Unleashing his haute couture talent, Zang Toi created what he described as his "Matador collection" inspired by his visit to Spain where he witnessed a bullfight.
"I have my inspiration from Spain this time, as you can see from the designs I have displayed here," Zang Toi said during an interview in his showroom located in New York's 57th Street whose neighborhood, particularly on the Fifth Avenue, has a cluster of elegant showrooms of a wide range of luxury products made by renowned international designers.
True to the "Spanish spirit", Zang Toi paraded his designs worn by a bevy of tall, slender female models who were conspicuous by their Latin looks and high-heeled stilettos which matched the "Matador collection". The Spanish music with a sprinkling of Flamenco music -- the Flamenco musical genre, with origins in Andalusia, is known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork -- served as an appropriate background music in keeping with the temperament of the people it was supposed to portray.
Opening the catwalk with so-called Toi House ivory cotton canvas Matador Bollero and black beaded Matador trims and black cotton canvas Capri with black beaded Matador trims, Zang Toi displayed a total of 32 designs whose culmination point, the grand finale, consisted of vibrant pink couture silk satin "Traje Deluces" with jet beaded Matador epaulettes and trims, and organza strapless empire front-slit gown.
The colors of the collection varied and reflected the "fiery temperament" of the people of the region. "I have also used pink colors on dark background for my collection because I believe pink color enhances the beauty of women," Zang Toi said.
But the show also coincided with another important date: Zang Toi, who arrived in New York as a student from Malaysia via Canada, has completed 20 years in the United States. "I am an old man," the 48 year old fashion creator joked in a conversation with this writer. "I did not imagine, when I first started out at the Parsons School of Design in New York that I would be so successful," he said.
Often hailed as "Malaysia's best-known export", Toi has cultivated his business into an international success story. He is a favorite of style arbiters including prominent Hollywood personalities such as Sharon Stone, Kirstie Alley, Jennifer Tilly, Meg Ryan and others. "Toi's creations are original, feminine and exude glamour in every way," one female haute couture buyer said.
Zang Toi's products are available in many luxury stores, including the couture department of Nordstrom, specialty boutiques and Zang Toi boutiques in Malaysia.
"It took me about six months to complete this entire collection ... from its conceptualization until its presentation today," Zang Toi revealed.
Local fashion circles are aware that Malaysia is, meanwhile, producing a crop of aspiring fashion designers, many of whom dream of starting their business in the United States.
However, New York's highly-competitive fashion world can be savagely brutal, but it can also be rewarding, as Zang Toi's own example shows.
"My advice to budding Malaysian fashion designers is to offer original work and not copy others. Originality is what counts in the end. Talent and hard work are also rewarded in the United States," Zang Toi said.
The presence of Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela, the Miss Universe 2009, at the event added glamour to Zang Toi's presentation. Also present at the event was Salahuddin Mohd. Ariffin, the New York based vice president of Tourism Malaysia.
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