Batu Kawan in Seberang Perai, Penang
An aerial view of Batu Kawan, mainland Penang, on Jan. 31, 2024. Resized file photo of the area hosting Penang Fashion Week at Design Village; not a runway or event photograph. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Batu_Kawan,_Seberang_Perai,_Penang.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ HundenvonPenang / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Penang Fashion Week will cross to the mainland for its second edition this weekend, with Design Village Outlet Mall in Batu Kawan hosting runway presentations from Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 15.

The move brings the event to a new audience in Seberang Perai and places emerging student designers on the programme alongside established labels. Penang Global Tourism lists the event hours as 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The state tourism bureau's official listing describes a mix of traditional Malaysian clothing, contemporary interpretations and modern designer collections. It identifies Velvet Signature as the organiser and Design Village as the venue.

Students Join Established Labels

Local participants include Michael Ooi and JR Collections, with Puma and Hush Puppies among the international brands named in a Nov. 6 report by state publication Buletin Mutiara. Students from UCSI University and Kolej Komuniti Bukit Mertajam will also show their work.

The event's theme is Fashion Evolution – A New Era of Style. Velvet Signature is organising it with support from the Penang tourism and creative economy office, PETACE, and PE Land, in partnership with TLM Event.

At the announcement, state executive councillor Wong Hon Wai linked the student showcases to opportunities for young designers to reach a wider audience and connect education with industry. Those are the programme's intended benefits, rather than evidence that participants have already secured business or employment.

PE Land Penang chief operating officer Andy Song said this would be Design Village's first runway event. Velvet Signature founder Ivan Choo described connections with regional and international fashion businesses as another aim.

Three Evening Sessions on the Mainland

The tourism bureau presents the mainland move as an expansion of the event's reach beyond Penang Island. For visitors, the immediate difference is geographical: the shows are at Batu Kawan, rather than a George Town or northern island venue.

The advertised evening window is five hours. Visitors looking for a particular designer should seek the organiser's detailed running order, since the general listing gives overall operating hours rather than individual show times.

That also distinguishes the fashion programme from the mall's trading day. Design Village's visitor information lists normal opening hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, so the retail complex opens before the advertised fashion-week sessions begin.

Getting to Design Village

The mall's address is 733 Jalan Cassia Barat 2, Bandar Cassia. Its published directions from the Second Penang Bridge use Exit 2801 towards Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan and Simpang Ampat. From the North-South Expressway, the directions lead via Exit 157 towards the bridge before Exit 2801.

The mall's FAQ lists multistorey and south-entrance open parking at RM2 for the first three hours or part thereof, then RM1 for each subsequent hour or part. Preferred east open parking is RM5 for the initial three hours, followed by the same RM1 hourly increment. Drivers should check the signs on arrival for the applicable rate.

Visitor facilities include a surau, baby rooms and a customer service lounge near 7-Eleven. The venue's own background page identifies PE Land (Penang) as owner and manager and dates the mall's opening to Nov. 23, 2016. This month's runway debut adds a fashion event to that established retail setting.