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Kelantanese Storm
As the House of Toi passes
it’s 25
th
anniversary,
Sarah
Rees
shoots some quick-
fire questions at Malaysian
designer
Zang Toi
to
find out how a boy from
Kelantan took the fashion
world by storm.
What areyourmemories of growingup in
Kelantan?
I grew up in the small village of Kuala
Krai and have many fondmemories of my
childhood. My parents owned a grocery
shop and we were a close knit family. The
house was always filled with so much joy
and laughter.
Whatwereyou like as a child?
Naughty! I was the youngest of six sib-
lings, so I got away with a lot of things!
I came from a very loving and nurturing
family.
Whendid the interest in clothes and
fashiondesigning takehold?
When I was studying in Canada, and it
was at my sister’s urging that I went to
Parson’s School of Design in New York.
Didyoubelieve thenyou couldmake a
career of it?Whatwas the reactionof
your family?
I didn’t really have time to doubt myself.
I just knew this was what I wanted to
do, and I committed myself to it. My
family did not know that I participated
in the Mouton-Cadet Young Designer
competition (in 1991). I only told them
after I had won the award.
What drives your designs andyour
philosophy towards designing clothes?
To put it simply, to make women feel and
look beautiful.
A portrait shot of
the designer in 1994
PERSONALITY