It’s Impolite to stare, unless it’s at my bag 28 Fashion Never Sleeps 30 It’s a FashionBration Everyone! 32 Flower Power!

It’s impolite to STARE, unless it’s at my bag

It is not uncommon to encounter women who will say that there are two occasions for which they will buy a bag – when they need one, and when they don’t need one. Well, you can now add a third reason to that list.

Gin & Jacqie, a Sarawak fashion accessories brand that creates lifestyle tote bags has joined forces with the Malaysian state’s very own Sape Sweetheart, Alena Murang, to raise funds for the the Association for the Development of The Education of Indigenous People (PPP Orang Pribumi) via the sale of G&J’s Harvest Tote Collection. A generous 20% of all proceeds will go toward ensuring that children in rural parts of the state have access to better education.

Founded in 2008, G&J launched its vibrant line of totes on October 11, 2021, which comes in 3 different sets of colourful designs. The lifestyle brand’s founder, Jacqueline Ng, said, “Alena was a natural choice. She has been championing Sarawak through her multifaceted career and I have admired her as an artist, both through her music and her art. We agreed on traditional motifs, as there is a need to revive

and educate new generations on their traditions and roots.

We wanted to do it by making it relevant in our world today. And of course, fashionable! So it was a marriage made in heaven.”

Plant Now, Harvest Later

is a philosophy inspired by the livelihood of farmers that Alena brought to this collaboration, resulting in a tangible product. “My father’s generation was the first to get a formal education and the first to go to university. This has enabled my generation to have the life that we have now and that is why education is a very important cause to me. While working for the Teach for Malaysia Foundation I saw first-hand the hardships of those that do not have access to quality education. My mother is also in the education sector and through her I came across the PPP Orang Pribumi. I told myself I would try to do something with them one day. The time has come for me to make this come true.”

On working on a contemporary project, Alena believed in

leaning into each other’s

strengths. Gin & Jacqie knows the processes of creating functional bags and it is known for its colours and prints. I was happy to be given a blank canvas to express my art. I’ve learned from woven material; which is the traditional way, that repetition, symmetry and geometry are elements of nature. Together, we incorporated all of that into a modern day, waterproof tote bag.”

Known for its bold, vivacious colours incorporated into

functional and practical

designs, G&J’s Harvest Collection is a large tote bag that comes with a smaller pouch in matching print. Along with this is a detachable sling, which can be used on the tote or on the pouch to turn it into a sling bag; the sets are priced at RM189. •• IG: @ginjacqie FB: GIN & JACQIE www.ginjacqie.com www.shopee.com.my www.zalora.com.my

Young, Lit and Ready to Wear!

Fashion

Never Sleeps

STYLE SERIES SARAWAK

Origin stories are the best. So to put this specific one into a nutshell, let me pose this question. What do you get when a fashion advocate who spent a period of her youth imprisoned in a highly conservative environment, paints the town red one fateful night in her adult years alongside a skilled designer, and an experienced food & beverage events manager? Not every evening in Kuching spent slightly sloshed leads to bad ideas and regrettable decisions. Some are the starting points for pursuits that will come to define lives.

Fashion observer, consumer and all-round advocate Geraldine Sim, creative and stylish designer Smyth Wong, as well as pragmatic and efficient Roselyn Long are the founders of the Style Series Sarawak. Founded in 2019, these friends since the early new millennium lamented the absence of a sustainable fashion business industry in a Malaysian state inundated with talent and potential. All of whom wanted nothing more than a chance to prove themselves just as good as their counterparts across the region and the world. This was how the choreographer and the grouping’s present creative director, Yacub Taha, also came into the picture.

biG: Of all endeavours, why did you three pursue fashion?

SS: Kuching may be a sizeable city but the social community is quite small. Over dinner one night we discussed how the fashion events we had attended offered designers just a few minutes of glory on the runway. After the show they were left with their creations with no one and nowhere to sell. They were also creating Haute Couture pieces, which I personally believe, is not apt for emerging designers. Smyth called me the following night and said, “Let’s make it

happen for our Sarawakian

designers.” So, we took the plunge. We want to empower homegrown designers and embed them more in the digital economy by bringing the beauty of Borneo prints and motifs to the world with products that are accessible, wearable, affordable, current and relevant.

biG: How did you build your network of talent?

SS: Inclusivity is key. We don’t want to just have stick thin Size 0 young models. Our models are diverse. Nine to 65 years old, short and plus size, and different races and nationalities. We built this network through friends and modeling workshops. We had a good response to several modeling workshops conducted in 2019 and 2020. From there we picked out models of different heights and sizes for our GA/YA (Gawai Raya) show, which was one of the most amazing fashion shows I’ve ever attended. Ultimately, we value

diversity!

biG: How has the reception been so far at your fashion shows?

SS: Exceptionally good! We have done more than 5 so far and every event has been immensely successful because of the collaboration and camaraderie of the Style Series team. We work hard and play hard. When problems arise, we unite to find the best possible solutions. Most importantly, we are a very close group of friends who love what we do. During the Biquefest in Melaka, some of our models and crew were down with food poisoning. The haze was also very bad at the time so the turnout was not as anticipated. However, that was one of the most memorable events we’ve ever had. We had each other, a beautiful event space, music, and dancing; the vibe was right and the runway show was lit. I guess we were able to “make hay where the sun didn’t shine”. It’s all in the mindset.

biG: Have you had any interesting collaborations?

SS: Yes. At KL Fashion Week we collaborated with renowned figures including Amber Chia (model), Carmen Soo (model and actress), Larissa Ping (Miss Malaysia 2019), as well as designers Dato Tom Abg Saufi, Alia Bastamam, Syomir, Andy Sulaiman, and Tarik Jeans. It was great being able to bring Sarawak’s homegrown designers to this international event.

biG: What can you tell us about the impact of sustainable practices?

SS: Before the MCO I discovered a ‘Bundle’ community here in Kuching who trade vintage clothes and up-cycle them in trendy ways. A waste management group called Trienekens also told us that they have a huge problem with the disposal of cloth and clothing. For our next shows it is imperative we have a segment on Sustainable Fashion. It is the way forward to be relevant in the industry in this era. All it takes is a change in perspective, ingenuity and innovation to breathe life into discarded materials to become covetable creations.

biG: How has Covid-19 impacted you?

SS: No physical shows. We took a sabbatical as we agreed going virtual is not our thing. However, now we’re back and

really looking forward to

the next season. During the sabbatical we somehow managed to network and collaborate with new partners and players in the industry so we are looking forward to moving ahead with them.

Indonesia has long been a

hotspot for a fashion

industry. Centred in the capital Jakarta, as well as having a strong presence in Java, Bandung and Surabaya too; designers, models, advocates, promoters, enthusiasts and students alike exhibit tremendous

It’s a Everyone!

FashionBration

skillsets revolving around the production and manipulation of local fabrics, traditional patterns and designs. These include sasirangan, ulos, songket, tenun ikat, and more, but the one that stands out the most by far and is well known abroad is the alwayspopular batik.

Attempts by several designers to fuse local and traditional culture with styles from abroad have also produced

eyebrow-raising creations

that continue to earn Southeast Asia’s most populous nation several nods of respect from the wider world, garnering yet more attention.

This is where fashion designer and event manager Anas Maghfur comes into the picture. Born in 1983 in Kediri, Eastern Java, this fashionable individual used to sketch numerous designs while in high school, leading him to creating his own clothing line brand for men called Aemtobe. It was

just a concept in his formative years, but Mandiri Bank saw something more as he got older. They provided him with a scholarship – more than once – to pursue short courses to aid him in pushing the fashion scene further. They had the foresight to see the many potential benefits that could come with shining a favourable global spotlight on Indonesia within a field incredibly popular the world over.

In 2005 this pioneer moved to Kalimantan in Indonesian-Borneo with a desire to develop and promote the fashion industry there. As he worked to grow his network and unify designers and models from north, south, east and west, he also moved forward with his brand, turning Aemtobe into reality and launching it in 2013. Since then Anas has been afforded the opportunities to partake in fashion shows and exhibitions around Indonesia and Malaysia (which Mandiri Bank also provided him with funds for), with his designs adorning models as they strut their stuff up and down the catwalk, while his brand name adorns the backdrop.

Putting his management skills to the test, Anas in 2020 founded a fashion event called the Borneo FashionBration (BFB), which proved to be a successful affair despite the speed bumps encountered. Anas shares how people did not take it too seriously at first, and when a certain pesky virus decided to intervene he postponed the event to January 2021. This gave him the chance to launch a series of virtual trunk shows to build more credibility. Calling upon designers and models from all over Kalimantan that he had been building strong relationships with, he placed the more capable of their number on the BFB committee. He wanted genuine representation and ensured that those selected came from different provinces, organisations, while armed with different specialties. Things were picking up steam but it was only after he invited fashion designers from Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya to join the show that the local government took genuine notice, and came into the picture to support the event in an official capacity. With 52 designers, scores of models, and thousands of viewers, the event was everything he hoped for. One participating designer, Indah Darry, did well enough on this platform that she ended up with an invitation to the New York Fashion Week event. Fantastic!

With his eyes set on replicating the success of his show, Anas turned his gaze to Sumatra where their roster of designers and models excitedly moved to engage him in collaboration with the hope of kick starting their desires to develop the industry there as well. To have an event of their own: Soematra FashionBration (SFB) 2022. The government, also happy with the outcome of the first event has moved the idea further up the ladder and the Ministry of Tourism invited Anas to present the idea for the next installment of the BFB and the upcoming first installment of the SFB, something that Anas did not hold back his punches as he strives for it to be bigger.

The event edges closer and closer, and we at B.i.G Magazine wish Anas Maghfur all the luck possible for a great event! •• IG: @fashionbration @soematrafashionbration

It’s officially 2022 and there are a great many predictions coming from the diehards of fashion for what is likely to be hot and what will be not worldwide. From statement tights and enticing eyewear, to charming jewellery and the return of Logomania, – the one thing that fashionista observers and analysts insisted will stand out strong over the next 365 days are floral designs adorning everything. Dresses, headwear, footwear, bags, accessories such as jewellery and even phone cases – you name it we expect it to bloom bright. Seeing as Borneo is naturally bountiful and diverse, the idea of fabulous florals makes so much sense. Here are a few examples for budding designers in the creative industry seeking inspiration, and consumers wanting ideas for the next trendy OOTD.

ORGANIZED BY SUPPORTED BY

snapshot

A jagged beak of coastal land on the eastern coast of Borneo that falls under the Indonesian province of Kalimantan’s jurisdiction is where the seaport city of Balikpapan can be found. Populated by Dayak tribes, their traditional and celebratory garments are made of local fabrics such as batik, boasting elaborate designs that come in muted or vibrant hues. Both men and women can often be seen sporting elaborate and stunning headgear. Women possess more variety however in the form of circlets that are either wide bands of clothe or peaked toward the front, while others are adorned with animal fur, flowers, or an array of slender feathers. Posing within the jungle interior of Balikpapan, this Bornean Dayak tribal dancer showcases her culture’s splendor in our outfit of the quarter.

Hendra Yuwana