Liyu made a name for himself as a model, makeup artist, stylist and fashion designer in the 1990s, and more recently has been making waves as an interior and floral designer. photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Against a vibrant backdrop of colourful neon-hued mandalas, Orson Liyu delivers various captivating poses for our cover shot as he chats about his current endeavours.
We are in Niyom 26, a Thai restaurant in Petaling Jaya, where the interiors were designed by Liyu, who made a name for himself as a model, makeup artist, stylist and fashion designer in the 1990s, and more recently has been making waves as an interior and floral designer.
Apart from this restaurant, Liyu has done event styling and interior design for various establishments, events and campaigns, from conferences and exhibitions to boutique hotels and art installations.
His interest in design takes us back to the mid-1980s in Muar, Johor, where Liyu, 48, grew up with three older sisters and a younger brother.
“I was close to my third sister. We would compile cuttings of fashion designs from The Star and used to copy them,” says Liyu. “She would draw an exact copy of a picture, and I would do the same, but tweak it – if it was the Goddess of Mercy, the lotus would definitely be flamboyant, and hers would be exactly the same as the original.”
So, free time was spent sketching and replicating fashion designs, much to the bemusement of his mother, puzzled by her children’s interest in fashion.
Tall for a 14-year-old, Liyu was hired to model as a groom for a bridal store in town, where he found himself captivated by the elegant wedding gowns featured in the glossy pages of foreign magazines.
“I was so fascinated with the bridal gowns, and I would look through all the magazines that they brought from overseas. Then I started to wonder why the bridal store didn’t have a window display and suggested it to the store owner.”
Eventually, styling window displays for the store led Liyu to approach the bridal gown factory within the area, where all the bridal stores got their stock.
Surviving in the fashion industry, much less thriving, is no easy feat, but Liyu has established himself as somewhat of an icon.
“I approached them saying that I can draw, maybe you can buy my designs?” recalls Liyu. “So, I would present maybe 100 drawings to the owner and she would pick whatever she liked and pay me RM5 per design and RM1 per dress if it were ever produced.”
Laughing, Liyu jokes that he never got a commission for the gowns that made it into stores, but he was fine with it as he was self-taught and considered it part of the learning process.
While he enjoyed the few hours he spent at the bridal shop after school, reality beckoned every day at 4.30pm, as he was expected home to join his older sisters in the family’s side business: food delivery.
“My father was a primary school teacher and my mum catered home cooked meals for families in the neighbourhood,” explains Liyu. “There were no doorbells so we would have to shout at the gate that we had arrived and all our schoolmates would laugh at us. But I didn’t care.”
In the midst of designing gowns, he also honed his skills at makeup artistry (using his younger brother for practice) and hair styling, taking part in modelling competitions (winning second place in model search “Manhunt” in 1992 at the age of 17).
“My first makeup job in Muar earned me RM15, RM5 for hair but I charged an extra RM5 if I drove my motorcycle around to look for exotic flowers to use as hair ornaments,” recalls Liyu.
Not long after, he would make the big move to Kuala Lumpur to take on more modelling jobs, briefly studying graphic design (he dropped out due to his busy work schedule and a lack of funds) and styling window displays for bridal houses in town.
“Those were the days when I had money to buy a mattress but no money to buy sheet covers, and showering under a tap,” says Liyu.
“In Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Imbi, the bridal houses had concepts for example, the 1940s. I created the setup, the dresses, the backdrops and I also designed campaigns for them to join bridal fairs.”
Fast forward two decades, and today Liyu is a household name in the fashion world, having countless collections to his name, presenting his designs locally and internationally, styling prestigious fashion events and creating beautiful couture gowns for clients.
Forging ahead
Surviving in the fashion industry, much less thriving, is no easy feat, but Liyu has established himself as somewhat of an icon.
He attributes his journey to his ability to adapt and keep up with the times.
“While it’s okay to reminisce about the old days, people tend to get stuck in the past,” says Liyu. “I keep on telling myself to not be outdated and to be constantly on the ground.”
Liyu's first makeup job in Muar earned him RM15, RM5 for hair but he charged an extra RM5 for exotic flowers to use as hair ornaments.
To remind himself to aspire to be better, he keeps all the dresses from past fashion shows that were never sold.
“I don’t sell them at a 50% discount or anything like that, I keep the good ones to remind me to keep on doing good, the bad ones – to haunt me,” he laughs.
Liyu’s journey from tiffin delivery boy cum teen model to renowned fashion designer has been an inspiring one, his philosophy on life grounded in the advice given to him by his parents.
“My father always told us: ‘We will be long gone before you. So, you decide your life’. And then my mum would always repeat these Chinese proverbs: ‘Do not wear a hat that is way too big for one’s head’, ‘If you’re not born rich, don’t pretend you’re rich’, and ‘If you’re not capable of performing, don’t over promise’,” says Liyu.
These lessons taught him and his siblings to remain grounded.
“We were five siblings; dad didn’t earn much but we were happy, and mum was doing the tiffin food delivery so we had extra allowance and good food,” says Liyu.
After three decades in the industry and trying his hand at various endeavours, one thing is for certain: Liyu will continue to surprise us with his creative brilliance for many more years to come.
