Set to turn heads

WHILE most students opt for common tertiary courses such as engineering, accounting and

information technology, these 19-year-olds choose to head off the beaten path.

From young, Wendy Liow has been gifted with creative hands. She attended classes to improve her drawing skills, trying out different mediums and creating a style for herself.

When she got to know a childhood friend who loved drawing and designing anime characters, she became even more invested in drawing.

“My friend liked drawing female figures. I was so impressed by her skills. I started improvising and that’s how I developed a passion for it,” she said.

Throughout her journey, Wendy’s family has been supportive of her passion. Her mother has often encouraged her to put her best foot forward in all her endeavours, emphasising that Wendy’s happiness matters the most.

Her sister, too, would often drop fashion magazines – which serve as reference material – on

Wendy’s lap.

Now a second-year student at ESMOD Kuala Lumpur, Wendy is pursuing a course in fashion design and pattern-making. She aims to become a full-fledged fashion designer, although she is aware of the risks involved in choosing a career in fashion. She shared that the toughest challenge would be to stand out from the rest with her own style.

She is also mindful of the fashion career prospects in Malaysia. According to Wendy, many of her seniors who are talented remain jobless up to this day.

She intends to take part in ESMOD’s twinning programme and secure an internship overseas.

“I plan to have my own clothing line in the future. I will first intern at various organisations, where I will widen my contact network and gain as much experience as I can. I will then develop my own brand and style in the market,” she shared.

While Wendy knew from an early age where her interest would take her, Aliya Abu Bakar was keen on following in her parents’ footsteps in becoming an orthodontist.

But it all changed when her secondary school classmates approached her to design costumes for their sports house mascot. She shared that seeing people wear her creations around gave her a sense of satisfaction and pride.

That was how she decided to pursue a course in fashion designing at the tertiary level. A student at Raffles College of Higher Education in Kuala Lumpur, Aliya has had to cope with a few challenges.

For instance, she has to work on finding her own style amid the myriad of trends in the market. She also has to source for contacts in an entirely new field.

Her parents, she said, are her biggest supporters as they constantly remind her to send them her creations, giving her ideas on what to design. Their excitement is one of the biggest factor that keeps her going, she added.

Aliya aspires to pursue her twinning programme abroad, as there are more chances of obtaining work exposure with international brands. She has even charted a career pathway for herself, with her eyes set on landing an internship opportunity with Balmain, then staying in the United Kingdom for a few years before proceeding to step into the global market with her own brand.

Yet, like Wendy, she is cognisant of the risk of launching a career in the fashion industry.

“It is a highly competitive field and the trends change really fast. You also have to deal with comments and criticisms, so it’s also a battle of mentality with yourself.”

This article was published in the Newspaper in Education (NIE) pullout by The Star Newspaper dated 4 September 2019