Juliana (seated, centre) with organising committee members and major sponsors of KK Fashion Week 2019 after a press conference, yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: KK Fashion Week (KKFW) returns in full force after an eight-year hiatus, with a jam-packed programme meant to engage fashion designers, entrepreneurs and the general public.
Among highlighted events are a three-day Fashion and Textile Trade Expo, a talk-cum-workshop entitled ‘Celebrating Autism Awareness Through Fashion’ and a Gala Night cum charity dinner as the finale.
KKFW chairperson and founder Juliana Situn said the programme would start from September 13 till 21, with the involvement of non-governmental organisations Caring and Helping Individuals Learn and Develop (C.H.I.L.D.) Sabah and Sabah Autism Society (SAS).
“The Trade Expo will begin September 13 to 15 at the Karamunsing Complex Exhibition Hall. There will be 81 booth spaces for the public to rent, ranging from RM600 to RM2,500. We are hoping for fashion designers and entrepreneurs to take part and showcase their products.
“It also serves as a platform to connect suppliers of raw materials, fashion buyers and manufacturers, and facilitate business matching in the local and international fashion community.
“On stage, there will be a fashion design competition, product launches, media events, modeling, fashion colouring competitions for children and dancing and singing competitions.
“Fashion schools and companies will also have the opportunity to present their latest fashion technologies in keeping abreast with technologies in advanced countries.
“Simultaneously, on September 14, there will be a talk-cum-workshop entitled ‘Celebrating Autism Awareness Through Fashion,’ to involve 110 parents and their autistic children. Invited speaker Ruth S. Arunasalam will work with parents to demonstrate how talents in autistic children can be identified.
“In addition, fashion paintings entitled ‘Hijab’ will also be showcased, which were done by autistic teen Thasraveen Chandra Segaran, or better known as Aveen, from Sarawak. This is to amplify the point that autistic individuals possess talent that can be nurtured given the right intervention at an early age.
“These paintings will then be sold to the public at the Fashion Expo and at 5.30pm at the Gala Night on September 21, at ITCC Penampang.
“To mark the end of KKFW 2019, the Runway Gala Night will feature fashion shows, showcasing winning designs of the Fashion Design Competition themed ‘Sabah Ethnic Motifs, Couture for the World.’
“It is a platform for charity fund raising and the mock cheque presentation ceremony will take place then. It is also a time for appreciation and recognition of those who have contributed generously to the event,” said Juliana.
This time around, KKFW will be raising funds for two beneficiaries, C.H.I.L.D. Sabah and SAS. What sets KKFW apart is its mission to not only create a community of all involved in the creative industry, but also bring them together to raise funds for charity, Juliana added.
It is unique among fashion weeks around the world because it is a platform for established designers, as well as an ‘in-house incubator’ that discovers new talent and launches the careers of young designers by organising fashion design competitions and introducing new technologies to increase productivity.
“KKFW is a local event with a global vision, enabling our designers to work locally while reaching larger markets.
“Through educational fashion seminars, year-round fashion events and charitable partnerships, KKFW is gaining rapid acclaim for its community-service efforts that encourages world-class innovation into Sabah’s fashion industry,” she elaborated.
Juliana added that it is time that Sabah too invests in fashion tourism, by hosting KK Fashion Week in collaboration with its organisers and giving it prominence in the yearly Tourism Calendar, with heavy promotion overseas as one of the key tourism products of Sabah.
Since the launch of KKFW in 2011, organisers, fashion designers and entrepreneurs used their own means and relied on sponsors to make the event possible. It was estimated that more than RM250,000 was spent to organise the one-week KKFW debut in 2011.
“Thus in preceding years, KKFW ran out of funds and could not continue in organising this event. In comparison with KL Fashion Week and other similar established events internationally, KK Fashion Week is only making baby steps in becoming a global event to spur the fashion industry and tourism in Sabah.
“This year, KKFW 2019 is making a comeback with hopes that the government could give this event the business impetus to thrive in years ahead,” said Juliana.