May-June . 2021 | Glam Halal

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“ Global fashion houses have been involved in sustainability for over 10 years now . I was inspired by the global movement on climate change and what can designers do to contribute – recycle , reuse and upcycle . Everyone should support the sustainable fashion movement . In Malaysia , the sustainable fashion movement is still new , so many are not aware .” latest trends . The fashion value comes from the designer ’ s work process and inspiration . There is a story behind every design .

“ Designers must have their own initiative to create new vibes and trends for new collections .”

Hatta shared he documents how , where , and when the Hatta Dolmat collections were created and inspired .

“ I document my process , from the inspiration , sketching , colouring and even down to choosing the right material .

“ We know the process from scratch and we know which materials work best for specific designs , cuts and inks . That is the value of fashion collection from a designer .

“ Fashion entrepreneurs , on the other hand , run a fashion business or boutique selling the clothes and collection following the trends created by the fashion designers .”

Hatta believes that fashion entrepreneurs should collaborate and highlight the designer ’ s skills and expertise rather than just emulate and selling the designs .

“ We should acknowledge , appreciate and support each other .”

Pioneering sustainable fashion

The fashion industry is known to produce a lot of textile waste and the degradation takes up to over 100 years , so Hatta wants to play his part to make a change .

“ Almost eight million tonnes of plastic are disposed of each year and it is threatening marine animals and wildlife ,” he said .

He stumbled upon the sustainable practice when he realised he was contributing to upcycling by using fabric remnants for a ready-made collection .

Soon after , he started working with recycled fabric materials made from plastic bottles known as recycled polyethene terephthalate ( RPET ).

With his initiative to reduce the textile and plastic waste that goes into landfills or into the sea , Hatta was credited as the first Malaysian fashion designer to revolutionise the production of clothing with the concept of environmental conservation .

“ Global fashion houses have been involved in sustainability for over 10 years now . I was inspired by the global movement on climate change and what can designers do to contribute – recycle , reuse and upcycle .

“ Everyone should support the sustainable fashion movementt . In Malaysia , the sustainable fashion movement is still new , so many are not aware

“ Sustainable fashion movement has to start somewhere , and it has to keep going , not just end with one collection .”

HD Monogram 2020 / 2021 collection is Hatta ’ s first collection using RPET and it is a tripartite collaboration between Hatta Dolmat , SWCorp and Kloth Cares .

In his latest venture , the designer collaborated with the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre ( MGTC ) for the collection called MGTC X Hatta Dolmat , creatively using recycled 200 plastic bottles into making tudung and face masks . The concept of the design , Hatta said , was inspired by wildlife and forest greenery .

The collection was opened for sale to the public through MGTC ’ s official social media immediately after it was launched . “ The response was good as the tudung collection was sold out even before I could share and market it my followers ,” he shared .

Hatta is passionate and determined to continue the sustainable movement and hopes to encourage the local fashion industry and young upcoming designers to embrace sustainable practices .