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Emma Chong Johnston

Emma Chong Johnston

Emma Chong Johnston has worked in lifestyle and fashion publishing for over 10 years, most recently as the managing editor of Elle Malaysia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she has also written for Forbes Travel Guide, WanderLuxe, Esquire Malaysia and Time Out Kuala Lumpur.
Emma Chong Johnston has worked in lifestyle and fashion publishing for over 10 years, most recently as the managing editor of Elle Malaysia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she has also written for Forbes Travel Guide, WanderLuxe, Esquire Malaysia and Time Out Kuala Lumpur.
Languages Spoken:
English

‘Raw, imperfect but honest’: are natural dyes fashion’s future?

T-shirts coloured with natural dyes from Malaysian fashion brand Munimalism.

Brands in Southeast Asia are using natural dyes derived from plants, mushrooms and more to give their clothes a unique look and fight against fashion’s polluting practices.

Buy a T-shirt, adopt a coral – label makes conservation cool

Sea Bells T-shirts modelled in Tioman, Malaysia, where the label replants corals in the sea.

When you buy an organic T-shirt from Sea Bells you become adoptive parent to a piece of replanted coral. It and another new T-shirt label are helping make socially conscious shopping relatable to Southeast Asians.

Sew your own face mask: YouTube lesson goes viral

Ching Ng models her DIY face mask. Her online tutorial has clocked more than a million views.

With medical masks in short supply, a Malaysian sewing studio is teaching the world how to make fabric masks. Ching Ng’s online tutorial has already clocked up more than a million views on YouTube.

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How millennials and Gen Z in Malaysia have embraced vintage

Looks from Okgo in Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks in part to Instagram, young fashion fans in Malaysia are bucking a cultural bias against pre-worn items, and promoting sustainable shopping.

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Malaysia style chameleon loves being out of her comfort zone

Haida Yusof, Yuna, and stylist Zulvanny on the set of Forevermore.

‘Forevermore’ music video for Malaysian R&B star Yuna is a time capsule of stylist Haida Yusof-Yeomans’ idiosyncratic fashion sense. She talks about dressing for yourself and daring to experiment.

It’s batik, but not as we know it – what would grandma say?

A women's look from Fern, made using batik techniques.

Malaysian designer realised the potential of the ancient textile technique of batik, and started using it for everything from shift dresses to wrap skirts. Her designs incorporate bold motifs inspired by nature.

Former banker trying to make fashion as ethical as possible

Sasibai Kimis, an investment banker turned social entrepreneur who is trying to take ethical fashion into the mainstream, in her Kuala Lumpur store.

Sasibai Kimis set up fashion brand Earth Heir in Malaysia in 2013, which sells bags and accessories made by local artisans. She makes fashion as ethical as she can, she says – being 100 per cent ethical would mean not making anything.

The Malaysian fashion labels putting a new take on modest wear

Hana Tajima collection for Uniqlo

Modern modest fashion is not all about religion – it’s about comfort, choice and celebrating the myriad ways women around the world dress. On the eve of Ramadan, we talk to some inclusive fashion labels that are leading the way.

Why luxury pyjamas are taking off – and it’s not about money

Pyjamas from Malaysian sleepwear brand Chic in Green.

In a time when conspicuous consumption rules, high-quality pyjamas and loungewear might seem an unnecessary luxury. But the trend is being driven by the desire for a good night’s sleep, especially among young professionals.

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