The process often makes them feel nervous or self-conscious. More so if they are autistic kids.
That is precisely why fashion designer Jayakumar Vanialingam is passionate about his initiative “Autism Rules Fashion” (ARF), as it is all about slowly easing autistic kids into discovering their latent artistic potential.
“These kids, they are just as talented as any of us. All they need is just a good support system to bring it out of them,” Jayakumar, whose fashion brand is named JayK, told FMT Lifestyle recently.
ARF was founded by the 49-year-old back in 2019, to encourage and create opportunities for the autistic community through their artwork in the fashion world.
It has since evolved into a structured programme that identifies talents before proceeding to Art Therapy, where artworks of the special-needs individuals are used to analyse their growth, understanding, personality, thoughts and their current state of mind and emotions.
The completed artworks is then artistically refined and used to produce prints on fabric, to be transformed into designs by JayK onto clothing.
“It can take them anywhere from one day to maybe a month to complete an artwork depending on the person and their mood, but the end results are stunning.”
With all the meaningful work done by Jayakumar, it’s not an understatement to say he adores fashion, a passion that started from a young age, too.
“I always liked to read fashion magazines when I was a kid, and when I grew up, it blossomed into a hobby of sorts and I designed my own clothes,” he recalled.
His first job as an airline cabin crew member allowed him to travel the world and broaden his horizons, which he then transferred into his designs.
In 2018, Jayakumar was invited to take part in the Borneo Fashion Week and he showcased his sartorial works that combined Borneo motifs with Indian silhouettes.
It was a success and the event introduced JayK to the world, earning him the Upcoming Designer Award.
As a long-time volunteer for Pertubuhan Sayang Malaysia, which works with special-needs children, his recognition as a worthy designer during Borneo’s Fashion Week inspired him to start ARF.
This year marks the third instalment of the initiative, and he is collaborating with the Malaysian Halloween Carnival and Fun Run event that falls on Oct 14 and Oct 15 at Pavilion Bukit Jalil.
The carnival entails a 3km Halloween Fancy Dress Walk-a-Run, 8km Fun Run, and a string of other fun activities such as Batik Design Contest, Rumah Hantu and Treasure Hunt.
“We’ll showcase our ARF collection this year during the carnival’s launch on the 14th, where volunteers will model the clothes in a fashion show,” Jayakumar said, hardly able to contain his excitement for the upcoming event.
The paintings that form the basis of the collection will be auctioned the same day, with the proceeds going to the respective artists to fund their education.
This year, a total of eight autistic and special-needs individuals’ artworks will be featured.
Jayakumar said that the parents of the children are usually the happiest of all when told their kids can produce such beautiful artworks.
“One time a parent told me her kid didn’t sleep the previous night because he got up at 3am, saying he wanted to paint. That’s how inspiring and dedicated they can be once their talent is ‘unlocked’,” he smiled.
He went on to add that it’s useful for the kids to learn new skills that can sustain them later on in life, too.
“One day when their parents or family are gone, they’ll need to survive on their own, so it’s imperative for them to nurture these talents in order to support themselves after that.”
For more information about the ‘Autism Rules Fashion’ initiative or to register for the Malaysian Halloween Carnival and Fun Run, visit the JayK fashion website or contact 019-351 2080.