PETALING JAYA, April 3 — Malaysian fashion designer Khoon Hooi and his team of expert drafters, cutters and seamstresses in Kuala Lumpur have been working hard to manufacture 3,000 hospital gowns to help ease Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages currently faced by Covid-19 frontliners.
The Perak-born designer announced in a press statement yesterday that rolls of non-woven hospital standard fabric were recently purchased and work is underway to deliver the protective gear to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) health workers.
Khoon Hooi told Malay Mail it was the least he can do to contribute to the fight against the virus.
“We are facing a pandemic on a global scale and healthcare workers are fronting this battle for us.
“The least us fashion designers can do is to support with our manpower and equipment,” the 48-year-old said.
Khoon Hooi’s tailors, who are accustomed to sewing couture creations and elegant cheongsams for his eponymous label, are now using their skills to make around 50 PPE medical gowns a day.
“We are just doing the best we can and sending across as many as we can directly to HKL.”
Just like many other businesses in the country, the designer told Malay Mail the impact has been hard on his business too.
March and April is when his team delivers the label’s Spring collection stocks ordered by international stockists.
“With the lockdown that is affecting most of Middle East and Paris (where our main multi-brand boutique partners are), they are unable to pay for their stocks, collect or sell them.”
Having just returned from their Fall trade show in Paris, the sought-after designer said stockists are hesitant to place orders for the next season.
“Our strategy now has moved to our international E-commerce pre-orders to sustain cash flow for the next six months and our local bespoke orders at APW Bangsar,” he said.
