I am sure many younger Malaysians today, even those who are in the fashion fraternity have never heard of the Malaysian-born fashion designer by the name Anthony Yong.
This fashion designer is not as well-known as the Kelantan-born Zang Toi who is based in New York.
Malaysian Fashion Designer
I came to know about this Kuantan-born London-trained apparel designer Anthony Yong when he was featured in the New Straits Times back in the 80s.
And also a write-up about him in the November 1983 issue of Her World magazine.
It was reported in the 1983 issue of The Straits times of Singapore, Anthony Yong’s father him to London to study chemical engineering.
But instead he went to work as a window display artist for London’s world-renowned upmarket department store, Harrods.
With his earnings, he did a four-year fashion course at the famous St. Martin’s School of Art.
Six month before Anthony Yong finished his course, the established London-based fashion wholesaler and retailer, Stirling Cooper had already offered him a job.
After a year stint with Stirling Cooper, he hopped over to New York and free-lanced at Seven Avenue for nine months.
Then this Malaysian-born designer went back to London to work with Wallis, a high street fashion chain for women.
His turning point in his fashion career was in 1976 when he went to Paris and joined Daniel Hechter as assistant designer of ladies’ apparel.
According to Anthony, this French designer loved his work that he created the Saint Clair men’s and ladies’ lines with Anthony Yong as chief designer.
Then in 1982, Anthony left and teamed up with a Singaporean business partner and had an office just opposite Paris’s trendy Les Halles shopping area right in the heart of the city.
Presently I am not sure whether this 63-year old Malaysian-born couturier who used to be successful in Europe and Japan, is still active in the world of fashion.
Reference:
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19831206-1.2.85.3.1.aspx]