KUCHING: Sarawak Ethos, the latest initiative by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) in collaboration with Old Kuching Smart Heritage (OKSHE), was showcased at the 16th Piala Seri Endon (PSE) finals in Kuala Lumpur recently. The showcase unveiled a range of Sarawak-inspired batik collection to boost the Sarawak brand, encapsulating various aspects of Sarawak in its design.
Sarawak Ethos batik collection was introduced by a local design house, Batique Sdn Bhd (Batique) in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) fashion school. The theme chosen was inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Sarawak, depicted in the use of motifs from Sarawak Malay and indigenous communities.
Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah graced the finals, organised by Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang).
Founded by the late Tun Paduka Datin Seri Endon Mahmood in 2003 as part of the “Malaysia Batik — Crafted for the World Movement”, it seeks to discover and provide a platform for support, recognition and encouragement of Malaysia’s batik-making talents.
“We are indeed privileged to be given this opportunity by Penyayang, to showcase our newly designed batik collection at this prestigious event, inspired by various aspects of Sarawak,” Batique director and shareholder Shaharom Nor Azlina Merican said. “We chose to present batik to portray Sarawak as we believe that there is much more to discover from Sarawak that could inspire ideas of motifs and designs in batik-making. “Aptly, STB and OKSHE have come forward to sponsor our collection as well as the ‘Sarawak Ethos’ showcase, reflecting their full commitment to ensure that the visibility of the ‘Sarawak brand’ is also ‘stamped’ in the batik and fashion arena.”
According to Azlina, the first collection, a range of elegant shawls and evening wraps, inspired by ‘Bunga Tabor’ and ‘Mawar’ depicting Sarawak’s Malay heritage from the ‘Songket’ and ‘Keringkam’.
“The ‘Tudung Keringkam’, which is a luxurious veil heavily embroidered with gold thread, has been the crowning glory of the Melayu Sarawak traditional wear for centuries and has been passed down as priceless family heirlooms. “As a fitting tribute, OKSHE had specially flow n in the intricately-designed Keringkam from Sarawak to be featured together with our batik collection,” she added.
The showcase also featured the ‘Lembayung Collection’ — a set of four beautifully designed evening wear which reflects various natural shades of blue to depict the sky, water and the atmosphere, symbolic of Sarawak’s vast primeval, rich ecological and environmental natural assets. The highlight of ‘Sarawak Ethos’ was Batique’s contemporary collection of casual and formal wear, illustrating motifs of ‘buah bangkit’, ‘pating betulak’ and ‘buah anyam’ captured from the renowned Pua Kumbu theme.
The sponsorship by STB and OKSHE is in line with Sarawak’s aggressive promotional campaign ‘Sarawak — More to Discover’, which seeks to share what Sarawak has to offer in the areas of Culture, Adventure, Nature, Food and Festival. This year’s PSE saw 46 entries and 12 finalists vying for prizes in the fashion, soft furnishing and handicraft categories.
Batique’s contemporary collection was also presented at the event.
