A student’s artwork that once stood out on the competition stage is now making its way into the fashion market through a meaningful university-industry collaboration between Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (UniKL MIIT) and Ariani Luxe.
The initiative began with the creative success of two UniKL MIIT students, Zalia Antasya Izmal Nizam from the Bachelor in Multimedia Technology (Hons.) in Computer Animation, and Nur Fikriah Azlan Shah from the Bachelor in Information Technology (Honours) (Internet of Things).
Both students won First Prize in the Shawl Design Category at the UniKL Art Festival 2025, held at UniKL Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP).
Their winning artwork captured attention for its originality, artistic expression and confident visual identity.
More than a competition entry, the design reflected how students from a technology-focused university can also make a strong impact in the creative arts, design and digital innovation.
Recognising the potential of the artwork, UniKL MIIT saw an opportunity to take the students’ achievement beyond the competition platform.
The goal was to preserve the winning design, give it wider visibility and transform it into a special product that carries both artistic and institutional value.
To bring the idea to life, UniKL MIIT initiated a collaboration with Ariani Luxe, a premium high-end sub-brand of Galeri Ariani under the Jakel Group, one of Malaysia’s leading textile and retail groups.
Known for its elegance, quality and innovation in modest fashion, Ariani Luxe became the ideal industry partner to translate the student-designed artwork into a professionally produced shawl collection.
The collaboration was formalised through the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Jakel Group on 13 May 2026, marking an important milestone in UniKL MIIT’s effort to connect student creativity with real industry opportunities.
Through this initiative, the award-winning shawl design will be printed and produced as a special collection, allowing the students’ creative work to reach a wider audience.
It also highlights the strength of university-industry collaboration in providing students with meaningful exposure beyond the classroom, while supporting talent development, innovation and knowledge transfer.
Building on this achievement, future collaborations with UniKL MIDI’s Fashion Programme could further enhance design development, product styling, collection planning and industry-oriented design refinement.
The Ariani x UniKL luxurious-feel shawl collection is now available for purchase at https://bazarbelanja.com/product-category/arianixunikl/
