KUCHING, Oct 18: : The Malaysian Bumiputra Designer Association (MBDA) today launches MY Gaya Month with the objective to promote Malaysian made products through fashion.
The month-long campaign was launched by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, in conjunction with the ministry’s ongoing Buy Malaysian Campaign or Kempen Beli Barangan Malaysia (KBBM).
MBDA in a press statement today, said the initiative features 30 local designers along with their latest collections that were specially made for the campaign, all surrounding the theme of supporting local luxury brands.
The month-long event will highlight the different visions and creativity of fashion designers in Malaysia, as well as giving the public insight into the beauties of the local fashion industry.
MBDA said MY Gaya Month will end on a high note with a virtual fashion show on November 8 and 9 (Wednesday – Thursday), which will be streamed live on multiple platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and more.
The designers will have their pieces made available for purchase on various e-commerce platforms like Fashion Hub by MBDA, Shopee, Lazada, Aladdin1 and Zalora, with prices ranging from RM18 to RM699.
MBDA forecasted an approximate RM500,000 in product sales throughout MY Gaya Month.
Nanta said, “This initiative by MBDA will unite fashion and lifestyle brands, in an effort to raise the bar of excellence of the range of products, to be made available not only in the local but also the global market.
“This shows that MBDA is always active in planning and executing government initiatives to ignite the domestic industries, taking into account different sectors such as fashion. Additionally, this initiative will serve as an additional push factor to inculcate the confidence of the public in respect of the quality of Malaysian made products.
“This time around, our efforts will also concentrate on allowing the public consumers to have a multitude of increased access to Malaysian made products and services, be it via online or physical means, with the attention given to physical means being conducted with strict adherence to tight standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place,” he said.
Nanta added, “In 2019, the execution of KBBM recorded RM2.87 billion worth of product sales which involved 279,000 of stock-keeping unit SKUs in the retail sector, as well as RM6.84 million worth of sales from online marketplaces.
“Meanwhile in 2020, the campaign witnessed a RM3.3 billion increase in sales which involved 326,000 SKUs.
“Online marketplace portals recorded a significant increase in sales in 2020 compared to 2019, with the value in sales exceeding RM145 million,” he said.
Likewise, the MY Gaya Month aims to promote fashion brands made in Malaysia, through supporting local fashion designers and brands.
This will simultaneously stimulate the economy, as well as creating opportunities for growth in the industry.
Malaysian top menswear designer Bon Zainal Harun who is also the Founder of MBDA said, “We want to create more entrepreneurs in the fashion and manufacturing industries.
“By obtaining more support from the local community, up-and-coming fashion brands can further position themselves on the map and compete with international brands,” he said.
Adding on, MBDA said every designer will be showcasing their designs with eight pieces per collection, ranging from menswear, active wear, modest apparel to versatile fashion.
Some of the designers want to emphasize the beauty of local fine arts, with designs such as batik integrated into their collections.
There will also be special collections that are featured in MY Gaya Month, such as bespoke accessories, wedding couture, sustainable clothing, red carpet couture and more.
Furthermore, Nanta added, “I wish to congratulate MBDA for their efforts in curating a campaign that engulfs the fulfilment of consumer needs, with thought to the government’s efforts to increase the growth of the local economy.
“I hope with these efforts, more members of the public residing in Malaysia will rise to support our local entrepreneurs and industries by buying Malaysian made products.
“At the same time, we hope that this will provide further perspective to the global market that local products are just as competitive with international brands,” he said.
To find out more about MY Gaya Month, the designers and collections, visit https://fashionhubmbda.com/ . — DayakDaily
