KUCHING: Multi-award-winning designer Edric Ong has recently made his debut at the prestigious London Fashion Week (LFW) on Sept 16.
His Spring Summer 2023 collection features the unique textile techniques of the indigenous Iban women weavers namely ‘pua kumbu’ (ikat); ‘pua sungkit’ (discontinuous supplementary weft); ‘pua pilih’ (floating weft); and ‘pua karap’ (continuous weft) combined with hand spun hand-women silks and knitted hemp.
The Sarawakian designer’s signature style includes the unique rattan ‘topi tunjang’ hats and other hand-made accessories, adding “some are rarely seen and all are one-of-a-kind pieces”.
The EO brand by Ong is the forefront of eco-fashion and slow fashion and works with the communities of weavers and craft artists to create and market ‘hand-made’ designs.
Based in Kuching, Ong also combines a touch of the ethnic and oriental with contemporary, innovative styles with creative use of hard-woven silks and cottons.
Named the “Malaysian Designer of the Year 2009” at the Mercedens-Benz/Stylo Fashion Awards in Kuala Lumpur and “Global Influencer” in 2016, he also won the UNESCO-ASEAN Crafts Seals of Excellence Japanese “G” mark awards by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation (JIDPO).
