Spring is in the air at Beauty and Fashion

Bright colours, new and sparkling designs at the Beauty and Fashion exhibition by The Artisans Haven, drew in the crowd.

The mood of hope and cheer was reflected in the happy collection from Natural Life, the unique and bold designs of Tina Winness jewellery, Bling watches from Dreamshop and fancy masks from GoCHeeKS.

There was a little girl who bought the Natural Life mini pouch, which comes with an inspirational message: ‘Be brave My Heart … Have courage My Soul.’

“There’s a lot of interest in the variety of our artisans’ creative handwork,’’ said Rosalie Lin who was promoting Beauty and Fashion at the exhibition held at The Linc.

GoCHeeKS

From vibrant colours to soft pastels, versatile artist/painter Chee Li Har greets Mother’s Day and Hari Raya with her latest collection.

Soft tones of lilac and sweet pink for the limited edition of Heart to Heart masks are paired with red and pink hearts, a sign of love to Moms on Mother’s Day.

“Also, the batik/peranakan face mask with gold hot stamp prints is a must for this festive season,’’ says artist Chee.”Super comfortable, breathable and elegant.’’

Duit/handphone pouches, designed with artwork and embellishments by Chee can double up as a Duit Raya keeper and handphone pouch.

Also to celebrate the festive season, are the Patch A Bling Tees with a random patchwork pocket sewn on.

The inaugural issue of Patchwork Scrunchies come in both oversize and dainty, with the scrunchies doubling up as statement bracelets too.

And in May, the Celebrity Wicker Bag, handwoven with new technology wax paper rattan, will be gracing occasions.

“This Celebrity Wicker bag is eco-friendly, water resistant and extremely stylish, each with its own colour combination,’’ says Chee.

Tina Winness

Award-winning jewellery designer Tina Winness did not only go to Italy to receive her award, but based on masquerade masks worn at the world famous Carnival of Venice, had developed a special range of Venetian masquerade mask pendants.

Believing that design should also be a form of expression, Tina’s Carnival di Venzia collection also shows her creativity and innovation in 3D printing.

This elegant range, inspired by the Venetian celebrations of freedom, joy and victory, is Tina’s most iconic to date.

The finely crafted mask pendants, curated to Tina’s personal quality standards, come from a team of various skills and talents in 3D modelling, selection of gemstones and base materials as well as moulding and setting.

Tina, a Raffles KL jewellery design alumni, had won the prestigious ‘A’ Design Award & Competition 2019, in Como, Italy, for her Tribute Wau pendant.

Crafted in 18K gold, set with sapphires and carved nephrite jade with brilliant round diamonds, this Wau pendant is a tribute to the late master kite maker, Shafie Jusoh.

Tina’s aspiration is not just to craft meaningful designs, but also to educate us on the process of jewellery-making so that we appreciate its finer points.

Natural Life

Bringing nature and sunshine into routine lives … Folk Mugs from Natural Life will make you smile each time you drink from them!

“Imagine serving your guest with these mugs this Raya,’’ said Natural Life Malaysia founder Rosalie Lin.

Hand-sculpted with a mini message on the inside rim, these mugs are a conversation piece in the friendly atmosphere of Raya.

They also fit perfectly into Natural Life’s small recycled gift bags.

In the Ramadhan month, it is important to stay hydrated. The Stainless Steel Bottle is double-walled insulated, keeping drinks hot or cold all day long.

It has a secure lid that fits, wood stopper and silicone seal that eliminates leaks while fitting into most cup holders.

As it has a handle, it is good for taking along for buka puasa.

If we get to balik kampung during this Raya, Mom will want the car smelling fresh and clean.

With the Natural Life Air Freshener, little things mean the most! Available in many shapes with happy messages, they spark a little joy each time we hop into the car.

The Tapestry Blanket help us to keep warm on our long journey back to the kampung.

Featuring bright artwork with an inspirational message, it’s a super soft blanket that can double up as tapestry.

Also as a gift to our dear Moms, the Happy Bag can be personalized and comes in three different sizes, and over 20 designs.

Made from recycled water bottles, the Happy Bag never gets worn out, and is good for filling up with tons of treasures that your friends, relatives and Moms will like.

‘Love You to the Moon,’ ‘You Make the World a Better Place,’ are some of the heartwarming messages in original artwork on Natural Life’s Corner Magnets.

Find the perfect ones for the most important person in your life.

The magnets can be placed on your refridgerator or on a built-in easel to rest on your desk.

A great reminder to Mom dearest that she is very much loved, the Heart Jewellery Pouch comes in round and heart shapes.

They are great for storing jewellery at home or on the go.

To help Mom keep all her important keys organized, Natural Life’s Enamel Keychains are a fun and colourful addition to any key ring.

They are double-sided with gold hardware and are shaped like our favourite icons and critters.

After a long day, even a superwoman, needs a break! The Latte Mug says it all to the Moms out there - ‘You are all kinds of Amazing.’

Pink Yakuza by Poesy Liang

Fine mask jewellery by Poesy Liang fascinates with delicate joints that only the patient artisan in Poesy will manoevre.

Working on the idea of helping women look beautiful even when masked, she has come up with mask jewellery that can be used to hold a pair of spectacles, and as a choker.

Besides mask jewellery that is available on Pink Yakuza.com, her Harry Putter collectible baseball caps, going at US$80 each, are sold worldwide and have found a home among tech professionals in Silicon Valley.

Harry Putter is a tuxedo cat with white fur combined with fur of some other colour; it resembles the Rooftop Cats (RTC) that Poesy had started to paint in 2011.

Today, Harry Putter has a collection of books, music, merchandise and geekwear to his name.

Poesy’s original art series of ‘Fly Me to the Moon Harry Putter’ has had a worldwide following since 2015.

She has also come up with a Harry Putter birthday book that tells us about finding joy and celebrating life.

“People find my story inspiring, that even a cat can have a birthday,’’ says Poesy.

Harry Putter also has a song ‘Baby Bao Bao Xiao Mao Mao.’

Even the earlier RTC paintings, with the cat on a roof at full moon, has a comforting message that anybody can have dreams and aspirations.

And we just don’t dream … in 2015, the RTC had found a breakthrough and with a magic broom, he reached the moon.

Poesy has brought the Harry Putter RTC series into street art in Malacca, where she had coincidentally painted on the wall of a building where the owner manufactured fengshui brooms.

She has been invited to many cities to do wall murals, a project she will follow up on after the pandemic.

I Love KL

Premier souvenir bags featuring the KL sign, carry a hint of glamour with designs reminiscent of the versatile and innovative shapes of Bao Bao Issey Miyaki.

The beauty of these KL handbags, clutch bags and backpacks lie in their triangular-shaped design, which has the appearance of a three dimensional surface.

“I was in Europe five years ago and saw souvenirs with I Love Paris and I Love London,’’ said I Love KL founder Aesos Lai, who then created a range with the KL sign.

Apart from cities like New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur is among the few cities that have two words, thus making it rather different.

The stamp KL on the bags, makes tourists proud that they have been to this friendly and culturally diversified city that is also a preferred destination, and the headquarters of many multinational companies.

The main market for these bags is the ladies market, as Aesos has observed that ladies buy a lot of them especially for their friends.

Men as business travellers also buy KL bags, T- shirts with scenes of KL and other souvenirs that are also sold at the KLCC airport and tourist-related areas.

Big buyers are visitors and tourists from India, China and Indonesia.

Aesos hopes for a successful vaccination program, following which international travel will be allowed and conducted safely.

Bling watches

Bling watches bedazzled with Swarovski crystals, are gaining in popularity.

Fully handcrafted by an artisan in Singapore, the watches can be worn to spice up the baju Raya for the upcoming festive season.

Even during MCO 2.0, customers were still willing to pay for these watches that cost between RM1,000 to RM1,900.

Surprised at the response, “it just shows that customers are prepared to pay for a unique and customized item that is also of limited edition,’’ said Dreamshop founder Rosalie Lin.

Dreamshop has ten designs of these Bling watches from Casio, under the Dream collection in colours such as silver, black and rainbow.

Since it was introduced via live sales last November, a total of 20 Bling watches have been sold, with special enquiries for customization.

TAS by Woman of Substance

Rich floral designs adorn TAS bags that are individually made by Linden Leong.

Personally sourcing for the fabric, materials and hardware, she takes between one to four days to make these bags that have caught the eye of her customers.

“Some of them love it immediately and order for themselves, their family and friends.

“They find the designs unique, of limited edition and they like it that I can customize for them,’’ said Linden.

Linden likes to create pretty things; after testing out the market through friends and contacts, she took to social media about a year ago to market the bags.

TAS bags are carried by Women of Substance, referring to the important role played by women in society.

Angeline Teoh

Sewing about 500 pouches during the recent Chinese New Year (CNY) season, Angeline Teoh’s joy at seeing good demand for her products is also tinged with a little pain.

Some skin on her fingers had peeled off.

Taking everything in her stride, she says: “The angpow pouch we did during CNY was a hit. We still have orders coming in and are producing some more.’’

Clients like the uniqueness of Angeline’s designs; even after CNY, they can still use the pouches to keep their cheque books, cosmetics or small items of jewellery.

The opera face design on the pouch, is linked to an opera costume that Angeline had constructed from zero.

A former children’s fashion designer, Angeline had built this opera costume for a children’s talent show.

Besides pouches, she has a large collection of face masks, and is about to launch ready-to-wear for children in July.

Her two staff help her with the sewing, and stitching of buttons and tassels, while Angeline does the touch-up and detailing of the products.

Mageline World

Showing women how they can enjoy the natural beauty of their skin has become a passion for Shirley Swu and Rowena Lye, founders of Mageline World.

“We want to empower women to enjoy their natural beauty,’’ says Shirley.

Natural and premium skincare products from Mageline, made of plant stem cells, ginseng, rose extract and other special ingredients, help to treat and repair skin while bringing back its natural glow.

Clients like the after-sales service of Mageline World and how its products help them change the condition of their skin as in cases of acne, pigmentation, uneven skin tone and yellowish skin colour.

Mageline World, which is headquartered in Wuhan, has five award-winning products: Mageline Fairy Eye Cream; Mageline Reverse Time Eassence formulated to reverse damaged skin cells; Mageline Beauty Egg for firming and rejuvenating of the skin; Mageline Oil Control & Anti-Dandruff Shampoo; and Mageline 3-Step Skincare Set.

A freelance make-up artist, Shirley had found that with Mageline World, she managed to overcome her ultra-senstive skin problem, and also did not need to use much make-up.

And she told her friend, Rowena, about it.

“For me, beauty is important as I will look good and feel confident. I tried on Mageline World which had made me look good and much younger,’’ said Rowena who works in finance.

Benang Sari

Handcrafted bags by Linda Azmi are made from new fabric under the Tenun collection and repurposed kimonos.

From small clutches to medium to big totes, they are one of a kind, and a collectors’ item.

With a focus on South East Asian culture, the Tenun collection also supports local artisan suppliers.

The repurposed kimonos are not only environment friendly, but they preserve the beauty of the handpainted kimonos in crepe silk, with gold-painted design on the border.

It takes Linda three weeks to craft all six of the bag designs, where she has to treat the fabric beforehand to make it durable, scratch and water resistant.

Self-taught, the former events manager had been watching related videos and started sewing in 2019; by October last year, she had started this venture.

She is quite happy with the feedback from customers who like her bags for their uniqueness, craftsmanship, practicality and that they are quite chic and fashionable.

Emerald Brilliant

The cheongsam has made a comeback as an iconic piece of fashion that is part of the Chinese culture and heritage.

Worn by women also in the West, it has become an inspiration for fashion designers and the modern cheongsam comes in a variety of styles, shapes and fabrics.

Nevertheless, certain distinguishing features such as the Mandarin collar, asymmetrical opening and side slits, are mostly retained.

The beauty of the cheongsam lies in its excellent craftsmanship that present an elegant and at the same time, noble and romantic look.

While younger women may prefer modern versions of the cheongsam, Brilliant Emerald founder Kong Yoon Yoon sees that about 70% of clients still prefer traditional cheongsams.

There are more than ten different kinds of materials for the traditional cheongsam – Thai/KUA silk, batik, lace, Chinese brocade, songket, velvet, chiffon, Japanese/American cotton, organza, georgette, linen, silk satin and a lot more.

Variations in designs come in mermaid styles, bareback, cut-ins to long tails.

The cheongsam may be enhanced with five types of embroidery, beads and patchwork, all intricately sewn by master craftsmen.

Toko Tjantik

Embroidery and batik wear from Indonesia are favourites at Toko Tjantik; in addition to these, new peoducts include children’s dresses and hijab for Muslim women as the Holy Month and Hari Raya approaches.

“Embroidered masks are still the top seller,’’ says Liony. ‘’The new design SE12 for face mask is very comfortable; if you are wearing a simple dress, just add on this mask to spice up your appearance.’’

Response has been quite good, and Liony tries to offer designs that are not common in Malaysia.

CW Classic

The Hari Raya mood is going strong at CW Classic as founder May Wong has brought in a wide selection of fashion jewellery to celebrate the Raya season.

Customers love the good quality, silver and gold fashion jewellery that will lend a festive air especially to this Raya celebration, fresh out of MCO 2.0.

The mood of cheer is also laced with hope for further relaxation, as the Covid-19 vaccination program is being rolled out.

As the artisans at Beauty and Fashion show off their best in terms of design and craftsmanship, let’s give them a thumbs-up and support them to their next level of creativity.