Melinda Looi’s four-day trip to Sarawak was hectic, ambitious, and in her words, “exhilarating”. But evidently, it wasn’t enough for the fashion designer—in fact, it only seemed to fuel her desire to go back for more.
“There was just so much to do and film that we didn’t have the time to spare for anything else,” laments Looi. “I would have loved to stay there longer to learn more from the local community, especially the weavers.”
With her children, her team and the production crew of Think Tank in tow, the group had hit the ground running as soon as they arrived in Kuching. From there, Looi filmed a key component of her latest couture collection’s journey from start to finish; it comprised waking up before the sunrise for six-hour drives between one village and another over bumpy roads, boat rides over choppy waters, the painstaking process of Sarawakian songket and Penan craft, as well as the weavers who create them.
“Unless people experience what these villagers go through daily and live like them, they’ll never realise how difficult—and expensive—it can be just to survive,” she says. “Because unlike their nomadic past, these villagers can’t move as easily as they did before, and it doesn’t help that their natural resources are being impacted by environmental change as well, which consequently affects the materials they need for their artisanal crafts.”
ãã®èšäºã¯ Tatler Malaysia ã® September 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Tatler Malaysia ã® September 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã8,500 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
The 9-karat Charm
Nine-karat jewellery is officially in - here's why you should hop on the bandwagon, according to 'Kin
Spreading Joy
Through fashion, newly minted Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Denica Riadini-Flesch simultaneously empowers rural women and tackles environmental issues in Indonesia
Designs That Reward Observation
Ming Thein, creative director and co-founder of Ming, an independent Kuala Lumpur-based timepiece brand, talks design and inspiration
Daring Designs
From architectural marvels to playfully expressive wonders, Louis Vuitton continues to push the boundaries of High Watchmaking
Threading Wonders
Delve into the sculptural creations of the avant-garde Indian designer known for reviving bridal couture in his hometown
Defying Gravity
Kim Jones puts a spin on the Dior Oblique motif with Dior Gravity leather, redefining iconic bags, shoes and other menswear must-haves
Designer of Futures
Datuk Jimmy Choo trains the younger generation at the JCA, London Fashion Academy
Hello, Dolly!
Wesley Hilton is the founder of Borneo Doll, proudly showcasing Malaysian indigenous tribes through miniature recreations of ancient traditional costumes
Digital Sanctuary
Digital artist Chong Yan Chuah explores concepts such as techno-paganism to imagine worlds that are embedded in alternative cosmologies
One Man's Trash, Another Woman's Art
Nor Tijan's art is a vision of sustainability