Sandra Azwan ... The Face of Malaysia's Future Fashion

The Malaysian fashion scene is about to fly high and of late, we have seen quite a lot of improvement taking place within Malaysia's fashion industry.

Apart from the respected likes of Dato' Jimmy Choo, Datuk Bernard Chandran, Dato' Tom Abang Saufi, and Zang Toi, celebrated Malaysian designers Melinda Looi and Khoon Hooi have also made their presence in the global fashion scene clear with their respective fashion labels being exported to many countries around the world, including the United States and Greece.

And in the recent years as well, the country has seen many new talents emerging to grace the local fashion scene. Blossoming like spring flowers at early spring, these new designers are well-equipped with not just technical and theoritical knowledges on fashion, but also a thousand and one fresh ideas in their minds.

One of the future faces of Malaysian fashion scene that perches high on the list is no other than the talented Sandra Azwan. Born and bred in Malaysia, Sandra Azwan could be best describe as the new Cristobal Balenciaga in the making.

While studying at UiTM Perak in Fashion Design, under the tutelage of renowned fashion designer fashion consultant Faizal Hamid, he started to develop his own trademark features in his designs. The features, which include volume applications, use of experimental fabrics (such as Japanese stock), and futuristic did not only helped him to create distinguished designs but it also creates appeal to bold fashionistas who are daring enough to experiment with novel looks and styles.

At last year's MIFA 8 : Fashion Forward Award, Sandra captivated the attention of Malaysian and international fashionistas by channeling the futuristic yet urban aesthetics of Balenciaga (think hard and high standing collars), which he counts as his fashion influence and idol, with the mystifying space age elements of Stanley Kubrick's award-acclaimed movie "2001 - A Space Odyssey" into first ready-to-wear and avant-garde collection, known as 'The Radical Chic".

Radical indeed, the collection of clothes in classic futuristic architectural shapes and structural influences was a homage to Twiggy, the fashion icon of the 60's and the world's first supermodel (though Janice Dickinson later claimed that the title belongs to her ... whatever).

Swathed in virgin white, each pieces are carefully structured to perfection from materials such as duchesse satin (also known as taffeta), glazed cotton, and satin jacquard, then embellished with advanced yet intricate detailing such as shell and fan pleats, oversized buttons, and PVC trimming, resulting a lineup of clothes that spells modernity, elegance, and true sophistication.

Belted empire line dresses, trench high-waisted baby doll dresses, mini trench coats with cape, and cropped jackets with sleeves were among the pieces that took the audience's breath away.

Accentuating the styles are accessories such as collar bands, belts with silver buckles, quirky 60's plastic color bangles, and a wide range of shoes ranging kitten heels to open-toed pumps.

Though he did not win the competition, Sandra continues pursuing his dreams in fashion by getting involved in great scale projects that are aimed to promote traditional Malaysian fashion textiles to the world and one of his major works was during the official inauguration of Pavilion KL. Furthermore, his creative works were also featured in the February 2008 issue of Malaysia Tatler, a prestigious high-society magazine.

So what will be his plans for the future? "A fashion lecturer and at the same time, open my own company. But I do hope to reach higher lrvrl of education."

To learn more about Sandra Azwan's latest creations, upcoming projects, and how to get in touch with the designer, simply visit Sandra's Myspace page for more details.

*Photos courtesy of Sandra by Sandra Azwan.