THE nobility of wanting to help fashion designers tide over the hardship posed by the COVID-19 lockdowns has brought together Datuk Leong Sir Ley, founder and chairman of Sheng Tai International, an award-winning property developer and property tourism specialist, and Bill Keith, one of Malaysia’s fashion trailblazers.
Putting their brains together, the duo concocted a dream to turn Melaka into a fashion centre-of-excellence – an equivalent of Milan – whereby the historical city can eventually thrive as a lifestyle haven.
Leong and Keith commenced their baby step towards this direction by jointly hosting the inaugural Met Gala Malaysia (MGM) 2021 over the weekend (Dec 18).
Deemed the southern region’s biggest fashion night, the event staged at Ames Hotel featured innovative, bold yet glamourous masterpieces from Bill Keith and 25 young and upcoming local fashion designers.
By teaming up with Keith, Leong is hopeful that MET 2021 would serve as a springboard for budding local designers to showcase their talent. “Through our partnership with Paris-based FashionTV – the #1 global fashion channel – we believe opportunities abound for our local talents, be it models, influencers or fashion designers, to shine at the international arena,” she enthused.
As for Keith, he will leverage his wealth of experience to ensure that creations that look enticing on the runway possess commercial viability. Though his mentorship, Keith will impart his wisdom on how best to monetise creations, ie by limiting them to a three-piece collection to preserve the sense of exclusivity.
“The 25 local designers will also be showcasing their masterpieces at the Straits Designer Gallery at Metrasquare which is scheduled to open by 1Q 2022,” revealed Leong who took a personal interest in making Melaka a fashion hub.
“The second Gallery will open at The Sail Melaka when fully completed. The Gallery is part of our commitment to elevate Melaka into the next fashion capital like Milan.”
Moving forward, Leong also expressed hope that Sheng Tai International will continue to create opportunities to showcase local talents while boosting the country’s economy by creating awareness or displaying the creations of home-grown fashion designers at its overseas branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Metrasquare is a six-acre commercial development comprising a residential component called the Metrasquare Serviced Suites, a three-star premium hotel called Hotel Metrasquare, a five-star hotel – Ames Hotel – as well as retail lots, meeting and conference facilities, food & beverage (F&B) amenities as well as Melaka historical gallery and art social space.
Located just a five-minute drive away from the Ayer Keroh toll off the North-South Expressway, Metraquare is also close to the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC), government offices, hypermarkets and a host of tourist attractions such as Melaka Zoo and Night Safari; Melaka Bird Park; the Wonderland Theme Park; Melaka Planetarium
