our opinion that the direction the local fashion industry is heading towards remains unclear and vague. It is due to this vagueness that we are unable to find where we stand in its landscape," he says.

"But as a label, Motoguo represents uncompromised vision by having faith in the work and progress. We speak to anyone who wants to listen. There's no private guest list or exclusive passes. Everyone's invited here."

The brand has also re-introduced its Greatest Hits line-up, or what Ang called "veteran pieces" by presenting a fertile period that gave birth to some of the label's most definitive work.

"This remastered edition of our past collections aims to rekindle the love of enthusiasts and give new comers a chance to embrace the label's journey together," he says.

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