Tag Archives: Precious of Malaysia

IMMERSIVE POM 2023 EMPOWERS CULTURE AND HERITAGE THROUGH FASHION WHILE RAISING LOCAL DESIGNERS’ PROFILES!

The much-awaited second edition of Precious of Malaysia which FM Group organised concluded its week-long culture, heritage and fashion campaign with its Cultural Gala Night, which was held at the Mirage By Pak Abu Ballroom at Zebra Square.

Themed “Cultural Revolution – Truly Malaysia”, the prestigious campaign aimed to raise awareness among society and help the government to empower, conserve and preserve, our national heritage, culture, history, art, fashion, tourism and unique Malaysian lifestyles for future generations to come.

The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture (MOTAC) and Jabatan Warisan Negara. This year’s campaign focused on four major components – Cultural Fashion Week, Tanjak & Tengkolok Di Raja Exhibition, Hari Tanjak Malaysia, and tonight’s Cultural Gala Night.

Hosting the cultural gala night was Precious of Malaysia founders, and renowned Malaysian fashion designers Farel Mikhail & Jonathan Kok from FM Group.

Gracing the spectacular gala night was Guest of Honour Datin Sri Esther Hew Mui Lan (the spouse of Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture) and Precious of Malaysia patron YM Tengku Dato’ Dr Hishammuddin Zaizi bin Y.A.M. Tengku Bendahara Azman Shah Alhaj.

“We at FM Group always do our best to highlight our local heritage and culture through campaigns and performances that symbolize Malaysia through fashion. This year, we stepped up our efforts by presenting an immersive cultural experience through the second edition of Precious of Malaysia,”  expressed Farel in his welcome address.

“Precious of Malaysia also provides a platform for emerging young fashion designers to showcase their creative and competitive designs and build a name for themselves,” he added.

“We strongly believe that Precious of Malaysia will be a symbol for Malaysia, where we can preserve & empower culture, heritage, lifestyle, local food and tourism to have a positive impact on the country’s fashion, culture and tourism industry as well as to promote it domestically and internationally,” Farel concluded proudly.

Among the key highlights of the Cultural Gala Night was the Malaysian Cultural Fashion Design competition which saw seven fashion designers from the ASEAN Fashion Designer Confederation, a heritage preservation group and four colleges that included fashion design students from Taylor’s University, ESMOD KL (The ONE Academy), UiTM and Kolej Community Selayang. The competition highlighted their immense creativity and focused on propelling the industry forward by introducing various elements of culture & heritage into the mainstream flow of fashion in Malaysia today.

Emerging victorious as the Best Designer was Afiq Syazani, while Taylor’s University and UiTM emerged as first and second runner-up respectively. Afiq also won an award for Best Showcase.

Self-taught tailor Zhuraida Said won the award for Best Malaysia Brand, while the Most Talented Designer award went to Arm Nabil, with Sabahan Qif Alvarez securing the Most Promising Designer award. Kenny Loh Couture from Penang walked away with the ASEAN Emerging Fashion Designer award while Faridz Salleh was presented with the Upcoming Fashion Designer award

ESMOD KL from The One Academy bagged the Icon Fashion Designer award while Warisan Kesenian Laksamana Malaysia (WAKALAM) took home the Best Culture Inspiration award. The Best Model award went to seasoned model Tarshini.

The winners were selected by an esteemed panel of industry judges that included well-known journalist & writer Francis Yip, Founder & CEO of Beast Cosmetics & Art Figura Jasrina Jasni and HITs Royal Edition 2023 Ambassador Norfarhati Hakim.

Also presented during the gala night was the Precious of Malaysia’s official theme song which was composed by Hamid Fahmi, with Farel Mikhail as its lyricist. It was performed by rising new singer Danish Aiman. Danish also took turns with upcoming singer & actress Erissa Puteri Hashim to perform various traditional songs throughout the night.

Attendees also had a chance to enjoy fashion showcases by Farel X Bonia, Farel Mikhail (Melayu manis), and Jonathan K’s Prestige (cheongsam). 

Another major and unique highlight of Precious of Malaysia this year was the commemoration of the Hari Tanjak Malaysia which was held at Muzium Negara on 21st October 2023, along with the Royal Tanjak & Tengkolok Exhibition at the same venue from 26th to 29th October 2023. The Tanjak or Tengkolok is a type of headgear traditionally worn among the Malay community, mostly among men, but some women wear it. It is made of long songket cloth that is folded and tied in a variety of styles. The folding of this fabric has evolved with the passing of time, refined and modified according to the wearer’s skills.

To earmark the rich heritage of Malaysia, guests at the gala night were also seen dressed in traditional attire. Also featured during the night was a Silat (Malay martial arts) showcase by WAKALAM and various traditional dance performances.

In line with the theme of the gala night, attendees to the event also had the opportunity to enjoy delicious traditional Malay dishes which were specially prepared by Pak Abu and his team of authentic “kampung” cooks.

The gala night concluded with everyone dancing and having fun with Joget Lambak collectively.

The key sponsors and supporters of Precious of Malaysia this year included  Jabatan Muzium Malaysia, Muzium Negara, Beast Cosmetics, Art Figura, Tik Tok, Bonia, Studio Karya Production, Mirage by Pak Abu, Restoran Saprah, Dancing Art Solution, Mewah Rose, Langkawi Marine Park, Rentak Sejuta, KKBIS, Pernilam and WAKALAM, among many others.

The show was emceed by actor, comedian and television presenter Syed Muradzi bin Syed Shamsul a.k.a Dee, who had the audience in stitches with his humorous banter and larger-than-life personality throughout the night.

Cultural Fashion Week Award Winners:

Winner – Afiq Syazani

2nd place – Taylor’s University

3rd place  – UiTM

Best Malaysia Brand – Zhuraida Said

Most Talented Fashion Designer- Arm Nabil

ASEAN Emerging Fashion Designer – Kenny Loh Couture

Best Model – Tarshini

Best Culture Inspiration- WAKALAM

Best Malaysian Inspiration  – Kolej Komuniti Selayang

Promising Fashion Designer – Qif Alvarez

Icon Fashion Designer- ESMOD KL

Best Collection- Harry Putra

Precious of Malaysia 2023

The much-awaited Precious of Malaysia which is organised by FM Group returns once again in its second edition to celebrate Malaysian culture, heritage and fashion. Themed “Cultural Revolution – Truly Malaysia”, the prestigious campaign aims to raise awareness among society and help the government to empower, conserve and preserve, our national heritage, culture, history, art, fashion, tourism and unique Malaysian lifestyles for future generations to come.

This was announced during an official launch and press conference event that was hosted by Precious of Malaysia founders, and renowned fashion designers Farel Mikhail & Jonathan Kok of FM Group at Zebra Square in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. Officiating the launch was Deputy Tourism, Arts & Culture Minister YB Tuan Khairul Firdaus Akhbar Khan. Also gracing the event were Precious of Malaysia Patron Y.M. Tengku Dato’ Dr Hishammuddin Zaizi bin Y.A.M Tengku Bendahara Azman Shah Alhaj, Precious of Malaysia Advisors Puan Sri Akmal Abdul Salam, Dato’ Kevin Lee and Dato’ Nurzarina, Jabatan Warisan Negara – Intangible Heritage Department Director Dr Eyo Leng Yan, various fashion designers, dignitaries, celebrities, industry personalities and members of the media. Also presented during the event was a preview of the Precious of Malaysia’s official theme song.

The launch event also saw the announcement of Precious of Malaysia Ambassadors and its official sponsors.Attendees also had a chance to see a preview of Precious of Malaysia’s fashion showcase which saw designers Jonathan Kok (cheongsam), Farel Mikhail (Melayu manis), Kenny Low (nyonya kebaya), Qif Alvarez (songket menswear). Putra Wakalam (warrior outfits), Harry Putraa (songket kurung);Armnabil (songket evening dress) and Zhu Said, showcasing their unique and eye catching designs, as a prelude to the main event.Precious of Malaysia will be staged at Mirage By Pak Abu at Zebra Square Kuala Lumpur from 10th to 15th October 2023.

It is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture (MOTAC) and Jabatan Warisan Negara. This year’s campaign will focus on four major components – Cultural Fashion Week, Tanjak & Tengkolok Di Raja Exhibition, Cultural Gala Night and Hari Tanjak Malaysia.The Cultural Fashion Week will be staged on 14th and 15th October at the same venue. It will be highlighting the immense creativity of up and coming local fashion designers and will also focus on propelling the industry forward by introducing various elements of culture & heritage into the mainstream flow of fashion in Malaysia today.

Among the designers that will be included during the Cultural Fashion Week will be 10 fashion designers from the Asean Fashion Designer Confederation, 8 from year 2 & 3 students in Bachelor of Fashion Design Technology (Honours) at Taylor’s University, and students from UiTM and Kolej Community Selayang, who have been given the privilege to present their designs during the showcase.

Among the activities that will also be incorporated into the Cultural Fashion Week will be cultural singing and dancing performances, a fashion show for local fashion designers with a focus on classic and contemporary.There will also be an awards presentation for both fashion designers and models.Another major and unique highlight of Precious of Malaysia this year will be the Royal Tanjak & Tengkolok Exhibition that will be held from 10th to 15th October 2023. The Tanjak or Tengkolok is a type of head gear that is traditionally worn among the Malay community, mostly among men, but there are also women who wear it.

It is made of long songket cloth that is folded and tied in a variety of styles. The folding of this fabric has evolved with the passing of time, refined and modified according to the wearer’s skills.There will also be a commemoration of the Hari Tanjak Malaysia on 15th October 2023.To earmark the rich heritage of Malaysia, there will also be an inspiring parade of people in traditional attire, along with a best traditional attire competition on the day. Also featured will be a Silat (Malay martial arts) competition and a Traditional Silat Percussion competition.

The main highlight of the event will be the Cultural Gala Night which will see the official commemoration of Precious of Malaysia by his Royal Highness Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Ibni Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail and Her Royal Highness Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Puan Muda Perlis Tuanku Dr Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil. The prestigious red carpet event will also see the attendance of various dignitaries, celebrities VIPs and notable personalities in the fashion industry. Among the key highlights of the Cultural Gala Night will be a Malaysian Cultural Fashion Showcase, traditional performances and artistes performances.The main highlight will be the official launch of the Precious of Malaysia theme song and the presentation of Precious Of Malaysia Awards.Event Ambassadors, sponsors and collaboration partners will also be honoured during the gala dinner.