HLA Malaysia has opened its flagship store at the new Kuala Lumpur MyTown Shopping Centre Cheras.

It is the first international venture for the fast-growing Chinese fashion retailer, which will use Kuala Lumpur as its base for regional expansion.

Its 3423 sqft (318 sqm) store offers both formal and informal wear for men including jackets, jeans, shoes and accessories.

To mark the official launch, an event was held on the ground floor of the shopping centre which features a central stage with a runway, dominated by black tones and blue LED strip lighting. Hosted by HLA president Louis Zhou, guests included representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, the Malaysian Retail Association and MyTown Shopping Centre, as well as HLA key stakeholders and media representatives from China and Malaysia.

Zhou spoke about the group’s plans to expand in Asia, describing the brand as offering “practical fashion without breaking the bank’”.

A surprise guest was Malaysian-born singer Gary Chaw or Cao Ge, who is now based in Taiwan. He sang two songs as models took to the runway.