Brian KHOO Review • Ombre Mandarin Orange Lunar New Year Look

Hi guys, today I'll be sharing all about this monochromatic ombre orange look for Chinese New Year, as well as my thoughts and review on this piece I bought from Brian KHOO.

Brian Khoo is a Malaysian designer and I first came across theirs designs in 2020 when they released their Signatures collection:

I did a bit of research and asking around, and I found that he actually studied in Paris and even worked as a designer assistant with Dior Couture.

Although Brian Khoo mostly designs gowns/womenswear now here in Malaysia, for this particular collection there were a few menswear pieces. I was kind of intrigued by the colour block shirt on the left, but I didn't really pursue it because I thought it looked cute but not cute enough (if that makes sense haha).

Fast forward to 2021, they released their Lunar 2021 collection for Chinese New Year and I was kind of living for the campaign images!

I loved the aesthetic and the designs looked pretty classic as well. Unfortunately, this collection only had 1-2 men's shirts, so I just ended up admiring it from afar.

Then for their Lunar 22 collection, I got sucked in again by their campaign images:

Since there were slightly more choices for guys this time around, I decided to book an appointment and check them out. The process was pretty easy, just DM them on Instagram and book a viewing appointment.

I went to view their designs at the start of December 2021 and as I'm writing this post, it's currently February 2022. If I remember correctly, I didn't really get any custom measurements or sizing. I just tried what was available in the showroom and placed my order.

I tried on a total of 3 shirts:


UNISEX BLOCKED REVERE SHIRT

RM560.00 • link

Featuring a self-printed pattern, this short sleeve buttoned shirt features a revere collar with shoulder and sleeve piping details:

I quite liked it and looked quite casual, I actually think it's pretty reusable on occasions other than CNY, but I didn't really like the colour of the piping. The crepe fabric was pretty nice though, I really considered getting this shirt. 

It's also available in a red print, which I think is a bit more suitable for CNY:

OMBRE SLANT SHIRT

RM480.00 • link

Also made of crepe fabric, this oversized shirt features an ombre orange colour which was just so delicious to look at. It has an interesting half-draped collar which I think kinda complements the whole asymmetric thing it has going on:

I quite liked the look of it and I considered getting the full set together with the blue slanted shorts. Unfortunately, there were no demo units I could try when I visited, so I settled on ordering just the shirt.

GOLDFISH REVERE SHIRT (UNISEX)

RM500.00 • link

The print features full plum blossom/goldfishes and irises, and this short sleeve buttoned shirt also has 4 Nia buttons in front which I thought were a nice detail

Since I was there I decided to try it on, and I kinda wanted to get it because it matched my whole nude/beige fantasy haha.

The feedback I got when I posted it on my IG story was that it looked like a shirt perfect for playing mahjong lol.

My visit was pretty quick, and I got the chance to meet Brian when I dropped by as well

In the end, I only got the orange shirt. I placed my order on December 10 and got it on January 21. It came nicely wrapped in an envelope and I got some red packets with the order as well.

I actually received the order on January 21 and only opened the package on February 10, one day before I was gonna wear it). On that night I took it out to steam it, and I was just slightly disappointed to see some minor details that I thought could have been done better.

Not sure what's going on over there in the seams, but the pocket fraying was something that definitely could have been solved if it was sewn or lined or something.

Anyway, I still liked the overall look of the shirt. I found these cropped trousers from Zara which I think matched nicely with the shirt.

The shirt was pretty comfortable throughout the day, and I like how it isn't just one flat tone of orange. One concern that I had the night before I wore it out was if I would look like a waiter (lol) but I think in the end the final look looked quite fun.

The ombre is visible even on the back. Another issue I had was that the collar looked a bit weird from the back, and I understand it has to look like that because of the half-collar thing it has going on. Looking back I think it's not a big deal~

I actually think its better that I didn't get the shorts because I prefer wearing my bottoms high waisted anyway and these pants give me that effect. I don't see myself wearing this untucked, so maybe I should have just asked them to not add the pocket haha.

I actually wore this out for a lunch at Mandarin Oriental, and you can read all about that lunch by clicking here.

So what are my final thoughts?

I think design-wise, it's definitely my cup of tea. I'm the type that likes to stand out in a crowd with fun pieces but I still do like those classic and familiar silhouettes that compliment me. I think this shirt is definitely unique and I love how the final look looks.

For RM480 I do think it's okay, but I expected better details with the stitching and that fraying. I made a point during my visit to their showroom that I don't want any loose threads like my previous experience with Behati, and although they reassured me that they QC their pieces, I still saw some small defects as soon as I took it out of the packaging. Not really super obvious or serious defects, but for RM480 I didn't want to see any of those haha.

Still, overall I enjoyed this piece and I'm definitely looking forward to their next CNY collection

And that's it for this post! I hope you guys found it helpful and informative. 

See y'all in my next post!