Inaugural Sarawak Eco-Fashion Gala to be staged in Kuching this weekend

KUCHING (Nov 29): Society Atelier Sarawak will be hosting the inaugural Sarawak Eco-Fashion Gala at the Dewan Sri Bunga Rampai here, this Saturday and Sunday (Nov 2-3).

The event is supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak through the Facilitation Fund of Heritage, Arts and Culture. It also involves collaboration from Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), Sarawak Crafts Council, Sarawak Tourism Board and Sarawak Tourism Federation.

“The event will showcase the creativity of some of the best Sarawak fashion designers, partnering with craft artists and communities on the catwalk.

“It will also be a curtain-raiser for the ‘Sarawak International Eco Fashion Week’, a planned larger event in 2024,” said Society Atelier Sarawak in the statement.

According to the society, with Sarawak being located in Borneo – the third largest island in the world, known for its lush rainforests, its rich natural resources such as fibres and dyes, and its diverse heritage of indigenous cultures renowned for the uniqueness and beauty of their hand-woven, handmade textiles and accessories – it is well-positioned to be the centre-stage of what is labelled ‘eco-fashion’ as textile and fashion producers partake in the ‘green tide’ driven by global concern for the environment.

The collaboration of fashion and accessories designers and communities in the Sarawak Eco Fashion Gala include Edric Ong and Juliana Embrose, Melinda Omar and Ngot Bi, John Ang, Tanoti, Harizan Khaider and Danny Zulkifli, Batik Linut and Bokyart, Smyth Wong and Helping Hands Penan, Emil Hamlyn and Dickson Noyen, Fabriko, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), and Michael Lim, Ramsay Ong and Senia Jugi.

International guest designers include Narda’s (Philippines); Aidarkhan Kaliyev and Aizhan Bekkulova (Kazakhstan); Fabric and Textile Creative Design Centre (FTCDC, Thailand); Hesandra by Fanti Nurvita (Indonesia); and Nuansri Promjai and Chabatik (Thailand).

Kuching South mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng is set to represent Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the event.

Plans are on board for Sarawak International Eco-Fashion Week to join the ranks of other renowned fashion weeks such as London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, International Digital Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week.