This strange sounding title actually means

Zandra Rhodes watching the Dep Toursim Chairman

ONE MALAYSIA YEAR END SALE

Indeed on the 15th of November, the Year End Sales were launched at a mega function and mini ramp show coinciding with the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Show weekend. Stores all over Malaysia will be offering discounts and bargains till 4th January 2015 so  fashion lovers and shopaholics have enough time to shop till they drop ( or at least their hands drop off holding heavy bags!)

Tekat embroiderer at work

Ramp shows are new to me and frankly I’m not the great fashionista that I often pretend to be (really?).  I can see my friends’ eyes roll up as they see me every day in my Chinese Amah Pant suit and can hardly imagine me even attending a fashion show. This, let me assure you my friends was pure accident. I happened to be part of the MEGA FAM held in KL on the 15th of November and was invited to the launch of the 1MALAYSIAYES which was part of the MEGA FAM event.

Batik artist

All 277 delegates to the FAM were transported to the venue – the National Visual Arts Gallery, an apt stage for this major fashion event. that brought together international designers, local talent and a lot of fun and cheer.

Unlike all the other events which started on time, the official event was delayed by the unexpected rain and thunder which caused huge traffic jams and consequently prevented the officials from arriving in time. But the delegates and other guests weren’t grumbling as there were plenty of eats and drinks to go around before the show began. For those so inclined, there was a Batik artist demonstrating his craft, a Mehndi artiste, a black and white caricaturist and a Tekat artist displaying her skill in traditional gold thread embroidery.

The show began with a curtain raiser of fashionably dressed dancers followed by stupendous performances by local pop singers who obvioulsy were well loved by the local crowd.  This was followed by local talent singing Nessun Dorma and a dramatic rendition of “The Phantom of the Opera” while the singers came down the circular stairwell in the middle of the hall.

The evergreen ever popular Ella

Azly Rahman, Malaysia’s best loved guitarist known as Man Kidal or the left handed man entertained us with his own version of the theme from The Godfather while two other modern singers drove the audience to a frenzy with their caterwaul.

The fashion show was a ramp walk with designs by the well known British designer  Dame Zandra Rhodes whose flowing garments were an elegant fusion of contemporary  Occidental with traditional Malaysian elements.

Man Kidal entertaining the audience with his rendition of the theme from the Godfather

Dancing model

The YES was launched by the Deputy Chairman of Tourism and with the release of gold and grey balloons that fell from the top, the sale was officially launched. So all you ladies who have been waiting for year end sales, hit the stores now!
                                                                                                             

There are over 20 malls in Kuala Lumpur in addition to the other shopping centres like Petaling Street in Chinatown, Central Market at Pasar Seni, Little India at Brickfields and the Kuala Lumpur Craft Complex for traditional Malaysian Handicrafts.

In addition to KL, there are other cities in Malaysia too which have malls that are participating in this nationwide Year End Sale

And for those of you who don’t know :

Johore Premium Outlet which is only the second in Asia after Japan is just an hour away from Johore Bharu ( which is only a kilometre away from Singapore across the straits ) and at  JPO you can get deep discounts sometimes as deep as 90% for fashion that is only ONE season old!!!!!