TEMPATAN Fest, an events company aiming to support and endorse local clothing brands via events, is now looking at other ways of doing so in the new normal.

Founder Nasir Rashid told The Malaysian Insight that Tempatan Fest used to go on nationwide tours, bringing together a number of handpicked brands to set up booths at festivals, attracting between 30,000 and 40,000 attendees.  

Besides promoting local brands, the tours also provided a platform for musicians and bands to promote themselves through live performances.

However, Nasir said Tempatan Fest will not have any event this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the new normal, Nasir said the company will operate and survive through online music shows, collaborations and sponsors.

“We plan to have a digital live band show. If we can get a decent crowd then we will have a ticketed show, but at a very low price of between RM18 and RM20,” he said. 

For merchandise, Nasir is looking forward to collaborations and more attractive designs by artists.

Nasir said he is aware that local brands are more expensive compared with other widely known international brands, but this was because local brands don’t mass produce items and rely heavily on their art. 

“They cannot go for low prices because they don’t mass produce like Uniqlo. Furthermore, local brands are not just driven by entrepreneurs but also artists.” 

Tempatan Fest also has its own Instagram account, promoting and giving exposure to local brands.

Nasir founded the company in 2013 when he saw many emerging local brands but without a physical platform to promote themselves.

“Six years ago, I started seeing a lot of local brands in Malaysia and realised the local market had a potential but they were showcasing their brands only on social media. 

“We came up with the idea to gather these local brands under one space at Grand Design Bazaar on Jalan Kia Peng but because the place was a bit hidden, it was not very well received. That was when we decided to turn it into an event called Tempatan Fest,” he said. 

“The fest was set up for the first time in 2013 and it took off so well.”  

However, over the years, Tempatan Fest has seen a decline in crowds and a lack of public interest in supporting local clothing brands.

“Until 2017, I don’t know if the economy shrunk or spending power decreased but many brands started shutting down as well,” he said.

“Between 2016 and 2017, there were hundreds of local brands but they were unable to sustain their businesses.”

Nasir said when he went to Indonesia, he was inspired by how their local brands were thriving and hoped the same for Malaysia.

“Their people and government are fond of their own products but over here, the government does not seem to care much.

“You ask the government if they know about our local brands. They won’t know. Do they wear local brands? They don’t. The government doesn’t care about this sort of economy.

“I want to change this culture.”

Nasir recently set up a campaign called #belilokalmy, aimed at supporting local businesses.

“This campaign is not just about supporting local brands but also businesses, which is the ecosystem of our local economy.

“Right now, the global economy is unstable, so do you (consumers) want to buy local or international brands?

“I feel that now is the best and right time to support local businesses.” – June 14, 2020.