KUCHING: Up-and-coming fashion designer and independent business owner, Gallagher Pani or Gale, as he is fondly called, has been running his own boutique at the Riverside shopping complex here since October last year.
His boutique called Galle with the motto “Transforming The Legacy” perfectly suits his vision as it is his goal to transform the fashion industry in Sarawak with his own unique style.
New Sarawak Tribune had a chance to sit down with him to find out what makes his artistry quite distinctive from other fashion designers out there, challenges in running his own business by himself and most importantly, where is he going next.
Personal views on fashion
Gallagher said his boutique is known for its craftsmanship and original artwork put into the garment with each one being different.
“I can say that it is part of my marketing ploy,I tend to work with the pattern itself rather than mix matching it with different fabrics in order to create garments,” he said.
He explained that when it comes to style, he leans towards the contemporary as well as timelessness, specifically vintage wear.
“I believe that the pattern itself has a story to tell so I try my best to make the outfit unique whilst still applying a cultural motif in reference to every culture that we have here in Malaysia,” he explained.
Sense of awareness
He revealed that one of the reasons why he wanted to open his own business is that he had a sense of awareness and duty as a former fashion student.
“I understood the importance of loving and understanding our culture through arts.
“And it became the very reason why it prompted me to start opening a business. Other than making profit, I have the skills and creativity to share it with my fellow Malaysians.”
Fashion inspiration
Like most fashion designers out there, Gallagher too has had a few fashion designers who had influenced him since he was a child.
“Two person that influenced me a lot when I was a child was Anthony Powell and Barbara Masters as they are not the usual fashion designers by any standard but rather costume designers that made all the gorgeous costumes especially from the film 101 Dalmatians worn by the character Cruella which was played by Glenn Close at the time,” he said.
He added that he was also inspired by Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Karl Largefeld and Theirry Mugler.
“As for local designers, I really like Melinda Looi and Bernard Chandran, as they design some of the best couture dress out there,” he added.
Running the business on his own
Gallagher said one of the challenges he faced in the first year of running his business was manpower issues.
“I had every resource to run my business however the difficulty is when customers’ orders are a lot for one person to make.
“I’d like to add that marketing is also a huge obstacle for me as I am shorthanded when it comes to handling my advertising in order to reach the right market,” he said.
The next move
He said once he has enough resources, his plan is to relocate to a studio and hire more people for his production and marketing.
“I plan to take the business upscale and transform it into a corporate franchise one day,” he said.
He added that readers should stay tuned for his upcoming product as it might go viral one day.
“For now, it’s a secret,” said Gallagher.
