After two decades in fashion, designer Hatta Dolmat is closing his Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) journey with two collections that bring together many of the things that have shaped his career art, memories, family and sustainability.
Hatta presented two collections at KLFW: Linger, his ready-to-wear collection, and Soul, his couture collection.
While the two collections are different in their approach, both reflect Hatta's personal journey and his background as an artist.
For Hatta, one of his biggest sources of inspiration is something as simple as watching the sunset.
Photo credit: Hatta Dolmat
He describes himself as a “sunset chaser”, with sunsets reminding him of people, places and memories from different stages of his life.
That idea became the starting point for Linger, a ready-to-wear collection featuring linen and sunset-inspired tones.
More than just a collection built around a colour palette, Hatta described Linger as autobiographical, drawing from his own experiences and memories.
“I am a sunset chaser,” Hatta said, explaining how the changing colours of the sky often bring back memories of people he has met, places he has visited and moments that have stayed with him.
The personal element continues into Soul, his couture collection, although this time Hatta brings his background in visual art much more directly into the work.
Before fashion, Hatta was a painter and has long been an enthusiast of art. For Soul, he incorporated large-scale paintings on huge canvases into the collection, creating an almost literal interpretation of wearable art.
Photo credit: Hatta Dolmat
Photo credit: Hatta Dolmat
The models appeared to become moving canvases as the artwork became part of the couture presentation.
It is a fitting direction for Hatta, whose creative journey has always existed between art and fashion.
A milestone he never planned
Interestingly, Hatta said he never planned to close KLFW.
It was not something he had dreamed of or deliberately worked towards. Instead, when Andrew Tan, founder of KLFW choose him. Hatta himself was at a loss for words, admitting that he had never planned or imagined closing KLFW this way.
For him, the sincerity behind the creative process matters more than trying to create something simply for the sake of making an impact.
Photo credit: Hatta Dolmat
Hatta believes that when something is created genuinely, that sincerity will eventually be reflected in the collection.
That approach can be seen in both Linger and Soul, which are closely tied to his own experiences rather than simply following a particular fashion trend.
After 20 years, the collections also reflect how much Hatta's creative identity has evolved.
He started out as a painter before moving into fashion, and today, both disciplines continue to influence his work.
The importance of home and family
Beyond fashion and art, Hatta also spoke about something more personal , the importance of home and family.
For him, family remains the people who will be there regardless of circumstances.
At the end of the day, he said, family are the people who accept you through both the good and the bad.
It is a sentiment that gives another dimension to Hatta's work, particularly when so much of his inspiration comes from memories and the people around him.
For a designer who has spent 20 years building a career in an industry that is constantly changing, having that sense of home provides an important sense of grounding.
Fashion that looks beyond the runway
Hatta's approach to fashion also extends beyond aesthetics.
Sustainability has been an important part of his work, particularly through recycling and repurposing materials rather than treating fashion as an industry that constantly needs to produce something new.
His efforts in this area have also been recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records, adding another milestone to his career.
Photo credit: Hatta Dolmat
For Hatta, sustainability is not simply a trend but part of how fashion can evolve responsibly.
As he marks 20 years in the industry, his KLFW presentation brings together many of the different elements that have defined his career — his beginnings as a painter, his love for art, his memories, his family and his belief in more responsible fashion.
Linger looks back at memories through sunsets and linen, while Soul brings his paintings into the world of couture.
And perhaps that is what makes the closing of his KLFW journey significant.
Hatta did not set out to create a final statement. He simply continued doing what he has always done — creating from a place that is personal and genuine.
After 20 years, that sincerity has become part of his signature.
This is the original article written by Attiqah Solehah following an invitation to attend Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week for Hatta Dolmat. All photographs were provided by Hatta Dolmat’s official media team. No part of this work may be reproduced, copied, distributed, or republished without prior written permission.
Attiqah Mohd (attiqahsolehah@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
