Jointly designed by fashion designer Melinda Looi and top celebrity model Amber Chia, the collection titled Yuán: The Beauty of Serendipity, was inspired by the Chinese concept of yuan (缘), which is described as “the binding force that links two persons together in any relationship”. In English, the word yuan is most closely translated to serendipity, which also means “finding something good without looking for it”.
“When people think of Chinese New Year, they usually associate it with wealth, health, and prosperity. However, we tend to forget that good fortune could also mean the abundance of wonderful people in our lives; hence we developed a collection that celebrates the beauty of friends and relationships,” said Melinda.
It was also yuán that brought Melinda and Amber together. The duo, who are now considered industry veterans, have known each other since the early stages of their respective careers in the year 2000.
Amber agreed, stating, “I truly believe that fate has brought us together for this collaboration! I have always wanted to be involved with fashion design and to have a partner in a designer as acclaimed as Melinda for this collection is really like a Chinese New Year dream came true for me!”
Yuan: The Beauty of Serendipity is a collection that goes beyond typical Chinese New Year offerings. Melinda and Amber designed the collection with the lifestyle of modern day ladies in mind, combining bright, auspicious colours with a variety of fabrics and textures to represent the many personalities of people that touch our lives.
“Today’s women are looking for pieces that can be mixed and matched with existing items in their wardrobes. Take myself for example, I have a Chinese jacket that I wear all the time for events – be it work or private functions, I can just pair it with anything from jeans to a formal dress. Because it is so versatile, I don’t just limit myself to wearing that jacket for Chinese New Year,” said Amber.
From the traditional qipao, youthful dresses with an Oriental touch, roomy A-lined blouses to modern structured vests and pants – ML x AC carries something to suit any personality or lifestyle. There is even a range of fun, casual polo garments for the entire family consisting of tops for men, women, little boys, and girls, as well as adorable matching mother/daughter polo dresses.
Zalora is the exclusive online partner for the ML x AC collection, which will be the first designer/celebrity Chinese New Year collection to be made available on the online retailer’s websites in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Hong Kong.
The prices of the ML x AC clothing range from RM88 – RM188 for the Polo tops and dresses, while the dressier pieces will retail at RM128 – RM688.