Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) fashion design students earned international recognition after securing second place at the International Design Award (IDeA) 2026.
Held at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan (PIS), Johor, on 20 August 2026, the competition carried the theme “Threads of Johor, Threads of Tomorrow”, celebrating Johor’s traditional weaving heritage while encouraging emerging designers to reinterpret cultural narratives through modern fashion.
Representing Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Italy Design Institute (UniKL MIDI), Muhammad Zaki Kamarul Arifin and Wan Rifqah Zuhaira Wan Mohd Ridzuan, students from the Bachelor in Fashion Design with Marketing programme, emerged as second-place winners in the international competition.
IDeA 2026 brought together participants from polytechnics, community colleges, public and private universities, vocational colleges and international educational institutions, creating a platform for creative exchange, design innovation and international networking.
For UniKL MIDI, participation in international design competitions strengthens experiential learning by exposing students to professional fashion presentation, diverse creative perspectives and the wider fashion industry.
Such exposure also supports UniKL’s emphasis on developing industry-ready graduates with creative thinking, design expertise and an understanding of both the cultural and commercial dimensions of fashion.
It aligns particularly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, through experiential and skills-based learning; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, through preparation for careers in the creative economy; and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, particularly through efforts to safeguard and reinterpret cultural heritage for future generations.
