NEW YORK, Feb 27 — Named “brand ambassador” for the Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) 2015, New York-based Malaysian fashion icon Datuk Zang Toi will be attending the MISF in Kuala Lumpur on March 13-15.

In an interview with Bernama in his mid-town New York office, Toi said: "Yes, I have been appointed brand ambassador for the Malaysia International Shoe Festival (MISF) in Kuala Lumpur where I will also be repeating my latest fashion show with Venetian-inspired creations held in New York. As you saw it, these creations were well received by critics and public alike.

“Indeed, the US publication Women's Wear Daily, which is known for its very fastidious standard of reporting, gave good reviews for my Venetian creations."

Toi presented his Venetian creations on Feb 17 at a well-packed auditorium during the New York Fashion Week held at New York's Lincoln Centre.

According to the festival's organisers, the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers' Association (MFMA), Toi will receive the MISF Tourism Special Recognition Award during the event.

The guest-of-honour at the festival, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, will present the award to Toi.

But the Kuala Lumpur event will not be Toi’s first “brand ambassador” appearance for Malaysia.

At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Toi was invited as “brand ambassador” by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who hosted a Malaysia Night.

“It was a wonderful experience. I was deeply honoured and felt privileged by the prime minister's gesture,” Toi remarked.

The New York-based fashion designer will participate in an event called I-am-for-you. “I will be doing a Q&A session where Nazri will also be present,” Toi said.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Prime Minister's office, which came to know of Toi’s forthcoming visit to Kuala Lumpur, has asked him to participate in an event linked to the festival.

MyCreative, a Malaysian government investment arm established to encourage and spur Malaysia's creative industry through strategic and innovative funding in the form of equity or debt investments, has approached Toi to participate in a mentoring/sharing session between the fashion icon and the organisation's fashion pitch winners over a casual high tea session.

“MyCreative believes that such an exchange would be good for the young and upcoming Malaysian designers to learn from "one of the best in the fashion industry,” as the MyCreative letter addressed to Toi dated Feb 16 says.

“Young Malaysian budding designers should not be afraid to do their own things... they should never be afraid to do their own ideas and identity, and they should not imitate but strive for originality.

“The aspiring designers should not see fashion as mere glamour. It is all hard work. Glamour happens to be merely a coincidental feature of the business. I feel very happy when I hear success achieved by Malaysians,” Toi observed.

Saying that such young entrepreneurs contributed to nation building, Toi urged them not to forget their country if they decided to settle abroad. “You owe it to your country of birth,” he said. — Bernama