THE BUSINESS OF FASHION

Fourteen years after launching Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, founder Andrew Tan is thinking beyond the runway.

- Words: WILLIAM KC KEE

There is a tendency to judge a fashion week by what happens on the runway.

The front rows. The celebrity appearances. The viral moments that flood social media feeds. The collections that dominate headlines for a few days before the industry moves on to the next thing.

Yet for Andrew Tan, the founder of Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW), the runway has never been the end goal.

Instead, it has always been a starting point.

As KL Fashion Week enters its 14th year in 2026, Tan speaks less about individual shows and more about something arguably more difficult to achieve: building an ecosystem capable of supporting Malaysian designers long after the lights go down.

“What makes me most proud is seeing how many Malaysian designers have grown alongside the platform,” he says.

“When KLFW first began, our objective was simple: to create visibility for local talent. Fourteen years later, we are seeing designers build enduring brands, open stores, expand internationally and cultivate loyal communities around their work.”

That distinction is important.

Fashion weeks around the world have become increasingly scrutinised for their relevance in an era dominated by digital content, livestreams and social commerce. The question many organisers face today is no longer whether people can watch a fashion show online, but whether fashion weeks still serve a meaningful purpose at all.

For Tan, the answer lies not in the spectacle but in the infrastructure.

“The runway may be the most visible part of KLFW,” he explains, “but the real success lies in helping designers build sustainable businesses and long-term careers.”

It is a philosophy that feels particularly relevant in Malaysia's evolving fashion landscape.