Bernard Chandran
{{Short description|Malaysian fashion designer (born 1968)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
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{{infobox fashion designer
| image =
| caption =
| name = Bernard Chandran
| honorific-suffix = SSAP DIMP
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1968|2|27}}
| birth_place = Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| spouse = Datin Sri Mary Lourdes Chandran
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Paris American Academy
| awards =
| homepage = {{URL|bernardchandran.com}}
| native_name = பெர்னார்ட் சந்திரன்
| native_name_lang = Tamil language
}}
Bernard Chandran (Tamil: பெர்னார்ட் சந்திரன்; born 27 February 1968) is a Malaysian fashion designer.{{Cite web |last=Huxley |first=Phill |date=2004-04-19 |title=BBC - Lancashire - Life & Style: top fashion designer comes to Preston |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/lifestyle/2004/04/19/fashion_designer_in_preston.shtml |access-date=2023-06-27 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}{{Cite web |last=Zaidan |first=Fairuz |date=5 November 2009 |title=Father vs Son |url=http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Saturday/Xy/20091031094103/Article/index_html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105113358/http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Saturday/Xy/20091031094103/Article/index_html |archive-date=5 November 2009 |access-date= |website=Berita Harian Online}} He is also a Malaysian television personality, known as the chief designer on the reality television show Project Runway Malaysia, since its debut on 8TV on 3 August 2007.{{Cite web |last=Khoo |first=Rubin |date=2007-08-03 |title=Fashion TV show to unearth talents |url=http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F7%2F25%2Fcentral%2F18324246&sec=central |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521070545/http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F7%2F25%2Fcentral%2F18324246&sec=central |archive-date=21 May 2011 |access-date=21 May 2011 |website=The Star Online}} Chandran was a guest judge on Britain's Next Top Model, Cycle 6, Episode 12, where the top three models were given a chance to model in Chandran's fashion show during London Fashion Week.{{Cite web |date=28 September 2010 |title=Grazia Daily reviews Britain's Next Top Model: Episode Thirteen! |url=http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2010/09/28/grazia-daily-reviews-britain-s-next-top-model--episode-thirteen.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101002133954/http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2010/09/28/grazia-daily-reviews-britain-s-next-top-model--episode-thirteen.htm |archive-date=2 October 2010 |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=Grazia Daily}}
Early years
Bernard Chandran was born to P. Ramachandran and Chow Yook Lin.{{Cite news |last=Yin Fong |first=Pang |date=18 June 1998 |title=Daddy dearest |pages=1 |work=New Sunday Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VRAWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=whQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5874,5344091&dq=bernard+chandran&hl=en |access-date=27 June 2023}}
In 1991, he won the 'Open European Contest for Look of the Year 2000', becoming the first non-European to win the title.{{Cite news |last=Hua Chee |first=Kee |date=29 December 1991 |title=Malaysian designs on Paris |pages=12–13 |work=New Straits Times |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WrgTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5568,4861404&dq=bernard+chandran&hl=en |access-date=27 June 2023}}
Fashion business
= #BlackLivesMatter Controversy =
In 2020, Chandran released a line of designer face masks and promoted it with an Instagram post featuring a black face donning a yellow mask, branded with Bernard Chandran's logo and the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Netizens accused Chandran of blackface and profiting from the Black Lives Matter movement.{{Cite web|last=Chalil|first=Melanie|title=Malaysian fashion designer Bernard Chandran accused of blackface, cashing in on Black Lives Matter movement to promote face mask {{!}} Malay Mail|url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2020/08/28/malaysian-fashion-designer-bernard-chandran-accused-of-blackface-cashing-in/1898007|access-date=2020-10-05|website=www.malaymail.com|date=28 August 2020 |language=en}}
Family
He is married to Datin Mary Lourdes Chandran, a Malaysian of ethnic Indian origin and a former model who was one of the most successful Malaysian models in the 1980s. They have five children.
Chandran has stated that he wants his children to be grounded in Hinduism.{{Cite web |last=Low |first=Sandra |date=1 November 2009 |title=Bernard Chandran, unmasked |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/11/1/lifearts/4986272&sec=lifearts |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102143729/https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/11/1/lifearts/4986272&sec=lifearts |archive-date=2 November 2009 |website=The Star Online}}
Awards
- He became the first Malaysian to win the 'Open European Contest for Look of the Year 2000' in 1991.
- He was voted Designer of the Year by the Malaysian International Fashion Awards in 2003.
- He received the honorific Dato' in 2006 when he was awarded the Dato' Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) by Sultan Ahmad Shah Sultan Abu Bakar, the Sultan of Pahang, Malaysia.
- Chandran was awarded Malaysian International Fashion Alliance's [MIFA] Special Achievement Award in 2009.{{cite web |date=8 November 2009 |title=MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL FASHION WEEK 2009 |url=http://www.m-ifa.com/media/pressrelease-mifa.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215173832/http://www.m-ifa.com/media/pressrelease-mifa.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2010 |access-date=2009-12-07 |website=Malaysian International Fashion Alliance |df=dmy}}
- He received the honorific title Dato' Sri in 2016 when he was conferred the Darjah Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang (SSAP) by Sultan Ahmad Shah Sultan Abu Bakar, the Sultan of Pahang, Malaysia.{{cite web |date=25 Oct 2016 |title=Fashion designers honoured by Sultan |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/10/25/fashion-designers-honoured-by-sultan-award-an-inspiration-to-everybody-says-chandran/ |website=The Star}}
- {{Flag|Pahang}} :
- 50px Knight Companion of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (DIMP) – Dato' (2006)
- 50px Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2016)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.bernardchandran.com Official Webpage of Bernard Chandran]
- [https://archive.today/20130210002253/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BernardChandran/ Yahoo! group for Bernard Chandran]
- [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernard-Chandran/6976972388?ref=ts Official Facebook Fan Page for Bernard Chandran]
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Category:People from Petaling Jaya
Category:Malaysian people of Indian descent