14/10/2026

LYFE WEDNESDAY | OCT 14, 2026

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T HE Malaysia Official Designers Association (Moda) brought its month long Fashion In Motion festival to Pavilion Bukit Jalil with Next Wave, a showcase built to empower the next generation of Malaysian fashion talent. Fashion In Motion kicked off recently, as Moda launched its fashion festival across three Pavilion malls. Held with Pavilion, the festival brings Malaysian fashion, culture and creative talent into public spaces, with runway shows, a young designer competition, community initiatives, a lifestyle market and a finale showcase. It opened at Pavilion Damansara Heights with Chapter Next, a runway showcase by 29 Moda designers, each asked to pair denim, a durable everyday material, with the delicate craft of songket . The contrast pushed designers to test creative boundaries, resulting in a range of distinct looks that proved Malaysian fashion can honour heritage while still moving forward. Next Wave marks the second chapter of the celebration and one that holds particular meaning for Moda. “The idea for Next Wave started last year at our Elevation event, where we gave design students a platform on our stage. We saw so much raw talent that this year, we wanted to go bigger, connecting young designers with our experienced Moda mentors,” said Moda president Cyrus Chin. From nationwide submissions, Moda narrowed the field to a top 30, then a top 20, with each finalist paired with a Moda mentor, including Ariff Shukor, Ellie Lim, Fairuz Ramdan, Jimmy Wong and Justin Yap, who guided them in turning their ideas into presentations. That mentorship fed into a bigger collaboration, pairing fashion with another art form. “It is about bringing fashion design and hair artistry together, two art forms that go hand in hand on the runway,” said Chin. The top 10 young fashion finalists were paired with the top 10 Fiole hair artists, each duo creating one look that combined fashion design, hair styling and complete storytelling.

Empowering next generation of Malaysian designers Chapter Next, held at Pavilion Damansara Heights, pairs denim’s raw, contemporary edge with the rich heritage and artistry of traditional songket .

grow,” said Chin. By placing local fashion in public and retail spaces, the festival turns this vision into a lived experience, giving designers a stage, creative businesses a direct line to consumers, and the public a closer way to discover Malaysian fashion, culture and creativity. Month of fashion and culture Following Next Wave, the Fashion In Motion lineup continues across the three Pavilion malls. Reimagined Saree Runway takes place on Oct 22 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, as part of the Deepavali season. Inspired by the saree’ s colour, detail and cultural significance, the showcase features 25 designers, including five young talents. From Oct 23 to 25, the Style Your Way Lifestyle Market takes over Pavilion Bukit Jalil, with more than 50 booths bringing together fashion, food and music, giving designers, vendors and creative businesses a direct platform to meet the public. The festival closes with the Finale Party at The Arena, Pavilion Damansara Heights, bringing together the designers, partners, creatives and communities behind Fashion In Motion.

o Moda’s Fashion in Motion brings artists together at Pavilion malls in showcase of talent, craft, mentorship

Next Wave was guided by two judging panels, a fashion panel of industry professionals alongside Moda members and a hair artistry panel. Platform for creative community Fashion In Motion is guided by Moda’s three core pillars of elevate, evolve and empower to help designers develop their craft, respond to a changing industry and grow with the wider fashion community. “Fashion is not only a finished garment or a moment on the runway. It is part of a wider creative ecosystem, shaped by designers, textile makers, artisans, stylists, hair and makeup artists, photographers, producers, retailers and audiences. When these individuals come together, we create more than a fashion show. We open pathways for talent discovery, build links across industries and help creative businesses

Woven motif black bag bearing message of unity accompanies Anwar for Budget 2027 tabling The finalists (four sitting and one standing in middle) with (from left) R Beaute Sdn Bhd education managers Kit Lee and Eddy Chan, Chin, R Beaute managing director and CEO Roy Kow, Adjunct Prof Datuk Seri Raja Rezza Shah, SUB International Beauty School managing director Carrie Lam and Prestige Malaysia editor-at-large William KC. – HANDOUT PICS

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continued the tradition of using a locally crafted, creative piece to hold the 2027 Budget documents. Carrying the theme “Woven Together: A Malaysian Story”, the artwork combines the skills of two local artisans, David Cho Chee Min and Amira Wani Jamil, who hail from different generations and backgrounds. Cho utilised steel wire, employing skills learned from his late father (who made food strainers and egg baskets), while Amira explored the use of repurposed materials such as bamboo and leather to give them a new lease of life. The combination of materials and differing in texture, properties and flexibility symbolises resilience and sustainability – the steel wire represents strength, while the

bamboo and leather reflect efforts to repurpose materials and reduce waste. The bag containing Budget 2027 documents was crafted by Cho’s wife Jennifer Tan, and covered in the velvet typically used to make songkok. The design conveys the message that differences in background, generation, culture and experience should not divide society – instead, they can become a source of strength when united by a shared goal. The concept also reflects the spirit of Budget 2027 themed “Malaysia Madani: Reaching for the Sky, Rooted in the Earth” where diversity and shared values serve as the foundation for Malaysia’s continued progress. Budget 2027 is the fifth budget under the Madani government. – Bernama

Anwar showing the bag containing Budget 2027 documents. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN