Tenacity is the only word to describe Neng Kho Razali’s seven-year effort to build the NKR brand from the ground up. Since launching her first product, the turbans, Neng Kho has expanded her line and collaborated with a number of well-known brands, including the e-hailing service Grab and the Rainforest World Music Festival.
Neng Kho Razali: Incorporating culture into fashion
Fashion is a canvas of expression — a story waiting to be told. What we wear every day reflects who we are and where we come from. It is the embodiment of our identity, so it remains an important factor in life as people can read us by what is on our body.
Sharing the sentiment, Neng Kho Razali, a fashion designer who focuses on culture-related fashion, said clothing acts as a kind of narrative that conveys a message.
“I am naturally drawn to culture because I used to be a performer, and understanding about our culture is essential because it carries substance in our performances, which we must explain to the audience, especially when we perform internationally.”
As her pieces are centred on culture, Neng Kho said that preserving Sarawak’s heritage and culture is important because it is the state’s most valuable tourism asset.
“People travel to different countries to learn about the communities and cultures there. We can do the same by providing the avenue to do so here.”
Pushing forward despite challenges
Neng Kho, an intrepid entrepreneur, enjoys pushing boundaries whenever she can. The brand was initially established in 2016 to market handmade turbans. After more than half a decade, she is aware that she can accomplish more and touch more lives.
She attributes her success to the opportunities she has received over the years and is grateful for the collaborations she has received. From Grab X Neng Kho Razali to RWMF X Neng Kho Razali, the 39-year-old said that these have motivated her to do more.
“Prior to the birth of RWMF X NKR Official merchandise, I was their liaison officer, and I was assigned to different international performers each year. Never in my wildest dreams would my brand be included on their official merchandise,” she said, adding that her efforts in pushing boundaries proved that committing to the brand’s identity may bring one to the right people and places.
Neng Kho reflected on the challenges she has faced over the years, saying, “Who knew just by producing turbans could lead me here? There were good moments, but there were also tough moments. Because fashion is an intersection of art and commerce, what works in terms of design appeal may not work in terms of pricing.”
She also said that the purchasing power of local brands is limited here.
“When faced with challenges, there were times when I wanted to give up, but they were all lessons learnt. They have taught me to have a healthy degree of trust for people and to prioritise my own boundaries.”
Local scenes blooming
When asked about the local fashion scene, Neng Kho said that, while it has much improved, there is still much work to be done to strengthen the ecosystem.
“Local brands will struggle to expand and provide job opportunities to future fashion-related students in the absence of a healthy fashion ecosystem. Most of them will end up wasting their creativity by doing other things,” said the Swinburne School of Design & Architecture icon.
Despite the local fashion sector is still in its early stages, Neng Kho praised the state government for its efforts to recognise local talent.
“The state has accomplished a great deal by hosting national and international events. They have provided numerous platforms for local brands to promote their products to tourists at various craft bazaars.”
“Why not include a fashion bazaar next time?” Neng Kho suggested. As she shared her thoughts and opinions, the Kolej Komuniti Sarawak Industry Advisor expressed her desire for Sarawak to be the next fashion tourism player.
While she does not have a solid plan for the future, Neng Kho, under the NKR brand, wants to continue focusing on quality and quantity while hoping and preparing for Sarawak to become the next fashion tourism destination. With the aspirations of Sarawak being able to achieve this, she also hopes for more future collaborations that would benefit Sarawak’s next generation.
UNDER THE NKR BRAND
READY-TO-WEAR
Bucket hats are made from materials that represent Sarawak tribes such as Pua, Songket, Brocade, and others. Always with the goal of promoting Sarawak’s culture to the rest of the world through the NKR brand. The bucket hat is one of the most popular current trends as Gen Z now has the purchasing power. Neng Kho capitalised on this trend by creating one with fabrics from various tribes. She does so with the purpose of keeping tribal motifs relevant in a world where adapting cultures is now possible.
MADE-TO-ORDER
2023: Two-layer pashmina-flannelette — Corporate order from Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak for its ITB Berlin delegates. For their VVIPs, a special set of pashmina, necktie, and pocket square. The pashmina-flannelette was a variation on the pashmina shawl with motifs comparable but not identical to those found on tikar bemban. The reason for using tikar bemban motifs this time is to show variations of other tribal motifs. Modern songket was used to make the necktie and pocket square. This is to demonstrate how different motifs may be worn together if we play the colours right.
2022: RWMF x NKR Official Merchandise — Bucket hat, face mask, wrist purse. Promoting local fabric during the Rainforest World Music Festival to visitors from abroad. Pua, songket, printed tribal motifs, and brocade were used as fabrics. The pua and printed tribal designs are the top sellers at each event.
2021: Songket face mask — Corporate order from Sarawak Tourism Board as souvenirs for Expo Dubai 2020. The order was to promote the songket to the international delegates.
DANCE & CRAFT WORKSHOP
Neng Kho, in addition to being a fashion designer, promotes Sarawak traditional dance by organising dance workshops under the NKR brand. With the aim to share the story of our tribes through dancing, she believes that dancing is an effective way of introducing the tribe’s daily activities and natural surroundings.
“This year, I improved the craft-making activities by emphasising materials related to the tribe. For example, in the Iban dancing workshop, students will make anklets with bells. They’ll also be dressed in pareo with pua motifs to look like the original pua kumbu. I hope that by doing so, I may contribute to the exchange of cultural knowledge with others.”
