“Sweeter by nature, yet bold in its own right,” says Bill Keith, a veteran designer and one of Malaysia’s fashion trailblazers. Wowing the audience with his pink-dominated collection last weekend in Melaka, Bill said since no one had thought of it, why not make a statement in this shocking colour.
Nothing can go wrong with pink
Last weekend, veteran designer and Malaysian fashion trailblazer Bill Keith was in Melaka launching his all in Pink Collection, wowing the audience who came to watch this huge showcase of designers from across the country under the Straits Designers Gallery (SDG) platform.
Bill, also known as the Pavarotti of the fashion world, stunned everyone, including his family, with his pink-dominated collection. Everything was pink, from top to bottom and even down to the accessories!
Bill thought that it would be interesting to see men dressed in pink and added, “No designers have ever done this. I need to make a personal statement. An eye-opener, a breath of fresh air.”
Even designers questioned him about why he did all in pink. There are no rules when it comes to designing a collection, and since no one had thought of it, why not make a shocking statement, was his response.
Bill, who is a mentor to the designers at SDG, has always stressed the importance of being unique in order to stand out.
His 14 pink looks were featured in one of the ‘SDG in Style’ shows held at AEON Bandaraya Mall in Melaka.
During the two-day event at the mall, 14 designers presented their collections.
Pink is certainly the new red, as highlighted by some international brands this year.
Now, Bill’s BK label is bringing this hot pink fashion to both genders in Malaysia this Christmas and New Year.
Why not use pink as a colour of prosperity instead of the traditional red? The colour is often considered delicate and cutesy, but it can also be fierce, feminist, and powerful.
Now, what is SDG? SDG was initiated by Datuk Leong Sir Ley of Sheng Tai International, a Malaysian property development company.
Established in April 2022, SDG is a platform to assist our local designers, whether established or emerging, under the mentorship of Bill Keith.
Bill will be guiding them in their businesses with his years of experience. There are currently 20 labels under SDG, with more to come.
Bill has received several awards over the years, including the Moet Chandon, Tribute to Fashion Award; the 2009 Mercedes Stylo Best Fashion Presentation Award; and the 2012 Mercedes Benz Stylo Designer of the Year Award.
“SDG was created to help our country’s apparel industry grow in the hopes of going global,” Bill said.
He also said that the rise of The SAIL as Malaysia’s second iconic property will help to develop Melaka as a fashion destination in the future, thereby enhancing our property tourism.
SDG carries both local and foreign designers from neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam (in near future). Aside from clothing, SDG also have accessories such as bags and shoes.
SDG has opened a 10,000sqft popup store on the second floor of the Metra Square Hotel in Ayer Keroh, Melaka.
If any designer wishes to learn more about SDG or join SDG, call 013-3510302. Sarawakian designers are welcome.
Currently, SDG has two Sarawakian designers — Lucille Awen Jon, a jewellery designer, indigenous woman, and cultural craft activist from Kuching, now has her Pungu Borneo label in KL and Melaka. Louisa Michael from Pretty in White is a Sarawakian of Bidayuh descent. She is a bridal wear fashion designer trained in Paris who presented her first collection of colourful fashion apparels last weekend at the same event.
