A Supermodel To Lean On

Style On The Dot

Oct 17

For two Malaysian co-designers Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Wan Jamil, Naomi Campbell walking their show meant "dreams do come true". Good for them. What's next?

A dream team. (From left): Ruzaini Wan Jamil, Naomi Campbell, Rizman Nordin. Screen shot: Rizman Ruzaini/Youtube

On their website, the 18-year-old Kuala Lumpur-based fashion label Rizman Ruzaini describes itself as "the biggest fashion powerhouse and one of the most leading fashion brands in Malaysia". They are not a leading label in the Peninsula; they are the most leading, which means that on their first runway show at the recent Dubai Fashion Week, only the most leading Naomi Campbell will do. In images/videos gleefully shared by the Malaysian media and on the brand's socials, the designing pair Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Wan Jamil were seen walking down the runway at the end of their kutior (couture) presentation with the towering Ms Campbell between them, all three hand in hand. That brief, on-stage walk apparently "caused a stir on social media," according to The Star. "It's the dream of every designer to have such an iconic supermodel walk for them," Mr Nordin commented on Instagram, still elated.

In a celebratory piece published today, The Star wrote that Ms "Campbell wore a stunning embellished long dress with a matching short cape". It did not say that the British model looked stunning in the baju. The New Straits Times was more enthusiastic: They noted that the supermodel "stole the spotlight as many were awed by the legendary supermodel's elegance." Nothing about the gown. It is amazing that although Ms Campbell has been a runway model for more than three decades, there are those who continue to regard her with such wonderment. For the founders of Rizman Ruzaini, her gracing their show could be Malaysia's Michelle Yeoh moment. With a supermodel lending her face and name to their brand, Mr Nordin and Mr Jamil have become instant national heroes, just like their inspirasi, the Oscar winner. Would it not have been more of an achievement if they could get the Schiaparelli-wearing actress to attend the show, as a front-row guest, outfitted in Rizman Ruzaini?

...she "stole the spotlight as many were awed by the legendary supermodel's elegance." It is amazing that although Ms Campbell has been a runway model for more than three decades, there are those who continue to regard her with such wonderment

It is understandable that Ms Campbell's appearance was a highpoint for those who ardently consider her "supermodel extraordinaire", as the Malaysian brand does. As they enthused on IG, she "made a remarkable appearance on the runway, showcasing her iconic walk"—not their gown. According to a press release issued by Dubai Fashion Week, it was Ms Campbell "making her debut" at the event. In Southeast Asia, Ms Campbell had, in fact, debuted a decade earlier—in Singapore, during the 2013 Digital Fashion Week (now defunct), walking for the label Zenchi by the Singapore-based Malaysian Zenchi Ewe. But whether debuting in Dubai, or appearing countless times in any of the fashion capitals, the 53-year-old, who will have her own headlining exhibition Naomi at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London next year, has, in the last decade or so, only one walk: the diva strut. Admittedly, the walk supported a carriage that befitted clothing that inevitably begot the description "glamorous". For many kutior designers, Ms Campbell is fashion royalty and being in her presence is basking in her fabulousness. As Mr Nordin shared on IG, his experience was "living my dreams with open eyes."

One marketing veteran told us, "she is a model. When the price is right, she'll do any show." It is not known what fee Ms Campbell now commands. According to Forbes, the days of US$10,000 a show are over since the early 2000s. Still, it's conceivable that she is able to continue to ask for no small amount. A paid model is a paid model, yet Mr Rizman and Mr Ruzaini were overwhelmed by being in her remunerated company. They shared on IG: "When this became a reality, we were delighted by her candour and professionalism." Given her reputation, it is unsurprising they were. They summed her up: "She's as real a woman as the world gets, but also magical when she took the runway... wearing a Rizman Ruzaini piece." Only when she's working and outfitted in the brand's garment? They went on, besotted: "Naomi Campbell is her class of her own. What an enigma." A puzzling character because a woman in all that realness cannot be enchanting on a runway, but she was?

Fervid fanboy admiration aside, Mr Rizwan and Mr Ruzaini made sure that an important fact about what Ms Campbell wore on the runway was communicated: "Our artisans poured more than 600 hours of their love and devotion into this dress." Time spent—however interminable—does not say that a dress has the benefit of the rigours of fine design. Every kutior designer would try to impress with the cliché that their fesyen is the result of unimaginable hours of work, or "love and devotion". On Ms Campbell, what did all that masa, cinta dan pengabdian yield? The form of the dress was relatively simple: a column with a bolero-length cape. But on the surface, it was treated to a decorative excess that draws from the songket (Malay brocade), with patterns that evoke an agrarian, kampung past—"pucuk rebung (bamboo shoots), tampuk manggis (mangosteen stalk [the end where the fruit is attached]), bunga tanjung (Spanish cherry) tampuk kesemak (persimmon stalk), and many more". So much more, in fact, that it was a veritable harvest time of showy bling.

The collection is, according to Rizman Ruzaini, "inspired by the tale of Seri Gumum", folklore/origins story/romance tale of Pahang, centred on the serpent naga—now mostly considered a "dragon". As much as all that sounds exotic (and gigantic scales representing something reptilian appeared), the collection was far from able to conjure images of ethnic splendour. But they had a raya vibe about them, a sense of glamour that was akin to what Malaysian pop stars love to wear on stage, and gaya (style) that was consistent with the idea of how dressed-up should equal glamour, with no tensile relationship between subtlety and the obvious. Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Wan Jamil may have scored big with Naomi Campbell wearing one of their dresses on the runway, but would she model for them again? Which international fashion week would they next show at? The duo "has always been passionate about designing timeless designs that are well loved by everyone", according to the brand's About Us page. Timeless is often the euphemism for not moving the needle. Like many other brands, Rizman Ruzani can't escape its grip.

Photos: Dubai Fashion Week/Rizman Ruzaini