A familiar face from within local fashion and entertainment circles alike, fashion anarchist and public relations wunderkind Muhammad Nizam Khamis, or more colloquially known to his friends as Jiman Casablancas, has reportedly passed away.
The tragic development broke cover after industry peers announced that the sartorial luminary, who was beloved for being one of the most visible and vocal proponents of the Malaysian art scene, had died after suffering from complications that led to heart failure.
Malaysian fashion luminary Jiman Casablancas passes away
A graduate of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) with a Bachelors in Law LL.B, Jiman’s career trajectory took on an unconventional tangent after seven years of tending to the legal field, five of which were spent as the Chief Legal Officer attached to Sepang International Circuit where he oversaw matters pertinent to the F1 Grand Prix, among other major events held at the landmark attraction.
This would spur a change of pace that saw him pivoting into the world of public relations full-time, where his keen awareness of Malaysian youth culture and the grassroots art scene made him the name du jour across the media and entertainment industries respectively. A string of projects, including ones with Malaysian rock legend Amy Search and contemporary Malaysian designer labels Kit Woo, Tarik Jeans, Melinda Looi, and BEHATI, among others, further cemented his seat at the table as one of the industry’s most faithful custodians.
An often commanding presence that was bolstered by his avant garde understanding of the global fashion ecosystem, Jiman was a lifelong, card-carrying punk purist at heart, embodying subtle brand of anarchy that was reflected in his signature uniform informed by deconstructed but organised and mindful chaos. Black leather and platform boots accentuated by irreverently bold, more-is-more jewellrey that collected along the lengths of both his forearms doubled as armour for the times when he operated in fraught waters.
While maintaining an imposing reputation, those who knew of Jiman on a personal note remember him for his affability and enduring capacity for magnanimity, welcoming new acolytes and underdogs with a refreshing kindness and compassion that never wavered. And it is by merit of his unending grace and belief in their inherent abilities that many of the country’s new generation of creative forces have flourished on roads paved with his nurturing spirit.
Jiman was laid to rest earlier this morning at the Kampung Batu 5 Muslim Cemetery among the presence of close friends and family. Al-fatihah.
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Feature and hero image credits: Jiman Casablancas/Instagram
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur
