Malaysian Street influence in fashion

High fashion streetwear? Sounds like an oxymoron, but the style appears to be here to stay.

High fashion streetwear? Sounds like an oxymoron, but the style appears to be here to stay.

Fashion comes from the streets.” That is among the gems of wisdom from the late style icon, Coco Chanel.

The utilitarian appeal of everyday attire inspired the couturier who also opined, “Never a buttonhole without a button’’.

It has turned out to be a two-way street: Fashion has gone back to the streets, bringing style into everyday items for the average Joe and Jane.

Ed Hardy for women
Street fashion has, since the 1990s, become a style genre in its own right. Brands have built global empires based on T-shirts, hoodies, sweat tops and an infinite wardrobe of jeans. But the arteries of the West have an ambience and style different from the East — trends that originate from their cities have their own distinctive edge.

At Empire Shopping Gallery, Ed Hardy epitomises the rock ‘n’ roll spirit of Los Angeles, while SuperDry serves up Tokyo flair in its fusion of Japanese and vintage design influences.

SuperDry, which is exclusive to Tangs, is actually a British brand conceived in 2003 after a trip to Japan by its founders. It has rapidly gained cult status for its effortlessly cool T-shirts — especially its Osaka range — hoodies, shirts, jackets and even shoes.

The fledgling brand’s success formula is based on quality and design.

The comfort of super-soft cotton and other premium fabrics — “pre-loved’’ with vintage washes — is one winning factor. Its uber-cool graphics, inspired by Japanese popular culture, also helped to propel SuperDry to “It” brand status, as it exploded into popularity in Britain three years ago.

Trendy clothes by SuperDry. — EMPIRE SHOPPING GALLERY
Ed Hardy’s Christian Audigier launched his high-fashion streetwear line in 2004, after bringing his Midas touch to brands such as Kookai and Naf Naf in his native France. Hollywood, rock ‘n’ roll and tattoo culture are celebrated in the bold designs of the T-shirts, jeans and accessories that reflect the bling-bling lifestyle.

The main inspiration of the collection is its namesake. Ed Hardy is acclaimed as the “godfather of tattoo”, and Audigier cleverly purchased the rights to his artwork, creating the first tattoo-inspired fashion brand. Audigier’s collection of T-shirts, denim wear and accessories are not for those who want the quiet life.

The strong graphics — which look like huge tattoo transfers — and bling-bling touches like diamante, studs and sequins are as loud as the superbike crowd and their admirers, all of whom love Ed Hardy. The brand quickly found its way to Malaysian shores, opening its first door at ESG.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...