Textile collector and curator John Ang is no stranger to captivating audiences with his extraordinary exhibitions. His most recent show, “Peranakan Sarong Kebaya Collection”, showcases a fusion of heritage and fashion, along with his innovative and unusual colour matchings, which created a dazzling and fresh look.
A fusion of heritage and fashion
Renowned textile collector and curator John Ang is no stranger to captivating audiences with his extraordinary exhibitions, following the success of “Splendours of Malay World Textiles”, an exhibition held at Menara KEN TTDI last year.
His most recent show, “Peranakan Sarong Kebaya Collection“, together in the same afternoon as the Fabriko show from Kuching, mesmerised the audience. As one review stated, “Everything was ace and bathed in high aesthetics. The exquisite song selection, the composition, and the ethereal collections with impressive catwalks truly surpassed other commercially driven events.”
“So passionate was the Jin Jia Sui Team from Kuching with the show choreographed by our writer, together with John Ang’s Team choreographed by his crew from Kuala Lumpur, that both deserved a one-up for cultural appreciation,” said media personnel Yvonne Yoong.
With years of dedicated collecting, Ang has amassed a treasure trove of antique and vintage textiles. Based on this cultural repository, John re-imagined a new style of dressing.
John unveiled his latest creation on October 7 at the launch of Peranakan month, Jin Jia Sui at Collabstore, which is located on the second floor of Shoppes at Four Seasons Place.
It was a stunning collection of sarong kebayas that seamlessly blended traditional Malaysian and Indonesian batik tulis sarongs with contemporary kebayas.
The innovative and uncommon colour matchings resulted in a refreshing and highly wearable style that caught the attention of the well-attended audience.
Not stopping there, Ang also demonstrated how men can embrace this fusion of tradition and innovation. His collection featured batik tulis cotton shirts paired with sarongs or with casual handwoven linen and cotton pants. The end result was comfortable yet elegant ensemble outfit that redefines the way men should wear their batiks.
Examples from his collection are available at CollabStore, second floor at Shoppes Four Seasons Place.
As we all know, Malaysia is gifted with unique elements that make the occasion stand out. The country has diverse cultures that continue to gain recognition across the globe.
With so many races and indigenous tribes in Malaysia, there are many varying traditional Malaysian costumes. Locals wear their traditional dresses mainly for formal and ceremonious occasions, but nowadays we are seeing a new style on a casual basis. It is also not restricted to wearing race-specific cultural wear.
The trend probably started with the young generation who returned from their studies overseas and were unsure about the full details of traditional wear.
They combine heritage clothing with their modern wear, and probably started this new trend, which is fast spreading around our country. New fashion labels have sprouted in fashion boutiques offering this new Gen-style.
Designers, artists and influencers have also been challenging the traditional ideals associated with traditional garments. With innovative styles and cutting-edge trends introduced by the younger generations, heritage fashion is currently making a comeback as everyday clothing.
Designers and stylists now move away from conventional draping. You can see it wrapped around jeans, a T-shirt layered under a sarong and even a branded jacket worn over a sarong (as seen on John Ang in the picture).
Some Malaysian brands are also popularising the idea of pairing sneakers with sarongs. Modern accessories are added to the looks, making it easier to adopt heritage wear.
It certainly takes the pressure off matching every detail of heritage wear and the hassle of matching fabrics, tailoring, or even ironing.
Take, for example, the Peranakan who wears the kebaya and sarong. Once worn daily by Peranakan women, the Kebaya top is now being matched with pants, skirts, and even sarongs tied differently. Likewise, a batik shirt with short and long sleeves can be matched with sarongs and pants.
