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Khoon Hooi:Reaching out to the world!

July 14th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

Papierblog, fashionweek editor Ali Manning fell in love with his designs at the Singapore Fashion Week in December 2006, quote? “the designer we should all look out for?” His Spring Summer 2007 line is raved in all the fashion blogs in the USA. Yep, sure sounds like the fashion world has just had a wake up call. Well, wakey wakey?- Khoon Hooi is set to take the world by storm. His line “Khoon Hooi” is currently represented in United Kingdom, Taiwan, Australia, Kuwait and United States (stores in Beverly Hills, Texas and New York).

Emmagem checked out this local boy to find out what is like for him to be a success overseas and how did he managed to do it! This is by no means an easy feat, most local designers who are based in Malaysia find it extremely difficult to gain a foothold in the export market save for a few brands like Bernard Chandran and Zang Toi. But like well known Malaysian phenomenon, Zang Toi, and other international successes, their careers actually started overseas before bringing it back to Malaysia.

Khoon Hooi is truly a homegrown success. He graduated from Malaysia Institute of Art in 1993 and upon graduation started work with a local brand and in 1996 entered and was the runner up of the prestigious Malaysian Young Designer Award as well as the ASEAN Young Designer Award. In 1997, he won the ASIAN Young Designers Award in a bigger playing field. And since then he has won a few more, most recently being the International Recognition Award by the HRH Princess Siriwanwanee Nareeratana at the Bangkok Fashion Week 2007.

But to Khoon Hooi, the one that is most special is the first award, kind of like a first love, he said. Although it was only a runner up award but it cemented his believe that his work was recognized and of a certain standard thereby affirming his talents and reinforcing his self confidence in his work and talent. After all, he had a lot to prove as the youngest child; his parents were totally against his studying fashion designing and would only pay for his tuition only if he pursued a course in graphic designing. However in the second year he switched courses and presented it as a fait accompli to his parents. Thankfully they decided to support him in his decision realizing his seriousness. Bet they are really proud now.
Locally, he is the designer of choice to celebrities like Siti Nurhaliza and Ziana Zain just to mention a couple. As a matter of fact, Ziana Zain and companion sauntered into the boutique whilst this interview was going on and waited patiently for us to finish. It says a lot for both of them; Ziana despite her star status, her graciousness and Khoon Hooi, the respect for his work in the eyes of his clients.

But success overseas has been a long and hard journey as most local designers will commiserate if they have ever tried venturing afar.

Most creative geniuses tend to live more for their creativity and less for the business but Khoon Hooi is a far sighted creative person who recognized early on the fact that the Malaysian market is too small and the need to expand overseas is almost imperative to survive as a local designer in Malaysia. Since 2004, Khoon Hooi has been trying to break into the European market and he started with Paris because it is the fashion city of the world. Whilst on holiday with a friend in Europe, he armed himself with his portfolio and literally went around knocking on doors of fashion agents in the city as he said ?°just to try his luck?±. What he learned in that trip did not deter him, but gave him a real insight into how he should fashion his business instead. The Parisian buyers were honest, may have been brutally so especially as it was his first ?°showing?± overseas at that time. Basically they said, his work whilst good was not suited to the European or French market but perhaps more for the American market and advised him accordingly. Temporarily stymied but not defeated Khoon Hooi came back to Malaysia and re focused himself. In 2005, he won two more awards, The Star?ˉs Editor Choice award for Designer of the Year and the MIFA Designer of The Year award.

And in 2006, he struck gold, while showing at the Singapore Fashion Week, he was one of three designers, and the only Malaysian designer chosen by an agent to be represented in USA. He started in USA with the Spring Summer 2007 line and things are going on a very healthy start. Meanwhile, he had already got connected to a Taiwanese agent who bought almost 60% of his export range with a special preference for all his printed designs. Khoon Hooi has just shown his Autumn Winter 2007 to the buyers and is already working on his next collection.

We asked what is it like for him working with the American agent? And he said that they are quite flexible and leaves most of the creativity to him but they will give him statistics on what sells and what doesn?ˉt and will advise him accordingly.

In Kuwait, he has a shop selling his line and this was a customer who walked in to his boutique, liked the range and asked if he has a representation in Kuwait, he said no and the rest is history. He also has a shop buying his line in London and this was through his showing in the last Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week.

Our conversation then turned to the success of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week and MIFA Fashion Week and their contribution to the success of Malaysian fashion overseas. Khoon Hooi says that MODA?ˉs/The STAR?ˉs collaboration with the Tourism Board Malaysia in the recent fashion week has brought in more overseas buyers and he himself has reaped the results. However, obviously, more needs to be done by everyone concerned to bring in the international buyers, in order to build the awareness of our local fashion scene and promote the abundance of talented local designers. He hopes that the government will continue to support the local fashion industry and also perhaps corporate sectors and venture capitalists should look towards investing in the fashion/retail sector especially in respect to the local designers. Funding is after all the biggest issue for any budding talent whether it is for trade shows overseas or to set up shop.

Note: emmagem is honored to know this designer, because throughout our conversation, we find him very humble and down to earth, dressed in his favorite attire of jeans and a white tshirt; it goes to show that talent runs in many forms and it is usually best to just let your work speak for itself?-.Well done Khoon Hooi, you not only have done well for yourself and made a stand for Malaysian designers , you have also taught us that self believe, commitment and hard work will be rewarded.

Don?ˉt hold your breath Paris!

Khoon Hooi?ˉs Autumn Winter Collection 2007
(check www.khoonhooi.com for full collection)

Deep rich colours of silks and linens with azure greens, floral on white printed dresses and tops, maroons, dark turquoise tops to brighten up dark winter days. All items are meant to be worn with tights, baggy pants and cigarette slim pants. The trick to a great Khoon Hooi autumn winter look is all in the layering.