What Went Down: MODA & Samsung @ Pavilion KL

By Josh Liew  •  in Reports
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Last month at the Pavilion KL, fashion and technology had decided to hook up, get married and have children. Signing a contract that legitimately entangled them, allowing an interesting union that would pique the interest of many. Alright, so a little romanticism there, but we weren’t wrong about the new integration of the two forms.

The Malaysian Official Designer’s Association (MODA) and Samsung, partnered up to celebrate MODA’s 22nd Anniversary. Pitting ten young up and comers that the Malaysian fashion industry offered, these two high flyers of their respective industries decided that it’d be a good idea to give these youthful potentials a little creative challenge this year. They were to come up with three concepts for phone covers, formulating and conversing their thought on what would enhance the style of the new Samsung Galaxy SIII. But the catch is, these designs would be modelled on… yup, you guessed it, people instead of the phone itself.

The fashion show did manage to pull a lot of attention and awe, even from our own gaping mouths, as each model strutted from back stage to catwalk, showing off the concepts that swam out of the minds of these designers into the physical constructs of these women. Although we at JUICE, did have our favourites like the simple-chic, black and white designs of Hyachinte Kaur; the bright and colourful floral motif of Gilbert Chuah; and the amazing forms of tactile texture, 3D flows and ruffles of Nigel Chea’s creation, it was sad to say that most of these designers had the lost the main focus of the showcase. Although their designs were remarkable on a person, if made into a phone cover, it would have simply been impractical.

So therefore, based on theme designing accuracy, the winners were well deserved of the title. With the three runner ups –Eddie Cheow, Fisca Dewi Mulia and Julia Leong–, they received cash prize of RM2,000 and the potential of one or all three of each of their design creations would be made into phone covers. For the Grand prize winner, RheaBenson, he and his team of hair and make-up artists, managed to snag themselves the new Samsung Galaxy SIII with the privilege of having his designs made into covers as well.

All in all, it was an interesting show that the MODA and Samsung union managed to cook up. We find it both an ironic statement and interesting approach that they took, especially when coupling it with the SIII’s tag-line; “made for humans” on humans for phones.

This event happened on 17 July 2012. For information on MODA, visit their site or to check out Samsung Malaysia, click here.