The dazzling Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2024 (KLFW 2024) continued to impress with a stylish display of talent, creativity, and sustainability in a special segment titled “Design to Sustain.” This event coincided with the 6th KLFW Designer Search and featured the theme “Capturing Allure,” inspired by the elegance and sophistication of the all-new Peugeot 408. Fifteen young and aspiring fashion designer finalists showcased their innovative pieces, bringing their sketches to life with recycled materials. This marks the first collaboration between the KLFW Designer Search and an automotive brand.
The atmosphere was electric as each finalist’s design took the spotlight, showcasing creative and unique visions that breathed new life into upcycled fabrics, proving that sustainability can be synonymous with style.
The “Design to Sustain” contest workshop took place on June 16th, where 63 artists submitted three womenswear sketches inspired by the theme “Capturing Allure” and participated in a live fashion pitch. The top 15 artists were then selected to showcase two looks each at the grand finale, incorporating upcycled materials from Life Line Clothing Malaysia (LLCM), one of the country’s largest zero-waste textiles collectors.
A panel of seven esteemed judges, including Andrew Tan, Founder of KLFW, E-Ling Cheah, Marketing Manager of Stellantis Malaysia, Min Luna, Creative Director of Min Luna Creative Agency, Andrea Wong, Creative Director and Fashion Stylist, Kak Zai, Fashion Critic, and fashion designers Kit Woo and Syomirizwa Gupta, had the challenging task of selecting the top three from this extraordinary pool of talent. These judges are fashion industry experts and avid supporters of the local fashion scene.
The winners of the KLFW Designer Search 2024 are 18-year-old Mei Xuan Tieo with her collection titled “Ephemeral Reverie,” 25-year-old Raja Irfan with “Eternal Allure,” and 26-year-old Salahuddin Hilmi with “Rockstar.” They captivated both the audience and judges with their exceptional creativity, originality, innovation, and technical finesse. As winners, they will have the exclusive opportunity to showcase their full collections at KLFW 2025 and the Lao Fashion Week: Zero Waste this October.
All three winners shared how the Peugeot 408 inspired their designs. Kuala Lumpur native Mei Xuan fused the technology, aerodynamic lines, and sleek style of the PEUGEOT 408 with traditional Japanese culture and the allure of post-war Geisha, evident in her winning collection.
Raja Irfan from Klang, known for his structural design, said, “The moment I saw the PEUGEOT 408, I immediately fell in love with the headlights. The silhouettes and sculpted lines of the car also drew my attention.” These elements were featured in his designs, where he created structured lines using the corset, belt, and exaggerated shoulder pieces.
Kedahan Salahuddin, also inspired by the headlights, said, “I wanted my collection ‘Rockstar’ to exude ruggedness and mystery. The front and rear lights, the rims, the silhouettes, and the lines of the Peugeot 408 inspired my design narrative, and I also incorporated the colors of the French flag – red, white, and blue – to pay homage to the brand’s origin.”
To view more photos of the winning fashion collections, visit PEUGEOT Malaysia’s official social media channels on Instagram or Facebook. 
