Malan Breton
Malan Breton | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1973 Taipei, Taiwan |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion designer, director, columnist, costume designer, musician, television and film producer, actor |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Fashion design, directing, costume design, music |
Malan Breton (born 16 June 1973) is a fashion designer originally from Taiwan, recognized for his multifaceted career as a director of films and music videos, columnist, costume designer, musician, television and film producer, as well as an actor. He holds the titles of Goodwill Ambassador to Taiwan and Ambassador to the UK Parliament/Parliamentary Society.
Breton established his namesake fashion brand in 2005, followed by the launch of Malan Breton Homme in 2010 and Fantôme Malan Breton in 2012. On 27 March 2020, he debuted his first music single, a rendition of "Somethin' Stupid", collaborating with Japanese pop group Emergency Tiara. Additionally, he is acknowledged for his charitable work across both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Early life
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Breton started designing clothing at the age of eleven but initially pursued a career in performance arts. He is a self-taught designer who never attended formal design education.
Career
In 1996, Breton relocated to New York City to participate in casting for the Spring 1997 shows at New York Fashion Week. His modeling career involved working with renowned photographers and directors including Herb Ritts, Len Prince, and Hype Williams. He transitioned into fashion styling under the guidance of Arnold Scaasi and received training on Savile Row. In 2005, WWD recognized him as one of twelve emerging designers to watch.
Breton competed on Project Runway in 2006, finishing in 14th place. He also appeared on E! Television Fashion Emergency during the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret. Between 1999 and 2005, he was the promotional voice for ESPN Extreme Sports and ABC Sports.
In 2007, Breton launched his first flagship boutique in New York City. The following year, he introduced an accessory collection, and in 2010 expanded his brand with Malan Breton Homme menswear. His visibility increased through appearances on shows such as Australia's Next Top Model, MTV News, and MTV Detox. He designed costumes for NBC’s game show Minute to Win It during 2010 and 2011. The Fantôme Malan Breton line was unveiled in 2012.
In 2015, Breton took on a leading role in the comedy film College Debts. The next year he was appointed Ambassador to Taiwan for tourism promotion. In 2017, he featured on Good Day New York and collaborated with Tokenly and Sohomuse to pioneer a blockchain-based digital experience within fashion.
In 2020, Breton presented his inaugural 3D virtual fashion show using CGI models. That same year, he released several music singles including a cover of "Somethin' Stupid" alongside Emergency Tiara and a charitable duet titled "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with Consuelo Costin.
Directing
Breton was both subject and host as well as co-producer of The Malan Show, a weekly web series on BravoTV.com that chronicled his path as an independent American fashion designer.
- XVJC: Julius Caesar (2019)
- 8 Counts a Dancer (Documentary) (2018)
- Kristine W "Stars" Music Video (2018), which achieved number one status on the Billboard charts.
- Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan (Documentary, 2015), recipient of the best documentary short award at the 2015 NYIFF.
- Immortal (animated short, 2020), honored with Best 2D/3D Animation at the 2022 London Fashion Film Festival and selected for screening at Fashion Film Festival Milan hosted by Cinecittà.
Fashion Columnist
Malan Breton regularly penned the "Malan's Musings" column for OK! magazine on a weekly basis. He reported on the 82nd Academy Awards for OK! in a feature titled "Malan Breton Takes on Oscar Fashion!" Additionally, he offered expert red carpet fashion insights alongside Jeannie Mai during the 2012 Golden Globes Awards.
Costume Design
Breton’s costume design portfolio includes creating distinctive attire for prominent events and television productions such as NBC's New Year's Eve (2020), Golden Globe Awards (2019), WWE SmackDown (2019), and the 73rd Tony Awards (2019). His work extends to reality and scripted series including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2018–2019), Quantico (2018), The Voice UK (2018), and the Laurence Olivier Awards (2018). He also contributed designs for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (2018) and for musical acts like country group Florida Georgia Line, singer Kristine W, and artist Ray J. His costume expertise was showcased on popular programs such as RuPaul's Drag Race (2017), America's Next Top Model (2017), the BET Awards (2017), as well as reality series including Vanderpump Rules (2017) and MTV’s America's Best Dance Crew (2016).
Awards
- 2022: Awarded "British Fashion Designer of the Year" by UK S.A.L.
- 2022: Received "Best Animated Short Film" at Fashion Film Festival Milan for Immortal
- 2021: Honored with London Fashion Film Festival Jury Selection for "Best 2D & 3D Animation" for AI VR fashion film Immortal, created with DNABLOCK Ai
- 2021: Recognized by UK Parliament/Parliamentary Society with AFS Award for charitable contributions during the pandemic
- 2021: Nominated for "Best Animated Short" at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival for Immortal
- 2019: Designated "Ambassador of the Arts" by UK Parliament and Parliamentary Society
- 2016: Earned Taiwan Tourism Award and named Fashion Group International "Rising Star" in Menswear
- 2015: Taiwan Tourism Award recipient; NYIFF Best Documentary Short winner for Malan Breton A Journey to Taiwan
- 2014: Honored as United Colours of Fashion "Fashion Icon"; received European Fashion Council Bulgarian Fashion Awards’ "Eirene"
- Nominated by WGSN Global Fashion Awards for "Outstanding Collaboration" with NBC
Collaborations
- Taiwan – Created official government uniforms and stationery designs.
- Rado (watchmaker)
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Princeton University – Presented lectures focused on "Optimizing Your Personal Style."
- Lalique
- Marilyn Monroe Estate in partnership with Jewelry Television
- EVA Air and China Airlines – Featured in the documentary film "Malan Breton- A Journey to Taiwan" (2015).
- WGSN (trend forecasting)
- Swarovski
- OK!
- Bravo (U.S. TV network)
- MTV
- Reprise Records
- Brother Industries
- Nintendo
- Fancy Feast
- Cosmetic Executive Women
- Zoya
- Joico
- Toni & Guy
- J Renee
- Church & Dwight
- Giorgio Brutini
- Collaborated with Michela Rigucci on footwear collections.
See also
- Chinese people in New York City
- LGBT culture in New York City
- New Yorkers in journalism
- Taiwanese people in New York City