Celest Thoi’s Fashion Show at MBFW Was A Triumph In White

Celest Thoi’s fashion show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) Kuala Lumpur this year was a fantastic event that everyone enjoyed. Held at The Yard @ Sentul Depot, Coterie by Celest Thoi was an enchanting presentation that showcased how lovely we can look in white. Love White, Wear White was the message to all of us. Most of the guests who came wore white too, in support of this talented, lovely lady. She has so many supporters who came and it was a time of meeting and greeting cherished friends while waiting for the show to start and also after the show was over. There were celebrities, influencers, media, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs … the list goes on.

Backstage pictures by Jon Low. Front of house pictures by Daren Chong.

White became magical and wonderful in the designs of Celest. It’s a colour she loves to work with and when we saw her show, we totally understood why she loves this hue.

Celest shared some of her thoughts in a short Q&A with Wise-Mag.com.

*Why has white always been a favourite colour of yours?

I like white for its purity and the positive vibe it represents. I reckon anyone who wears white will be brighter as it is universally a flattering colour. It complements all skin tones, making you look fresh and radiant … you can match white with anything. White is also my lucky colour for it repels evil and white is the most complete colour with pure perfection. White attire has aesthetic appeal and represents fresh beginnings. As I pivoted to Coterie during the pandemic, I would like it to symbolise renewal of life … a new beginning (In painting, you can’t mix any colours to get white but you can add white to get pretty pastel colours.).

*What do you like most about MBFW?

I appreciate the support MBFW has given to me over the years as they listen and understand that this platform is important to local designers like me in this challenging industry.

*Where did you get inspiration from for your show this year?

Inspiration can come from anywhere but I would like to pay homage to my garden back in New Zealand … I miss my flowers as well as my kids there.

*How do you keep your inspiration and ideas flowing and in top form?

Truth be told, I had been stuck for a while and I was frantically looking for ideas. It was when I was back in New Zealand sitting by the patio looking at the beautiful blooms that triggered shapes of petals to be transformed into a bib/dress/skirt and suddenly everything just kept flowing … looking at the different hues and textures of floras inspired the clashing of different fabrics to come together to layerings and having depth in a white garment.

*What do you feel are the challenges designers face these days?

Designers face these challenges:
– limited resources, workmanship (hard to get good seamstresses as many are retiring, young grads prefer to be designers) and support from the government or cooperatives.
– branding is a bitch – so hard to build an Asian brand! We are always viewed as inferior as compared to USA or Europe.
– Pricing and too much competition especially from online stores where prices are impossible to fight.
– Sustainability as fast fashion taught consumers to view clothes as disposable … especially with social media, you can’t be seen with the same outfit in 2 Instagram squares therefore people don’t mind if the quality is not up to par as long as it looks good on photo (shift of consumer behaviour).
– Staying relevant and up to date in this fast technological age.
– You really need to be so in love and passionate about fashion to go on… ‎

Shares Celest, “To me, I want to dress women that are like-minded, stylish, independent and confident … thus I labelled it *Coterie*. White is austere & clean … I hope anyone donning a Coterie outfit will be inspired to influence positivities and be wholesome.

She adds, My philosophy for all my designs will always be “Simplicity, elegant & timeless”. Celest explains, “Coterie is something I have always wanted to do in the back of my mind. I only managed to finally fulfill this dream during covid as there were no weddings/events/balls for 3 years.”

We must really admire Celest Thoi for her dedication and passion for fashion. She has been an icon in the world of design for many years. Her Coterie and bridal collections are in an exquisite class of their own. We hope to see even more of her beautiful creations in the years to come.