Explore a bold departure from traditional fashion as Razor Ovager Robert Abel leads a creative collaboration celebrating gothic influences. With a blend of daring makeup and unconventional styling, local talents break new ground in the fashion scene, captivated by the allure of gothic culture and artistic expression.
Gothic glamour unveiled
A goth look was what this young man from Kuching aimed for with his models, who appeared hauntingly beautiful with a gothic sensibility.
From the soft, white colour palette of traditional, pretty wedding gowns to embracing gothic makeup that seems bold and daring, it must have been a fun shoot for our skilled local photographers.
The collaboration was led by Razor Ovager Robert Abel, a youth drawn to gothic culture, which re-emerged in the early 80s during the punk age when youth expressed aggression against the world’s injustices.
In the 90s, inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker, youth began wearing darker-coloured clothing.
Razor, who embraces a gothic style, is often seen in dark-coloured clothing such as a black T-shirt paired with baggy pants.
“I am really into this type of fashion, with long jackets and even dresses adorned with plenty of belts and chains. With my experience in modelling and acting, I now focus as a part-time freelance fashion creative director while holding a full-time job as a fashion advisor,” he said.
He added that he has been passionate about fashion and modelling since he was 15 years old.
“I’m glad I’ve been able to experience the feeling that deepens my love for fashion more and more. As I’ve grown older, I haven’t stopped pursuing my passions. In fact, I see my new role as a creative director in fashion as uniquely exciting for audiences,” Razor said.
Determined to demonstrate that Sarawak’s local talents have more to offer beyond traditional culture and conventional fashion, Razor bravely teamed up with others from Kuching to style fashion in a less conventional way.
Initially, Razor thought someone with a brand like Pretty in White would not buy into his idea. However, Louisa, who trained in Paris and is known for her edgy hairstyles and creation of romantic lace gowns and ethereal veils, gladly nodded in agreement to the collaboration as she too wanted to experiment with something new.
Razor admitted that his vibe is something different and that “pretty” is too boring and basic for him, so he aimed to infuse her elegant dresses with a unique twist. Having someone else share the same vision pleased him immensely.
As for the makeup, the intense and smoky eyes were created by Kenny Yeo, a very talented makeup artist, and the popular Raja Inai.
Gothic makeup can enhance various eye shapes, so he expertly blended dark eyeshadows in shades of charcoal and other colours like deep purple to create a captivating gaze.
To add more drama, lip colours such as dark reds, black, and vampish purples were applied to a paler complexion, which is characteristic of gothic makeup.
Long, fluttery lashes were added to give a hint of theatrics and create a mesmerising effect that completed the look on the three local models from Kuching selected for the shoot: Larissa Ping Liew, a Malaysian model, fashion blogger, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World Malaysia 2018 and represented Malaysia at the Miss World 2018 pageant; Viviana Lin Winston, Miss Planet International 2019 second runner-up, a fashion model, and catwalk instructor; and Glynnis Grace, a model.
For a touch of gothic glamour on the three models, jewellery pieces were beautifully harmonised with the gothic style.
Razor said he hopes in the future he will have the opportunity to work with many new people in the fashion industry, to present more “art with fashion” on a bigger platform.
The photographers involved in the shoot were Kelvin Chan and Andy Phe.
