SELANGOR'S PRINCESS ZATASHAH, AND IZRIN ISMAIL ON CREATING DISNEY PRINCESS-INSPIRED COUTURE FOR CHARITY
Who was your favourite Disney Princess when you were growing up? Was it Belle, who dared to be different? Or Moana, who was always up for new challenges? Highlighting the values and strengths of its star heroines, this year’s global Ultimate Princess Celebration by Disney sees leading Malaysian designer–Innai Red with Make-A-Wish Malaysia Royal Patron, Her Highness Princess Zatashah of Selangor, to bring to life a one-of-a-kind Disney Princess-inspired couture collection.
In celebration of courage and kindness, each designer brings their distinct styles and interpretations to the tales of Disney's most iconic heroines, injecting them with a local, modern twist–Izrin Ismail of Innai Red’s Kebaya top adorned with a statement embellished rose to reflect of Belle’s inner beauty and bravery. The collector’s pieces will be up for auction this December, with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Malaysia, which grants life-changing wish experiences for children with critical illnesses in Peninsula and East Malaysia. Worldwide, more than 145,000 wishes have been granted through Disney’s partnership with Make-A-Wish.
Princess Zatashah: "Globally, Disney has been working with Make-A-Wish for over 40 years, and embarked on more local team-ups up with Make-A-Wish Malaysia since 2018. With the launch of the Ultimate Princess Celebration, which shines a spotlight on how Disney heroines inspire courage and kindness, it was the perfect moment for all of us to come together to benefit a great cause."
”The Ultimate Princess Celebration is close to my heart as it embodies values I believe in, such as staying fearless in the face of challenges and being kind in thought, word and deed. We’re so glad that eight of Malaysia’s top designers embarked on this journey with us. I have always admired these designers’ unique styles, so it was incredible to see how they incorporated their signature styles with each Disney Princess. This has been my most exciting project in 2021 for sure!”
BURO: Could you explain the concept and inspiration behind your design(s)?Izrin: “There were two couture creations that I created: the first piece was inspired by Belle from The Beauty and the Beast. My team and I were inspired by the scene when Belle walked down the grand staircase in her iconic yellow gown. It is arguably one of the most memorable scenes and recognisable, stunning outfits for Belle. With this in mind, we wanted to embrace designing a look that was whimsical with a fresh outlook.”
“Instead of focusing on designing a one-piece gown, we decided to opt for a two-piece ensemble. We injected a local twist: a reimagined Kebaya top with overlap detail and a statement embellishment of the “Enchanted Rose”. The rose is an iconic symbol in the movie, and I feel that it represents not only the fragile nature of life and the Beast’s need to reform from his previous life of vanity and excess, but also Belle’s compassion and courage to always see the best in people, and help break the curse. This modern top is paired with a tea-length tulle pleated skirt that forms scallop tiers.”
Inspired by Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast'
“My second piece was inspired by Moana. As Moana is a character that is deeply rooted in Polynesian tradition, we decided to recreate a modern translation drawing inspiration from the volume, texture, and color palette of Moana’s outfit. The outcome is a dress designed in sunset shades, a soft nude tulle that was then pleated in a sun-ray pattern. The upper bodice features a draped tulle in overlapping halter fashion with turquoise crystal beads embellishing the outlines. The lace applied on the waistline of the dress features mixed tones of coral, orange, and sea blue with fully beaded 3D floral appliqué––colours representing Moana’s love for the coastal outdoors.”
Inspired by Moana
BURO: What was the creative process like?
Izrin: "We started by rewatching the movies, both Beauty and the Beast and Moana, to gain inspiration. Throughout the two movies, we then decided which scenes and traits of each Disney Princess we wanted to capture."
“After that, we put together a mood board of each Disney Princess and their aesthetics, details, and songs from their movies. As we were working on these couture creations during the lockdown, my team and I faced challenges sourcing fabrications, but we were able to find beautiful fabrics that suited the designs that we intended for each Disney Princess. We passed it on to our team, which included the cutter, pleating supplier, and our seamstresses to complete the finished creation. The whole process took two months, which was slightly longer than usual, due to the lockdown. The two couture creations were finally completed during the lockdown period.”
BURO: Could you describe how details of the couture piece reflect the unique traits of the Disney Princess with a local, modern twist?
Izrin: "Our design pieces reflect Belle's confidence in always being true to herself, with a fitted re-imagined Kebaya Top in concoctions of yellow rose and gold leaves adorned with the embellished enchanted rose replacing the Kerongsang. Before creating the dress, we had to find the right shade of yellow that is evocative of Belle."
"As for Moana, she daringly sails after her dreams and is an inspiration to us all with her strong nature, forging her path and overcoming obstacles in front of her. As the design of her dress was also deeply rooted in tradition, it did pose a challenge for us especially since Polynesian fabrications and design tend to be meticulously hand-crafted. Therefore, we decided on a modern translation drawing inspiration from the volumes to the textures and colouration of Moana's outfit and tried to incorporate as much without overwhelming the design."
BURO: How did designing for this project differ from designing bespoke pieces for bridal or evening wear?
Izrin: “The creation processes for the couture pieces inspired by these two Disney Princess heroines did not differ much from designing bespoke pieces for bridal or special evening wear occasions. The design processes remain the same. However, the slight difference was that we needed more time sourcing for the fabrications and elements that can better represent the characters in our design and make it more wearable and avoid being costume-like.”
BURO: What is one wish you have for the future of local fashion?
Izrin: "My wish for future local fashion is to see more collaborations with reputable global brands whether in the fashion of non-fashion fields."
Credits
By: Kelly Lim (Buro247) | Dec 1, 2021