SEASONED FASHION & COUTURE DESIGNER FROM MALAYSIA

ERIC CHOONG

After graduating from the renowned Hong Kong Design Institute, Eric established his eponymous fashion label in 1988: Eric Choong. Eric is known to integrate and apply traditional Malaysian ethnic elements into his design concepts, using it to raise awareness of Southeast Asia’s cultural roots.

Over the years, Eric has been traveling around the world, capturing and harvesting the beauty of life with his camera – which ultimately becomes the imbuement to his design creations.

Inspired by the centuries-old traditional Batik textile art, he began to study its craftsmanship and weaved the intricacies of it into his designs, creating a visual magic on fabrics, propelling the ancient classic art onto the global stage.

Eric is presently a college professor and is dedicated to share and pass down his learnings, experiences and skills to the younger generation. It is his hope and aspiration to promote the creative and cultural industry in Malaysia.

One may ask, what does the ‘creative and cultural industry’ do? The first thing that Malaysians generally associate is that they are responsible for a product chain’s creative value. The creative and cultural industry is like an enormous forest, and a product chain is just one of them.

The ideal creative value should be casual, with the practice being a routine part of the daily lives. As time goes by, the value is subtly influenced, connotating a pleasurable sense of purpose and meaning – one that fits your own definition of it.

Eric admitted that his 30 years of fashion career was not an easy one. As his career approaches its 30th year milestone, Eric has decided to let go of attachment and expectations, keeping his heart open to this moment as he celebrates and cherish the second half of his life.

HAND-MADE TREASURES HAVE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CRAFTSMAN’S SKILLFUL HANDS.
SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, THE FOLKS HAVE ALSO SAID THAT THEY ARE SENTIMENTAL THINGS;
ONLY THE PHYSICAL OBJECTS, THE OBJECTS WILL BE LIKE LIFE.

经由岁月洗炼出的心灵手巧

守艺人 • 手艺人

ERIC CHOONG，馬來西亞資深設計師。畢業於香港服裝設計學院，於1988年成立同名服裝品牌，擅長將馬來西亞傳統文化元素融入時裝設計理念中，以另一種角度喚醒东南亚文化根脈。

這些年來，在世界各地’不斷’造访遊走，不停捕抓光影的同時也收獲了生活的美好果实，這些都成了他創作的養分。

由于馬來西亞蠟染 (Batik) 百年歷史文化觸動了他，讓他开始專研深究這一門古老手藝，並把美麗斑斓的蠟染融合到他的服裝設計里，一并推广到國際時尚舞臺中。

当下的他成為了学院教授，致力於把把自己学习的、掌握的技藝傳承下去，也期許自己成為馬來西亞文創的推手。

文創是什麽？馬來西亞人首先聯想到的是创意价值产品化。文創也是個大森林，而产品链只是其中的一棵樹。

文創更應該是隨手拈來，生活裏的点滴日常家常，随着时间慢慢一點一物潛移默化著，也慢慢形成了造物的内涵与外观-一种討喜的樣子，討自己喜歡的樣子。

Eric承認， 這30的年時尚生涯一路走來並不容易。在30周年到來之前，他決定把曾经相关的一切都結束，都放下，让心归零；不乱于心，不困于情，不畏将来，不念过往，继而以赤子之心，重新開启人生精彩下半场。