Marching Onward to Modern Fashion Sensibilities
50 Years Onwards! A Salute to Malaysia

Once again, the audience of the Petang Raya fashion show 07/08 saw the unexpected from Bernard Chandran, who can be counted upon to bring up new ideas, take chances and point the way to new directions where others less daring will follow.

Evident in the 40 looks presented, the Petang Raya 07/08 is a very, very bold and versatile collection.  Even though the collection draws influence from the 1950s and industrial revolution, modern is also a term to describe the Bernard Chandran’s Petang Raya 07/08 collection.  Pay attention especially to the details, which spell ‘youth’ that many overlook when they design traditional clothing.  Bernard Chandran has indeed turned the traditional ensemble into something smart, chic and urbane.

Carrying through from Bernard Chandran’s latest London ready-to-wear, the collection is clearly an interplay of different fabric textures and materials like netting, crystal glass, art deco flower motives and a new kind of embellishment that is big and bold. 

Staying within the confines of the classically acceptable, the designer came up with out-of-the-box and edgy solutions to old favorite materials like the batik – plaited batik (for a change), cotton and T-shirt material.  You will also notice industrial chic has been fused into his take on traditional clothing, where the designer opted to use raincoat material on his ‘Kurung’.  Other materials found in the collection are satin silk and pure silk which add an air of classiness to the collection.

The designer has also done away with the silhouette cut and given emphasis on a loose- fitting waistline for the entire collection.  This gives one the ability to put together an outfit that looks effortlessly sexy. 

With an eye for innovation and functionality, take note of the cutting techniques opted by Bernard including the designer’s signature sleeves, the 1930s inspired sleeves and the ‘regulance’ sleeves on the ‘Kebaya’, which presented an absolutely stylish twist to the ensembles.  Ribbon piping as decorative on the front and the three-pieced ‘kurung’ all gave modern interpretation to the looks.  There was definitely no ‘fish-tail’ cut on the skirts which the designer pointed out was an absolute No-No with a capital ‘N’!  The cut on the skirts was plain ‘A’ line and ‘flowy’, extended on the sides.