THREE different retailers, who had previously been complete strangers to one another, found a common thread among them – that in their own ways, they promote local and regional culture.
Come Nov 26, an event called “A Celebration of Culture” will be held to mark the joint official opening of their shops — a gifts and fashion boutique, a music store and an art gallery — which are located side-by-side.
Here’s how it all started.
Enterprising trio: (from left) Loh, Cheah and Lambert, owners of Artemis Art gallery, Candor Music store and Gadis Manis gifts and fashion boutique respectively, outside their outlets at Solaris Dutamas, KL. Former corporate executive Loh Yew See started collecting contemporary art pieces as a hobby 15 years ago.
A few years back, Loh and her husband made a trip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia where they met an art gallery owner and decided to resell some of his pieces back to friends in Malaysia.
“Having done that for three years, we thought it was time to set up a proper gallery to share our collection with more than just friends,” said Loh, 51.
Artemis Art, located at Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur opened for business Nov 12.
“Each piece in our collection tells a story. It is our aim to share these stories, at the same time give due recognition to the artisans who tell these stories through their talent and craft,” said Loh, owner and founder.
“We try to bring in pieces which are more affordable for first time buyers who love art but may not necessarily have the budget for more expensive art work,” she said, adding that her pieces start from RM1,000.
Currently, about 90% of the collection originate from Yogyakarta.
Loh recently invested in some pieces from The Philippines and Taiwan, and is actively looking for works by local Malaysian artists to carry.
Ultimately, Loh hopes to play a role in supporting the art industry via Artemis, which supports up-and-coming artists.
“As we mainly promote young, struggling artists both local and foreign, we hope to be able to make some of them famous one day.
Sweet sensation: The Gadis Manis gifts and fashion retail outlet. “When we take on these young artists’ work, we hope to encourage them to continue doing what they do best, which is paint, and to pursue their dreams as artists.
“In the long term, we hope to run exchange programmes by bringing in some of our artists from Indonesia and introducing our local artists in other countries like Indonesia and Singapore,” shared Loh, adding that the gallery plans to hold art and literature appreciation sessions in the future.
As a foreigner, Florence Lambert is doing a better job of promoting local culture and products than many Malaysians put together.
A French native, Lambert is the founder of Gadis Manis, a brand of gifts and fashion items inspired by Malaysia’s cultural diversity.
“Our philosophy is based on delivering a Malaysian product from design to finish, manufactured by established experts in the traditional and modern Malaysian crafts,” said Lambert, 41, who designs most of the merchandise herself.
Gadis Manis first began as a business in Feb 2008 from Lambert’s home in Kuala Lumpur. In October last year, the first Gadis Manis retail outlet opened at Solaris Dutamas.
Lambert, who also paints, uses three Malaysian ambassadors Gowry, Yati and Ah Chik to introduce her products and brand.
The characters are named after three important people in her life — Yati and Gowry were her former helpers, while Ah Chik was her late mother-in-law.
The range of products include T-shirts, handbags, scarfs, stationery and also greeting cards. Bestsellers are suede and leather handbags, which feature Lambert’s signature Royal Selangor pewter designs on the front, and also T-shirts.
Gadis Manis also carries products with cultural values from India and Vietnam.
Lambert, who is married to a Malaysian, has been living in the country for 17 years.
She suffered a great loss when her six-year-old daughter Sophie died of cancer in January 2008. It was Sophie who inspired Lambert to start Gadis Manis.
“Sophie was my reason for doing this. She made me promise to help children with cancer.
“I would not have started Gadis Manis if she did not ask me to do something to help.
Striking a chord: The Candor Music store is the sole distributor of a couple of guitar brands. “I used the concept to build a business that would generate funds.
“If it was not for Gadis Manis and my two adopted children, I would be nowhere now as I lost my purpose when I lost Sophie.
“She is my teacher and my reference,” shared Lambert, whose two children are aged three and three-and-a-half.
Gadis Manis currently supports the Madeleine Children’s Fund for families of children with cancer.
Previously, it also donated part of proceeds to the Sophie’s Education Fund with Shelter Home, Petaling Jaya.
Hoping to increase the quality of musical instruments, and hence, quality of music, is part of what Steven Cheah aims to do with Candor Music.
“Candor is another word for frankness. In many times, the musical instrument business has never been genuine.
“Some retailers are even selling fake or imitation brands,” said Cheah, 32, founder and owner.
The music store, which opened for business in June, carries items like guitars, guitar effects, drum pads and ukuleles. Cheah is also the sole distributor of a couple of guitar brands.
Beyond selling instruments, Cheah also aims to support local Indie bands by sponsoring equipment like amplifiers.
“Many of these bands cannot afford to buy amplifiers, as goods ones can be expensive.
“I plan to help by sponsoring such equipment whenever possible.
“My ultimate goal is to see musical instrument retailers unite with each other to hold events like the Malaysian Jazz Festival and that Malaysians will also support the local music retailers. At the same time, I hope the Government will increase the visibility of music education in Government schools,” he said.
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