This post-event report summarizes a fashion forum and exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 20th 2016. The event brought together over 300 attendees including local fashion brands, designers, celebrities and media. It featured panels and discussions on topics like building a sustainable fashion business, pitching to investors, and fashion technology. Guest speakers from Thailand shared their experience winning the Vogue Thai Fashion Fund. Feedback was positive, with calls for more industry collaboration. Areas for improvement included audiovisual equipment, logistics, and allowing more time for panel discussions.

1. POST-EVENT REPORT
prepared by PINGKEE CHAN
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2. WHERE &
WHEN?
20th Feb 2016
WhiteBox @ MAPKL
Publika Solaris Dutamas
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3. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT?
• Malaysia’s 1st Fashion Forum +
Exhibition
• Confluence of established local fashion
brands and their respective
representative to present a sophisticated
forum
• Main aims include discussing fashion as a
viable business, creating a stronger
fashionpreneur community hence
inciting meaningful collaboration within
the fashion industry
• Also, advocating the support of local
designers, brands, products and services
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4. WHO WERETHERE?
• Full house of Fashion Business enthusiasts (more than 300 attendees)
• Guests Panelists and Moderators
• Special Guests from IRADA,Thailand
• Local celebrities and fashion personalities
• Fashion Exhibitors including MSU Fashion Faculty
• Media and Bloggers
• Special Guests from MATRADE, Stylo (Malaysian Fashion Week),Andrewsmodel
Malaysia (KL Fashion Week),YODA Malaysia (Young Fashion Designers Association
Malaysia)
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5. PANELISTS AND MODERATERS
Key players of the LOCAL fashion industry with special
guests fromThailand.
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6. SPECIAL GUESTS- FOUNDERS OF IRADA
Founded in 2011, Irada hasmade a name for itself in the Thai fashion world thanks to a legion of Thai celebrity
fans. Online Shop & Physical Store in Siam Paragon, Central Embassy, soon-to-open Emquatier store with plans
to launch internationally.
–Lifestyle Asia
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7. WHAT WAS DELIVERED?
One of the underlying problems in the local fashion scene is that design students and aspiring
fashionpreneurs often lack business mind and skill-sets. Technical and operational business skills
necessary to build successful fashion brands have not been well cultivated. Thus, hindering the
progress and eventual success of many young entrepreneurs who try to dip their toes into various
fashion ventures.
FASHIONPRENEUR seeks to bridge the gap between the creative-side and the business-side of
the local fashion ecosystem, by creating awareness on the importance of rethinking fashion as a
sustainable business. By assembling current key players in the local fashion industry in one place,
Exhibit Space could facilitate a platform to enable issues and concerns about the industry to be
raised.
Three highlighted topics that were discussed included “GettingThere- What does it take?”,“How to
deliver a Business Pitch” and “Fashion Tech:The New Frontier”. One of the highlights of the event
was the session presented by the founders of the Thai fashion brand, Irada who were the winners
of Who’s On Next 2015, theVogueThai Fashion Fund.
Founders Chanapa and ChotikaTriratanachat of Irada shared theirVogue pitching journey alongside
with Tengku Syahmi, founder of the local fashion brand Tsyahmi who was the winner of MyCreative
Ventures Fashion Pitch 2.This sparked tremendous interest and enthusiasm among the audience.
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8. Par ticipating panelists who explored
meaningful conversation regarding the local
fashion scene included founders of fashion
labels, photography and tech-preneur brands
like Fizi Woo,Tsyahmi, Kittie Yiyi, StreetFashion
KL by Sazzy Falak, Twenty3, Ash Be Nimble,
TTFGA and WeStyleAsia. Mr Bon Zainal, Mr
Affendy Ali (Legal Counsel at MyCreative
Ventures) and Ms Sylvia Yin (COO of Shoppr
App) initiated critical discourse as moderators
of their respective panels.
To further deliver value, a brief professional
development session “Legal 101 for the
Creatives: The Basics Under 15 Minutes” was
presented by Mr Affendy Ali to highlight
fundamental fashion-related legal knowledge
to not only the audience, but also the panelists.
ES then ended with a networking session and
an exhibition contributed by local brands and
guest exhibitor Alia Bastamam.
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9. Topics that have been discussed by 3 different panels with a moderator charing
critical discourse on respective topics.
To further deliver value, a Crash-course on basic legal knowledge for the Creatives
had been delivered by Mr Affendy Ali, Legal Counsel at MyCreativeVentures.
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10. PHOTOS 20.02.2016
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13. PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Venture Partner - MyCreativeVentures
University Partner - MSU
Event Partner - HotSpot
Community Partner - Lean In Malaysia powered by Asia Women Circle
StartUp Partner - Lisa & A
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14. FEEDBACK
Bon Zainal, one of Malaysia’s renowned fashion gurus had this to say: “There should be more collaborative
efforts within the fashion industry to increase engagement for any progress. I think it's great that ES aims
to kick start that aspect.”
Sylvia Yin, COO of Shoppr - one of the most prominent fashion-tech apps in Malaysia said: “By bringing
together a diverse and highly relevant panel of speakers, Exhibit Space is the perfect platform to
celebrate the increasingly apparent relationship between fashion, technology and business.”
KBF Blog - "Bringing fashion and entrepreneurship together in a single platform to discuss fashion as a
thriving business venture, its aim was to create a stronger fashion community by harnessing the power of
aspiring fashion designers in our local fashion industry.” (http://www.kinkybluefairy.net/2016/03/exhibit-
space-a-fashion-forum-by-fashionpreneur-white-box-publika)
StartUp TV Asia - Featuring "Exhibit Space by Fashionpreneur – DISCUSSING FASHION AS A VIABLE
BUSINESS”(http://startuptvasia.com/exhibit-space-by-fashionpreneur-discussing-fashion-as-a-viable-business/)
Lifestyle Asia KL - Featuring 5 fashion designers in KL to take entrepreneurial advice from at
Fashionpreneur KL (http://www.lifestyleasia.com/kl/en/scene/people/photo-story/5-fashion-designers-in-kl-
to-take-entrepreneurial-advice-from/#5)
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15. WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED?
• Audio &Visual,Technical issues
should be improvised
• Logistics arrangements
• Attendees registration process to be
accelerated and RSVP/Check-in
procedures should be informed
• More time should be allocated to
each panel to ensure more depth of
discussion (time-constraints)
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16. -END-
THANKYOU
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