Chic Shop: Musse
By: Claudia Low
I re-caught Anastasia the other night on Youtube in nine parts. With Tsarevich images distinctly embedded in my head and a shopping urge to please, I woke to find Musse the next day. Located in the Telawi heart of Bangsar, Musse looks like a little loft, standing out like Hugh Grant's blue door in Notting Hill amidst a sea of otherwise, ordinary open-air stores.
Perhaps it had to do with the late night Russian fix, but upon entry, I found Musse to be some sort of an artistic interpretation of Anastasia renaissance gone goth. While noticeably simplistic in its black washed walls and dark wooden parquet floor, the space was brought to life via rack upon rack of ruffled frocks and gowns, shelves of bags, and trunks of vintage accessory treasure. All of which, are framed by antique furniture of lush velvet and sophisticated baroque grace.
Strangely enough, upon second glance, you'd find that the plethora of clothes is in fact, tagged with very modern and sleek high-end labels. I spied BCBG Max Azria, Chloe, CK, Lanvin and Philip Lim 3.1 with my materialistic eye. There was also a curious selection of clothes that seemed to match the same designer quality of the high-end stuff, but were labeled Musse, with cheaper tags. So I turned to Esstte Loh, the 28-year-old mastermind behind Musse and asked her about her line.
What's the concept of style behind Musse?
It's elegant and sophisticated. Our items are mostly smart casual cocktail dresses with a twist that reaches the 20 - 45 years age group demographic.
How do these Musse pieces come about?
They're actually the designs of a German designer, Pat, who's my really good friend. He designs, I select, and then decide the fabrics and finishing touches for each before sending them to a factory in either Hong Kong or Korea. Musse is quite exclusive, with the major characteristics of a high-end brand. We only make four to six pieces per design and are against mass production.
What's the damage?
Our pieces range from RM199 to RM399, while other designer labels range from RM299 to RM499. We also carry full gowns that can go from RM599 to RM1,599; and items from other brands that seem to embody the Musse style.
Do you have anything for the guys?
We have a limited selection placed in two racks for men.
Musse is located at
No.16-1, Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru
59 100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2287 6769
