Amber Chia Academy has proudly produced its first batch of graduates. Professionally trained and groomed at the helm of international model Amber Chia, along with the expertise of catwalk guru Benjamin Toong, makeup master Desmond Yoi and photographer extraordinaire Azrul Kevin Abdullah, fifty-five students graduated at the Amber Chia Academy Inaugural Graduation Show at 1 Utama Shopping Centre's "Fashion on One" Fashion Week.

In a grand celebration that was emceed by Daphne Iking and TP Lim, graduating students took to the runway for a fashion show, parading casual wear by Bimba & Lola, couture wear by Keith Kee Couture and avant-garde designs by Carven Academy of Fashion. In addition, there was also a captivating makeup showcase of dramatic proportions.

Since its inception in August 2010, Amber Chia Academy has provided its students with countless prospects as part of their courses. Even before graduating, students were given exclusive opportunities to work with some of Malaysia’s top designers such as Keith Kee and Carven Ong, as well as stints in FHM Girl Next Door Model Search, Women of Excellence Summit 2010, Future of Success Summit 2010 and many more. Other beauty and fashion events that featured collaboration with gurus and students of Amber Chia Academy included some of the industry’s big names such as Roxy, Pantene, Olay, Redken and Ginvera, just to name a few.

After the fashion show, graduates received their graduation certificates in the presence of over 300 guests, which included fashionista Gillian Hung; designers Andrew Gan, Key Ng, Keith Kee, Allan Chan and Tino Soon from Salabianca; celebrities Alan Yun and Angel Wong; celebrity models Stefanie Chua, Wilson Tan, Danny Lim, Eleen Yong, Ian Ong and Isaac Ong; Andrew Tan from Andrewsmodels, Melvin Cheong from Catwalk Productions and founder of the Malaysia Book of Records Datuk Danny Ooi. Also present were family members of the graduates and members of the media. Amber Chia Academy also presented awards for Most Promising Male & Female Models, Best Photography, Best Makeup Presentation and Best Dramatic Walk to outstanding students at the show.

“I cannot be anymore prouder of all my students especially to see the models, makeup artists and photographers that they have grown to become. I am sincerely glad that their time at Amber Chia Academy has provided ample opportunities for them to gain a solid head-start in pursuing their passions, and I wish them all the best on their respective paths“, said principal Amber Chia, beaming with pride.

With the launch of Amber Chia Academy Melaka in December 2010, Amber Chia Academy is currently school to over 300 students. In March 2011, model Ethel Cho, an international runway veteran, was brought in as modeling coach, joining an esteemed team of eleven other instructors to share her wealth of experience and knowledge with students.

Leading international brand Canon generously acted as the main sponsor of the graduation show, which was also collaboratively sponsored by Philips. Other sponsors of the graduation show include Celmonze, Triumph, Kronenbourg, Celebrity Fitness, Runway Productions, 807 Studio and 1 Utama Shopping Centre.

The rest of the year is set to be an exciting time for Amber Chia Academy as its expansion plans involve the opening of another academy in Penang in June, as well as introduction of new and advanced courses unlike any other in Malaysia, which include interesting makeup techniques, technology and certification in collaboration with Korea Pro Makeup Association (KPMA).

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Amber Chia and KPMA President Ahn Mi- Ryeo, at the official launch of the 2011 Makeup Festival Award in Seoul, South Korea last Saturday (April 30th) evening. Through this deal, Amber Chia Academy propelled Malaysia to be only the third country, after China and Taiwan, offering exclusive makeup courses recognised and certified by Korea.

Also, just the day before (April 29th), Amber Chia scored yet another deal by signing a MoU with Korea Model Association (KMA) chairman Yang Eui-Sig. KMA is the only government-sanctioned body under South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and they prestigiously appointed Amber Chia Academy as the exclusive representative to select top models from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong for the prestigious Asia Model Festival Award; and scout for up-and-coming models for the annual Asia New Face Model Search.