Fashion brands you did not know is Malaysian

When it comes to fashion, Malaysian designers do have their mark in the international market. But not many make it there like Jimmy Choo or Zang Toi. But then again, who needs to be that famous when we have some urban design brands that have taken the region by storm. The problem is, a lot of us do not know they are Malaysian.

How do they stack up?

Honestly, you would probably have seen these brands before but has no idea that they are from Malaysia. This is because they resonate and adapt so well into their markets. Many of these brands have been around for a few years now and have become mainstays with college and university students. In fact, some of these brands have been placed together with contemporary brands like Superdry and Herschel. Imagine that!
What makes them stand out include:

1. Style – these brands know what Malaysian youngsters want and they deliver just that!
2. Current – they take what is recent and bring them up to another level. These brands have established their names and is seen everywhere. The issue is that many Malaysians did not know they are local
3. Local – Phrases like LANSI and Kuala Lumpur are just among those that have been used. But such phrases give the brands a local outlook. Which is really cool

Here are the top few ones. Be surprised, be very surprised.

The Covert Collective

The brainchild of couple Samuel and Hannah, they are actually professionals. One is a law and the other engineering degree holders. Known for their minimalist and simple design, their range is interesting and has been extremely popular in recent months. Among them include their ‘Tough Girls Club’ and their ‘Real Men don’t buy Girls’ ranges (which has a message to send out).

Pestle & Mortar

Are we hearing ‘gasps’ and ‘whoas’? This is perhaps one of the most established streetwear brands around Malaysia. The brand is made up of Reddi Rocket, Harvinth Singh and Aman Ra who are celebrities in the entertainment industy. If you are wondering what makes Pestle & Mortar so popular, have you seen the reverse texts of city names? That is like their trademark! RESPECT!

Idotshirt

Their signature is the Gameplay Experience and you get to design your own t-shirts. Basically, the outlook is quite simple and similar but you get to customize the number, box and script to be on the t-shirt. What makes Idotshirt so popular is their consistency in the designs. No matter how you innovate and change it, the signature is still there. And their quality is top notch.

Tarik Jeans

As the name implies, this is all about the jeans. That which makes them interesting is that they take what is Malaysian and then mixed it with modern clothing and vice-versa. This means that you can enjoy the batik shirt which has been given a contemporary touch.

The Swagger Salon

This brand comes from Penang. In fact, they are so popular with their Malaysian slogans and words that they have now been plastered all across Malaysia. T-shirts, caps and other stuff. The Swagger Salon is popular because of the word ‘LANSI’. Rings any bells?

Alamak Co

You would probably have seen this logo around. The octopus is the mascot used in Alamak Co’s designs and it is the work of Cloakwork, one of the most popular graffiti artists in the country. In fact, Cloakwork’s art can be seen in many places around town. So it is no surprise that it has been translated now into fashion. Clever.