By Aileen Anthony
That platform has now arrived in the form of MyFashionChamber, launched on 1st July 2025. More than just another industry group, MyFashionChamber is a movement, a professional chamber dedicated to uniting Malaysia’s fashion ecosystem and propelling it onto the global stage —one that aims to fill the critical void in Malaysia’s fragmented fashion ecosystem and position it for both domestic relevance and global reach. In this exclusive, MyFashionChamber’s spirited and determined Co-Founder and CEO, Jay Ishak, shared with MALAYSIA SME the Chamber’s vision for the industry.
Formally known as the International Fashion Chamber Malaysia, it operates under a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLBG) structure, serving as the national platform for fashion advocacy, trade, innovation, and diplomacy. Established to bridge the critical gaps within Malaysia’s fragmented fashion landscape, the Chamber brings together designers, artisans, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to advance a unified, globally competitive Malaysian fashion industry.
A Voice for the Unheard
Jay’s personal journey in the fashion scene, having served as President of the Malaysian Official Designers Association (MODA), gave her a front-row seat to the industry’s gaps.
“Malaysia has always had the talent,” she said, “but no unified voice, no structure, no bridge between creativity and commerce.” Traditional associations primarily catered to designers, but the broader ecosystem, comprising manufacturers, textile artists, exporters, educators, stylists, and artisans, was left to operate in silos.
This fragmented state, according to Jay, not only limited growth opportunities but also suppressed the visibility of Malaysian fashion on the international stage. MyFashionChamber was created to change that. “We want to connect the dots, from students to exporters, from artisans to digital brand-builders. If you’re involved in fashion in any capacity, this Chamber is for you.”
Built for the Long Haul
What sets MyFashionChamber apart is its structural vision. The founding team comprises industry professionals with expertise in legal, education, risk management, fashion heritage, and sustainability. Jay purposefully avoided packing the team with only designers. “When you have your own brand, there’s a tendency to prioritise your own visibility. We needed neutral people, committed to the bigger picture.”
Their collective mission is simple but profound: to enable a sustainable, globally competitive fashion industry rooted in Malaysian identity and supported by practical, scalable tools.
Jay illustrated one such tool, Fashion Risk Operational Coverage (FROC), a first-of-its-kind insurance framework to protect designers’ collections during production, transport, and international showcases.
“So much investment goes into making a collection,” Jay explained. “If it gets damaged or lost on the way to a fashion show, that’s not just a creative loss, it’s a financial disaster. Designers should be able to focus on their work, knowing they’re covered.”
Fashion with a Purpose
More than a trade-inspired organisation, the Chamber is a social movement. “We’re building an ecosystem that includes education, economic empowerment, heritage preservation, and sustainability,” Jay said.
For students and youth, this begins with awareness. “For example, fashion graduates don’t even know there are more than 38 career paths in fashion.” As co-chair of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) fashion industry relations, Jay is working with the Ministry of Education to build a blueprint for graduates’ career progression, something that’s sorely lacking today.
For the industry, the Chamber offers practical benefits: international exposure, mentorship, trade access, and funding connections. “We advocate, gather real data, and present needs to government agencies and global stakeholders. We put the industry’s voice in the right rooms.”
Stories, Not Just Styles
What makes fashion matter isn’t just what people wear, Jay emphasised. It’s the stories behind what they wear. Jay is adamant that Malaysian designers must lead with identity. “If we don’t tell our stories, someone else will tell theirs louder.”
This was evident at an international showcase in Moscow, where Jay helped position a Malaysian designer. “I told her, embed our batik, our songket. Make it modern, make it exciting, but make it Malaysian.” The designer followed through, and her designs stood out, not just for its aesthetic, but for its story.
The Chamber actively curates which designers represent Malaysia abroad. “Before we pitch them to fashion weeks or summits, they pitch to us first. What’s your story? What makes your collection Malaysian? If it’s compelling, we fight to get you on that runway.”
Mess with Finesse: Redefining Sustainability
For MyFashionChamber, sustainability is a foundation. But Jay is quick to clarify that sustainable fashion is not just about recycled fabrics or zero-waste patterns. “It’s about the social element too,” she said. “It’s about involving our artisans, our prisoners, our refugees, our fashion students. It’s about ethical labour, community empowerment, and preserving heritage.”
The Chamber champions slow fashion, which emphasises limited-edition, high-quality, heritage-infused pieces. “Couture is inherently sustainable—it’s handmade, it’s rare, it’s meant to last,” Jay said. “We want to elevate local craftsmanship, pineapple fibre, orange fibre, tekat, songket, batik and create clothing that speaks.”
Still, Jay understands that the market has layers. Fast fashion has its place, and so does ready-to-wear (RTW). “We don’t want to serve everyone, but we want to serve most,” she said, underscoring that it was crucial to be strategic with different market segments such as the T20 event-goers, M40 working professionals, culturally inclined consumers, and export-ready designers.
Creating Access, Dismantling Gatekeeping
One of the most profound barriers in fashion is access. The Chamber aims to dismantle this through merit-based visibility. Jay recalled how she scouted a designer from Borneo, whose low self-esteem and lack of English fluency had previously kept her away from West Malaysian and global opportunities.
Jay added, “She was sewing her beadwork in the corner of the room minutes before the show, making sure that her design was at its best. No assistant, no glam squad. She had heart. And it showed. That’s what we want to unlock across the country.”
With support and sponsorship for travel and accommodation, she presented in New York and blew everyone away.
Fashion Is Business
Jay is crystal clear: fashion is not just a lifestyle—it’s a business. That’s why MyFashionChamber consciously steers its media narrative away from entertainment and towards economic empowerment.
“Fashion is a trillion-dollar industry. We angle our articles for the business pages, not entertainment. We’re talking investment, exports, IP, economic impact.” The Chamber is already beginning to influence the local landscape. Since its launch, other fashion associations have started to be more active. “There’s been more movement, more attention to heritage, more traditional textiles on runways. We triggered something. And that’s good.”
How to Join the Movement
Membership in MyFashionChamber is open to all local and overseas fashion-related professionals, including students, stylists, boutique owners, and artisans. Even fashion lovers are welcome.
“They’re our best marketers,” Jay said. “They buy the clothes, wear them, talk about them. Why shouldn’t they be part of the movement?”
Applications can be submitted through myfashionchamber.org. Each applicant is vetted for credibility and commitment. “We don’t want opportunists. We want collaborators and active participants,” Jay said.
Membership is not symbolic. It offers tangible benefits: visibility, insurance, education, exposure, funding connections, and, most importantly, community. “Nobody grows alone. We create the pathway. You bring the passion.”
The Vision Ahead
As Jay puts it, “We are not just showcasing fashion. We are showcasing Malaysia.”
Through strategic partnerships, chamber-led delegations, and collaborations with ministries and embassies, MyFashionChamber is building a recognisable Malaysian fashion identity for the global spotlight.
And the Chamber is just getting started. Over the next 12 months, it plans to expand its educational arms, increase designer showcases abroad, and foster deeper collaborations with sustainability leaders, heritage experts, and even sociologists.
Jay concluded with a resolve: “We may be small on the world map, but we can do big things. Beyond fashion, MyFashionChamber is here to build an industry, a movement, and a future for the people in this sector.”
