Malaysian fashion designer Hatta Dolmat has once again made his mark in the country’s fashion history. At the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2026 Closing Show, Hatta presented a couture creation inspired by the art of painting, turning the dress into a moving work of art and earning his third Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) title, “MOST COUTURE–ART PAINTING PAIRS IN A RUNWAY GALLERY”.
The idea was simple yet striking: what happens when a painting leaves the canvas and becomes a dress?
Hatta’s creation brings together fashion, painting, and performance in one piece. Instead of remaining on a wall, the artwork moves with the wearer, allowing the colours, textures, and details to come alive on the runway. The dress is more than a garment. It becomes a canvas, while the person wearing it becomes part of the artwork.
For Hatta, this is another example of his approach to couture: looking beyond traditional fashion and finding new ways to tell stories through clothing. His work continues to explore the relationship between art, culture, imagination, and the human experience.
This latest achievement marks Hatta Dolmat’s third national record, adding another important milestone to a career built on creativity, experimentation, and a willingness to push fashion in new directions.
For Hatta, couture is not only about what we wear. It is about what we see, what we feel and what we remember. “This time, the painting did not stay on the wall. It walked the runway,” said the designer.
The record-breaking presentation imagined the traditional runway as a living gallery, bringing together original fine art and bespoke couture in an integrated fashion and art experience.
At the heart of Hatta Dolmat’s “SOUL” collection, the runway featured 10 original paintings and 10 bespoke haute couture looks, with each garment directly inspired by one of Hatta’s original artworks. The colours, shapes, textures and mood of each painting were translated into fabric, silhouette and couture craftsmanship.
The paintings were presented alongside their corresponding garments, allowing audiences to see the creative journey from canvas to couture.
