Speech of HE Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Zainal, Ambassador of Malaysia to France at the launching of Swee Paris Fashion Professional in Paris on Thursday, May 12, 2011
Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I accepted NG's invitation to participate in the opening of Swee Paris Fashion Professional. Tonight is also a special occasion for another reason. It is to celebrate and honour NG's achievement as being the first fashion designer and craftsman whose skills and techniques have been recognized by the French Government as being unique and innovative that they are worthy to be safeguarded and preserved for the benefit of future generations. This is indeed a great moment, not just for NG, but also for France, the country which has provided the environment for NG to grow and excel in his professional fashion career, and for Malaysia, NG's country of birth and the place in which budding interest in fashion was nurtured.
NG's success as a fashion designer and craftsman in Paris, the center of the fashion world, is a story that will be an inspiration to many, in particular young talents aspiring to excel in the fashion world. His is the story of a small town boy achieving top recognition and success in the world's foremost fashion capital through hard work, determination, perseverance and attention to details. We in Malaysia are very proud of him. He has made Malaysia proud, not just because he has shown the world that Malaysia also produces top talents. He has also made Malaysia proud, because through his silk Batik Creations, he has put Batik, a traditional hand drawn textile commonly used in Malaysia, on the map of high fashion. His creations have been worn by dignitaries and government leaders.
For those who may be curious about NG's background, may I take the liberty to shed some light. He grew up in a small town in Malaysia. His family was in the business of textile printing. At the still tender age of 20, he left for Japan to learn new techniques. It was there that he acquired the knowledge about characteristics of different materials, and that knowledge was later to become instrumental in helping him to develop his fashion career in Paris. He finished his training in Japan with distinction, earning himself the best designer award. Having set his sight on become a good fashion designer, he He knew his training would not be complete without a stint in Paris, the fashion capital of the world. With introduction from the fashion school in Japan, he enrolled in a famous fashion school in Paris. He learned Fashion at the school, and completed the course earning the distinction as the Most Remarkable Student in the school.
It was then that he embarked on his professional career. He started as a Designer working for others. Two years later in 1987, he made a modest start in running his own fashion business, operating first from his small apartment. His means were so limited then that he had to use the door of his room to cut and produce his commercial design! He later moved to Sentier, the heart of Paris in ready to wear. His first atelier had an area of 12 square meter. About 10 years later, in 1998, he started his boutique, Ornel Soie. Since then, he has built up a name for himself as a fashion designer, and his creations have been worn by government leaders and dignitaries.
Now, NG is embarking on the next phase of his life. Through Swee Paris Professionel, a fashion school he has started, he is seeking to share his knowledge, skills and techniques that he has accumulated, polished and developed in his career with promising young talents. Through this new platform, many aspiring fashion students will be able to benefit from his wealth of experience. It is perhaps worth noting that this year, the Best Craftsman of France in Couture Flou was won by someone who had been attached to Ornel Soie for training. It is my wish that Swee Paris Fashion Professionel will, through some appropriate form of arrangements, provide the training courses in Malaysia so that young Malaysians aspiring for a career in fashion can also benefit from NG's knowledge.
Finally, I wish to congratulate NG for the success he has achieved. I would also like to thank the Government of France for her generosity to Malaysia and Malaysia looks forward to sending more Malaysians to study in France. Malaysia also looks forward to developing deeper and broader cultural and economic links with France.
