Ivan Choo (Curator)

Ivan Choo is the director of Velvet Signature and has worked with numerous individuals and organisations who have contributed to Penang’s creative scene. He believes that George Town owes its charm to Penang’s lush greenery, various art forms, and wide selections of local eateries, on top of its rich culture, heritage, and history. Through this Festival, he hopes to see a rise in local talents who will potentially grace the creative industry with skill and craft that will create a deeper meaning behind the epithet of “Penang: The Orient Garden”.

Ranndy Goh (Designer)

Ranndy Goh began his career in fashion in the 1990s. Having rooted his career in Penang for the past 20 years, he has worked with luxury brands including Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre watch collection, and Habib Jewels, and his works have been published in notable magazines such as Nuyou, Newtide, Citta Bella, and Her World. He was nominated for the Malaysian Official Designers’ Association (MODA) and Mifa Malaysia. He was also invited to the 2019 China Chongqing International Fashion Week, ASEAN Fashion Festival 2019, and Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant 2019. Goh’s label, SELECT, focuses on casual and ready-to-wear fashion as an expansion of his career profile.

Villiam Ooi (Designer)

The Malaysian born designer, Villiam Ooi is no longer a stranger in the Malaysia fashion world. As one of the most celebrated fashion designer, Villiam Ooi has played a leading role in fashion industry over the past 30 years. What’s more, he is an outstanding designer well-known for his sophistication and dedication in the industry. His spirit and passion in fashion has led him to start off as display artist at department stores, in-house designer, fashion buyer and lecturer. Through this course, he has accumulated hands-on experience in different aspects of fashion industry and refined his sense of beauty and creativity, which is evident in the various labels he started. The ever vigorous designer, joined the MODA in 1994 where his career and reputation began to blossom since.

Now a leader with the successful business he has ventured in, 2 brands under his cares: “VO by Villiam Ooi” targeting Local Markets & “Villiam Ooi” exclusively introduced to China and international Market. Making every girls or women’s dream to be beautifully comes true. Villiam Ooi will not stop here! He will continue his journey in embarking a memorable cum achievement in this fashion world and share his creation and passion towards the fashion industry.

Pa Ya Hui (Designer)

Pa Ya Hui, also known as Milea or just Pa, is a Penang-based fashion designer. She studied, graduated, and trained in London before returning to Malaysia and launching her label, PAYAHUI. She has showcased her works at various domestic fashion weeks and the 2018 China Chongqing International Fashion Week. The all-rounder designer – who is capable of designing, draping and moulage, and drafting patterns – is focused on designing and upgrading her brand’s overall aesthetic value and producing outstanding works in a positive sense. As a designer, she loves the visual impact of the forms and shapes and enjoys experimenting with the cut and drapes of fabrics, and can occasionally come up with exciting ideas and intriguing silhouettes. As part of her commitment to making her brand more appealing to larger markets while also demonstrating ingenuity, she is now transitioning from an unconventional to a more accessible fashion clothing brand. She shifted her focus from cutting and draping to designing intriguing prints on fabrics, aiming to create clothing that is distinctive, expressive, yet easy to wear.

Saw Alexis (Designer)

Having grown up in an artistic environment, he enjoys colours, creativity and achieving the impossible. In 2010, he was named Emergent Designer of the Year at the Mercedes Benz STYLO International Designer Award, graced the London Fashion Week with a showcase, was the 1st runner-up at the Malaysia Footwear Designer Award, and showcased his creations at the Malaysia Official Designer Award. He participated in the Mercedes Benz STYLO International Designer Award the following year with a showcase. The talented designer was named Most Promising Designer and the Best Avant-Garde Designer at the SML Fashion Academy Graduation Show in 2011. His philosophy is “to create the best out of my artwork”.