HAVING established himself as a fashion designer for almost 15 years, Ezuwan Ismail has come far in creating his own niche in the local fashion scene.
While he has since been a well-known figure among local fashion aficionados, the 42-year-old designer marked another milestone late last year when his avant-garde ensemble was worn by popular singer Aina Abdul at her A Night With Aina Abdul 3.0 concert held at Axiata Arena.
Created with the concept 'Queen Of Gold', the dress, in a golden hue which value was estimated at RM120,000, took Ezuwan two weeks to complete, using imported materials.
"I started working directly with Aina some time last year," shares Ezuwan of his collaboration with the young singer who is known for her penchant for avant-garde garb.
"It's easy to work with her and her team. But you need to be thinking outside the box when you're creating clothes for her to wear for her stage performance.
"They have to have a 'wow' factor," he said.
Ezuwan, whose creations for fashion shows rarely lack the 'wow' factor, said that Aina began wearing his creations from his pret-a-porter collections.
"The first dress which I had custom-made for her was this ensemble she wore for her in South Korea (when she was invited to perform at ABU TV Song Festival 2023 organised by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) last October)," he said.
Since then, Aina has been a regular for his made-to-measure avant-garde pieces.
"While an ordinary woman may only need four metres of fabric for a dress, with Aina, we're talking about 20 metres instead," he said.
"But one thing I admire about her the most is her daringness to experiment with what she wears onstage."
Clothes for everyone
Aina aside, Ezuwan said as a designer, he also creates clothes for ordinary clientele.
"Believe me, my signature is not avant-garde style, but rather a look which focuses on details and embellishments."
As such, Ezuwan said his clientele range from those aged between 25 and 80. He also produces clothes for men, who make up about 20 per cent of his clientele.
"My more mature customers usually prefer classic styles with simple details which aren't too busy.
"Most importantly, they prefer clothes which are loose and comfortable," explains Ezuwan.
Similarly, when designing collections for Hari Raya, Ezuwan also tones down his designs of baju kurung and kebaya.
"While working on traditional silhouettes, there's not much I can play in updating the shapes and styles.
"So, here is where my signature look comes into play. I'd be incorporating details such as hand-made motifs and beadwork," says the designer whose latest collections will be paraded and made available at CIMB Bazar Siberturahim fashion fest.
"This will be my first time being a part of this fashion fest. I'm grateful for the opportunity given to me by CIMB," he says.
Organised by CIMB, the event will take place at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur) from March 2 to 10.
This will be his first time being a part of the fashion fest which is already in its third year.
Ezuwan will be presenting 30 looks altogether on the catwalk – with 20 looks from his exclusive collection and 10 from his ready-to-wear.
Apart from Ezuwan, other homegrown brands taking part in this year's fashion shows (to be held from March 2 to 4) are Radzuan Radziwill, Pink Jambu, 3TheLabel, Tom Abang Saufi, Salikin Sidek, She Dazzle, Sri Candy, batikTEKTURA, Mode/MirolJonit, ZuuSaha, and My Pride.
The bazaar will also feature an array of accessories from Ash Majid, and Mah Meri Cultural Village to complement the fashion and fabric which will be on display at the booths set up there.
While the fashion shows are only for invited guests, the fashion booths are open to the public from 10am to 7pm throughout the nine-day fashion fest.
