Aina Abdul Stuns In Show-stopping Gown At Awards Function

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) --  Three days ago, Aina Abdul uploaded a photo of her dressed in a red voluminous gown on Instagram, inserting a caption, part of which said, “There are wounds that are unseen, yet the throbbing is felt deep in the heart. There is pain that remains unspoken, yet its echoes grip tightly within the chest.”

What the award-winning singer was trying to say was that the dress she wore was more than just a stage outfit – it was a manifestation of a shattered soul, much like the lyrics of some of her songs.

Aina came dressed in the striking outfit when she attended the 39th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL 39) awards show last Sunday, where she won the Best Performer award.

Her red gown, designed by well-known fashion designer Melinda Looi, was an eye-catcher due to the inclusion of mysterious graphic elements resembling the singer’s eyes, mouth, ears and heart, along with vein-and blood vessel-like textures sewn onto the fabric.

pic-2

Looi said the Victorian dress-inspired creation, complete with puffed sleeves and a corset, was entirely conceptualised by the Johor Bahru-born singer.

"The concept of this dress came entirely from Aina Abdul. She gave the direction on what she wanted, so I tried to translate and design it based on her request. This time, Aina wanted a heart theme because her (AJL 39 winning) song 'Puas Sudah' is about a heart broken in pain.

"Aina told me she wanted her own heart, eyes and lips on the dress.’ So I actually Googled her, found all the pictures online, got everything and cropped out her face," she said when met by Bernama after the Melinda Looi Uniform Atelier fashion show here yesterday.

pic-3

The designer, known for taking on Aina’s requests for unique stage outfits, said for the singer’s recent AJL 39 outfit, she used over 15 different techniques to ensure that every layer of fabric and detail created a profound visual impact.

"We worked very closely, from the set to the design of the dress and everything. I wanted the dress to tell a sad story as if it was torn into pieces. That’s why the elements are scattered – some fabrics are ripped apart, and there are both teardrops and blood drops. Actually, more blood drops than teardrops.

"For me, if I want to create a piece that’s memorable, it has to be museum-worthy. That’s why we used over 15 techniques and mixed media, where we used paint, burning process, tearing, tie-dye," explained Looi, who has been in the fashion industry for over two decades.

pic-4

She added that the outfit’s creation involved more than 15 artisans and took two months to complete. Work on the dress started in November last year.

Looi said although Aina’s concept for her AJL 39 gown seemed almost impossible, she took on the challenge as she is passionate about creating unique outfits.  

-- BERNAMA