WHICH little girl (or woman for that matter) hasn't been awed and inspired by a Disney princess. Their beauty, courage and kindness is legendary and of course, their fabulous gowns and costumes.
Who can forget Cinderella's dreamy, ice blue ball gown or Belle's regal yellow dinner dress as she danced the night away with the Beast?
To celebrate these heroines and their elegant and sometimes out-of-the-box fashion sense, Disney has launched its Ultimate Princess Celebration in Malaysia, where eight celebrated local designers have come together to create a show-stopping collection inspired by their favourite Disney heroines.
Alia Bastamam, Celest Thoi, Fiziwoo, Innai Red, Khoon Hooi, Melinda Looi, Mimpikita and Variante have dreamt up 12 bespoke gowns, jumpsuits and more, inspired by Disney heroines' hearts of gold.
Capturing Mulan's bravery, Cinderella's optimism and Ariel's fierce curiosity, among others, the designers have fused these timeless tales with their own unique styles for a one-of-a-kind collection reflective of their personal interpretations of courage and kindness.
Melinda Looi chose Elsa and Mulan as her sources of inspiration. For the Elsa inspired ensemble, she designed a trendy, two-in-one outfit that can easily take a woman from day to night while the Mulan piece has a reversible jacket and a corset representing the armour that Mulan wears in the movie. She pairs these with long, flowy crepe trousers.
"Elsa has an elegant gown in the movie but I transformed her into the latest trend. With Mulan, it's about showing she's strong but also still feminine," says Looi.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Moana were inspirations for Inai Red's ensembles.
Izrin Ismail of Inai Red was inspired by Belle's grace and femininity but decided to inject a local twist to Belle's iconic yellow ball gown.
The ensemble comes across as a reimagined kebaya top paired with a stunning tulle skirt. The red rose that's central to the story of Beauty and the Beast features prominently on the kebaya top.
In the outfit inspired by Moana meanwhile, shades of coral and sandstone and a pleated sunray pattern have resulted in a stunning interpretation of Moana's Polynesian heritage while the upper body of the ensemble shows off draped tulle in an overlapping halter fashion.
Nurul Zulkifli of Mimpikita meanwhile opted for Jasmine from Aladdin as her muse, inspired by the character's fearlessness and quest to discover her true self.
"We created a look that is day to night, a draped top paired with billowy pants and a special jacket that's fully embedded with stones," says Nurul.
Khoon Hooi, who chose Rapunzel and Snow White, says he was drawn to these two heroines who are both dreamers and always see the good in everyone.
For his Snow White inspired gown the designer used silk taffeta and brocade in colours reminiscent of Snow White's iconic outfit while the Rapunzel inspired design stands out in lush indigo silk satin with a fringe pattern extending from the top.
Hafizi Radzi Woo and Izree Kai Haffiz of Fiziwoo meanwhile opted for the sea princess, Ariel, but instead of the usual green, ocean-inspired ensembles featuring the famous mermaid, they decided to go in another direction.
They watched the movie and decided to focus on the scene where Ariel first gets her legs and starts to walk on land and is forced to grab and wear a sack dress.
Their design captures this scene in a pleated, sack-coloured ensemble with a rope belt.
Bridal gown designer Celeste Thoi crafted two dresses inspired by Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and has brought a romantic, timeless and ethereal look to both designs.
Leslie Variyan of Variante, inspired by Anna from Frozen, put the popular heroine in a jumpsuit instead of a traditional gown because he sees her as an adventurous traveller with loyalty and courage.
The tailored jumpsuit, with textured lace, beadwork and a skin tone underlay, takes one from day to night or casual to formal events and captures both the hard and soft qualities which Anna embodies.
Finally, designer Alia Bastamam's Pocahontas inspired gown, is a simple but stunning tribute to Disney's native American princess, with soft, flowing fabric and beaded accessories.
With support from Selangor princess Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, royal patron of Make-A-Wish Malaysia, these collectors' pieces will be up for auction in Dec, with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Malaysia.
Globally, Disney has worked with Make-A-Wish for over 40 years, granting more than 145,000 life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses worldwide. The public may register their interest for the auction from now until Dec 8 at makeawish.org.my/#disney.
Snatch top-selling designers' fashionwear at slashed prices by using Zalora Voucher Code
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