In an effort to preserve the Malay heritage, “Nuansa Seni Vol. 3: Persona Nusantara” showcases the variety of textiles, fashion, and cultural arts from various parts of the Malay Archipelago. The event highlights how significant creativity and self-expression are to our society and culture.
Keeping Malay cultural arts, fashion alive
Anna Sue was crowned ‘Sarawak Designer of the Year’ at an established designers showcase in 2019, and we are now seeing her with other achievements.
As an academician, she is Dr Sharifah Suzana Wan Shukran, but in the Sarawak fashion industry, she is Anna Sue, with her own couture label.
Unselfish and eager to make Sarawak fashion and arts relevant, she successfully created a platform to promote designers, musicians, and artistes in a glittering music, fashion, and dance event that drew the attention of many, including the elite and those who love keringkam, a Sarawak Malay heritage textile.
“Nuansa Seni Vol. 3: Persona Nusantara” featured both traditional and contemporary Malay elements, as well as musical performances by an orchestra and traditional musicians.
The event highlighted the diversity of textiles and fashion from across the archipelago to the audience.
Themed archipelago or ‘Kepulauan Melayu’, the event aimed to raise awareness of and preserve the Malay heritage.
Designers invited were Anna Sue (Sarawak), D’Keringkam by Danny Zulkifli (Sarawak), Seri Gedong Songket (Sarawak), Hafiz Dressmaker (Sarawak), Ben Nazry (Sarawak), Harizan Khaider x Bonang (Sarawak), NES by Helen Dewi Kirana (Indonesia), Na Forrer by Farhanna Pura (Brunei Darussalam), Bobby Brian Garon (Sabah), as well as artisans, weavers and embroiderers from the Persatuan Kesenian dan Warisan Keringkam Sarawak.
This event also featured budding designers such as Emeric Wenceslaus Simon from Sibu and students from the Faculty of Applied and Creative Arts, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
“This event is a continuation of the previous event, which was held in 2022 in the heritage home of the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Ahmad Urai. The event also featured music led by Sharnaz Saberi of Prodigy Orchestra combined with traditional music, as well as Sarawak Malay performance arts such as Hadrah Melayu, martial arts, and Nopeng/Bermukun/Gendang Sarawak,” said Anna Sue, the organiser, who is also Managing Director of Anna Sue Couture.
She also said that, as a Malay, she strives to preserve Sarawak’s Malay cultural arts and textiles so that they are not lost to the tides of modernity.
With the slogan “Pertembungan Dua Zaman Satu Jiwa”, Anna Sue hopes that the Malay tradition can be carried on in modern society.
Music and fashion have a long history together, so combining music, dance, and fashion was a brilliant concept.
This event emphasised the value of creativity and self-expression in our society and culture.
Keringkam is an extraordinary intricate handicraft of Sarawak Malays that combines beautiful patterns into informative culture presentation.
The models walked the runway dressed in traditional and modern elegant wears, textile wraps, and avant-garde pieces.
The women from the Persatuan Kesenian dan Warisan Keringkam Sarawak proudly displayed the rich textiles and they were led onto the stage by the models.
Also present at the event were honourable guest Deputy Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Miss Malaysia World 2014 Dewi Liana Seriestha.
