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Glam Halal | May-June . 2021
Pioneering fashion designer
Hatta Dolmat sets his collection apart by including modern clothing in his modest collections
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
HAVING been in the industry for over 16 years , fashion designer Muhammad Hatta Dolmat , commonly known as Hatta Dolmat , is no stranger to the local fashion scene .
Passionate in fashion designing , he obtained a Diploma in Fashion at Universiti Teknologi MARA ( UiTM ) Seri Iskandar , Perak from 2000-2003 , subsequently continued his Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design at UiTM Shah Alam , Selangor from 2003-2005 .
Today , the eponymous design house Hatta Dolmat is well known for its luxurious designs of Hatta Dolmat Couture which is often the choice of celebrities . The brand also provides bridal designs , traditional dresses , modest collections and ready-to-wear collections , all designed by Hatta himself .
Recently , he made history as the first sustainable fashion designer with a sustainable collection in Malaysia and is listed in the Malaysia Book of Records .
Local and global trends
The modest collection in Hatta Dolmat includes traditional clothing such as Hijab , Kaftan , Abaya , Baju Kurung and so on . However , Hatta sets his collection apart by including modern clothing in his modest collections .
“ We need to break out from the misconception that modest fashion is only for traditional clothing .”
According to Hatta , his modest modern clothing usually plays with layers and ensemble pieces , which allows for mixing and matching of the outfits .
“ Although the modest clothing tends to be loose cut , with mix and match , it still can be classy and fashionable .”
The 2016 HATTA X YUNA collection is one of Hatta ’ s modest modern collections , in collaboration with singer and modest fashion icon Yuna .
The modern modest clothing , he said , is not limited to Muslim or Hijabi customers only .
As for the designs for the modest collection , Hatta shared : “ As a fashion designer and if you look at the range of the Hatta Dolmat collections , I usually prefer the modern direction . And the materials and motifs are usually influenced by local and global trends .
“ For example , the HD Monogram 2020 / 2021 collection which debuted in 2020 was influenced by the print trend in the global fashion scene at the time , which I incorporated with our locally inspired print designs .”
Hatta gets his inspiration for design from his surroundings . “ I get inspired by the
things around me , like the building , nature and even the people .
“ We need to identify and be aware of the needs and likes of Malaysians and adapt the clothing to better suit our fashion taste , community and weather . This is because different regions tend to have different fashion trends .
“ For example , in Indonesia , their modest fashion tends to be more extravagant and dramatic in design to cater for the vast and diverse interest of the large local population . Meanwhile , in Malaysia , it is more to simple cut and focuses on prints with different motifs .”
“ For example , the HD Monogram 2020 / 2021 collection which debuted in 2020 was influenced by the print trend in the global fashion scene at the time , which I incorporated with our locally inspired print designs .”
Modest fashion in Malaysia
According to Hatta , it was 2009 , when Muslimah fashion or modest fashion began to develop in Malaysia .
“ People used to wear modest clothing before that and they usually think that modest fashion can only be influenced by the Arabs . But from 2009 onwards , the local fashion scene began to play with modest fashion .”
Hatta was one of them as he started producing modest clothing such as Kaftan and Hijab designed according to local tastes with new materials .
“ I want to inspire and create awareness to Hijabi women and Muslimah that modest fashion is not limited to only traditional Arab robes and clothing .
“ There is definitely demand and potential for modest fashion . As we can see , global fashion brands are embracing modest fashion into their collection .
“ For example , the luxury Italian fashion house , Dolce & Gabbana ( D & G ), has modest collections of Abaya and Hijab for Muslim customers which debuted in 2016 .”
He said the potential for the modest fashion industry can be seen with the mushrooming of modest fashion businesses and boutiques in Bandar Baru Bangi and Shah Alam .
“ In Malaysia , from around 2008 and 2009 , we start seeing the emergence of successful modest fashion entrepreneurs such as Bella Ammara and Cala Qisya . And the businesses on Hijab started to grow from the early 2010s . Now , we have brands such as Sugarscarf , Tudung People and SofeaRose .
“ And these entrepreneurs are doing very well and even branching out their businesses nationwide . The market has also shifted to online platforms such as Shopee .”
Designers or entrepreneurs
There is a difference between a fashion designer and fashion entrepreneurs , said Hatta .
“ When it comes to the fashion industry , fashion designers are the ones who create the