Up market Malay boutiques in 'Shah Alam City Centre (SACC) mall' for Malaysian ladies.

In Europe, the trend on ladies fashion will be determined largely by the seasons. However, we in Malaysia are more likely to follow our big festivals such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas. Our haute couture scenes are likely to be influenced by celebrities and local models from local magazines.

‘Baju Kurung’ and ‘Kebaya’ are two Malaysian equivalents to evening gown for the westerner. With the right outfits and accessories, Malaysian ladies can accentuate their beauty and sexiness without exposing so much flesh.

This Raya season, Muslim ladies of all ages from all over the country are demonstrating their latest ‘baju kurung’ and ‘kebaya’ outfits with distinct style of individual taste and creativity. Those with limited budgets will shop at lower to middle class retail outlets around the country while those with money are swarming boutiques or big name tailors. Fabric materials and workmanship are what matter most with emphasize on unique design.

The one up market mall that specializing in haute couture of Baju Kurung is the SACC mall in Shah Alam, Selangor where all the big names in the industry are concentrated in the 1st floor and above of the mall.

A few days ago, I took the opportunity to accompany my mom to the posh mall with my sister and did some study, observation and comparison while my mom and sister were busy shopping.

Even though I am not an expert in ladies fashion and apparel, I must agree that SACC mall is the number one when come to big name designer boutiques for the ladies in Malaysia. While the upper class pricing can be a hindrance to some, you can almost be assured of the design exclusivity and quality of most of the merchandise compared to the mass market produce in Nilai or some bazaars in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.

In SACC, a piece of scarf can be spotted in much higher price than the original Levis or Nike shoes but that distinct piece of art mode a worlds apart between a beautiful 'Datin' and common ladies. For Malaysian ladies, the experience of shopping in SACC mall in Shah Alam is like shopping in Paris or Milan designer capitals.

Ps: I am proud of Bumiputera entrepreneurs, boutiques owners and designers achievement in the industry. I believe there are unlimited potentials for them internationally. For Malaysian, do support our local bumiputera industry and happy shopping.

Love,
Hanafi