NEW YORK, Dec 16, 2001 / --- Malaysian-born designer Zang Toi likes his designs to have a 'special something,' which in his world means anything from an unusual button to a mink trim, to fabric from Marie Antoinette's bedchamber.

"And we all know about the naughty things she got up to in there, don't we?" the designer giggles as he holds up the $30,000 full-length, floral print, mink-trimmed evening coat.

"I also made a skirt that a Saudi princess bought for around $20,000 to sit for her portrait," he adds.

This lavishness fits squarely into Toi's simple but luxurious design philosophy. "I love the idea of a woman wearing something spectacular that makes her feel and look spectacular," he explained at his showroom in New York.

"I know my customer and how they like to feel and look."

Lucky for the high-end glam girls who consistently seek Toi out, like Sharon Stone, Jennifer Tilly, Elizabeth Taylor, Ivana Trump, and a handful of princesses.

"There have to be fun, special pieces in every collection. I always try to do that," Toi says. With this in mind, the designer allowed us to rifle through the Zang Toi archive collection in search of some of his more distinguished designs.

Aside from the infamous Marie Antoinette pieces, a certain hand-beaded evening gown from spring 1991 stands out.

"I remember this took eight people at least 10 full days to complete," Toi recalls.

"I wanted a trendy, sexy embroidered diva gown, and this is. It was worn to the Oscars."

Decadent is the word that springs to mind when he unpacks a full-length iridescent orange and pink evening coat dripping with gemstones from fall 1991.

"This is a silk taffeta with trumpet ruffle sleeves. The silhouette and the colors are so rich and fun and the train of the coat is completely bejeweled," Toi notes.

"I designed this for a girl going somewhere magical."

Toi's 1994 fall collection boasts another extravagant evening gown, this one with a silver and black lace top and hand sewn beaded skirt.

"It is a beautiful dress for a beautiful woman to make her feel amazing. It's for an intimate party, or while she waits for her lover," he explains.

Toi has also designed a handful of wedding gowns throughout his career, one of which was for spring 1996.

"I wanted to design a really romantic dress. This is layer after layer of satin organza with a satin pleat petticoat and it's lightly sprinkled with satin blossoms," he says of the fairytale piece.

For the spring 2000 "My Dream of Africa" collection, Toi designed a full-length pleated coat with a handmade screen print of leaping tigers in shades of blue: "I loved this collection and particularly this piece. The coat is so wild and detailed, and then underneath is just a simple, straight strapless gown."

More recently still, Toi's fall 2001 Scottish-inspired collection was a huge success.

"I was in Edinburgh and I went to the store where you can design and register your own tartan. This collection includes the 'House of Toi' tartan, which is in custom gray and ice blue. I designed a full skirt in the tartan. It's a fun piece, very over the top," the designer muses. "That's what clothes are all about - to be enjoyed."

Zang Toi

Zang Toi

Zang Toi

Zang Toi

Zang Toi

Zang Toi