Teal blue, rich brown dominate Hari Raya fashion trends in Kuching malls

KUCHING (March 8): Festive colours are beginning to fill shopping malls as Hari Raya Aidilfitri approaches, with families eagerly searching for the perfect outfits to celebrate the occasion.

At the ground floor of Plaza Merdeka here, rows of Hari Raya booths are drawing shoppers looking for their ideal celebration attire.

Traders said teal blue and rich brown are emerging as the standout colours for this year’s Hari Raya fashion, with many designs in those shades already sold out.

At the Dayang G Boutique booth, sales assistant Dhia Danish, 22, said the stall has been drawing a steady crowd since the first week of Ramadan, especially after iftar (breaking-of-fast).

“Our booth is set up for the whole month of Ramadan until the night of Syawal. Every year we have a set-up here in Plaza Merdeka, and we also have a store at Wisma Hopoh,” he said when met for a brief interview on Sunday.

According to Dhia, teal blue and rich brown are the most sought-after colours this year.

“A lot of customers look for these colours, but our stock for both teal blue and rich brown are already sold out,” he said.

He noted that for baju melayu (traditional Malay male attire), customers have been gravitating towards the Cekak Musang design from the Elrah Exclusive collection, which features a slim-fit cut.

“The material used is block crepe with a matte finishing. It is breathable, suitable for daily wear and not easy to crinkle,” he explained.

For women’s wear, the booth carries collections from Qiszar, Larney, and Harry Collection, with the Qiszar line drawing particular attention as the stall is the only one offering the brand at the venue.

Meanwhile, Inda_Kimono sales assistant Aisya Nabilah, 24, said their booth has also been receiving a large number of visitors daily.

The boutique, which operates from Level 4 of Wisma Hopoh, usually opens temporary booths at Plaza Merdeka during festive seasons such as Hari Raya.

“For our outfits, we sew most of them ourselves. We also have some pieces ordered from suppliers, including several kebaya sourced from local brands,” she said.

Aisya said teal blue and rich brown remain among the most requested colours, alongside sage green.

“Right now, we only have a few rich brown pieces left. The rest are already sold out,” she said.

Customers visiting the booth often look for kebaya and kimono sets, while some are also interested in the trending colour combination ‘strawberry matcha’, which blends pink and green tones for a soft feminine look.

For Brins, a local brand from Kuching founded by Dayang Nur Sabrina in 2024, the booth marks its first time operating at Plaza Merdeka.

Sales assistant Dayang Damia, 22, said the brand offers designs inspired by various sources, including traditional costumes such as cheongsam, as well as original designs like the V-neck classic kurung.

“We also have lace kurung that are usually preferred by older women,” she said.

Dayang Damia said sales were relatively slow during the first week of Ramadan but began to pick up in the second week as more shoppers started preparing for Hari Raya.

She noted that while many customers are on the look out for teal blue outfits, the brand mainly offers designs in pastel tones.

“Most of our designs come in soft pastel colours, and we do not have teal blue.

“However, this does not affect our sales because most of our buyers are teenagers and young women who prefer softer colours, especially pink,” she said.

Among their popular items was beaded kebaya favoured by teenagers, which has since sold out.

“Older women, meanwhile, tend to prefer outfits with vibrant motifs such as large floral patterns for a more classic look,” she added.

With the festive season drawing nearer, traders expect demand for Hari Raya attire to continue increasing as shoppers finalise their preparations for the celebration.