Renowned Malay World textile collector and curator John Ang is currently promoting his new fashion line of “sarong kebaya” inspired by his own collection of antique textiles. Having dedicated the last 10 years to collecting traditional textiles of the Malay world, John now uses his collection to serve as the foundation for his innovative fashion line.
This year’s UNESCO nomination under Intangible Cultural Heritage listing for the “kebaya’, a blouse worn by the women of Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia has inspired his collection,
At the recent Sarawak Eco Fashion Gala held in Kuching Sarawak Malaysia, Joh presented his “Sarong Kebaya with a Twist of Borneo”. Partnering with the strong interests of the Peranakan community in Kuching, John blends Malaysian batik, Sarawakian beadwork, and antique Iban textiles, aiming to ignite a new fashion trend in the region.
He uses new Sarawakian batik with Dayak patterns or local themes like the pattern of the multi-coloured layered cake (kueh lapis) so popular in the region. He also incorporates and celebrates diverse cultures like matching the Chinese style baju ‘peki’ (a traditional reimagined blouse combining Chinese samfoo and kebaya hybrid) with a batik sarong with Dayak patterns, to emphasize the cultural diversity of Malaysia.
For the menswear collection, John is collaborating with the company Sawang of Penang. Its designer and director, Tche Fu-Lee is noted for his seamless combination of traditional Chinese and Malay attire which has always been very popular with Peranakan ie Stratis Chinese men.
By Saif Rahman Sozib