People wear them only during special occasions.
OLIVIA MIWIL
TUARAN
SABAH traditional attire is facing the threat of extinction if there are no efforts made to promote it as daily wear for people in the state.
Sabah Craft Entrepreneurs Association president Anne Antah said cultural costumes were worn only during special occasions because their designs and materials were not suitable for casual wear.
"In Sabah, there are many pageants and cultural competitions that portray the beauty of traditional costumes with a contemporary touch.
"However, these designs are meant only for stage use, not for daily wear," she told the New Straits Times.
She said although there were more than 300 sub-ethnic groups in the state, only six or seven of them had their traditional costumes highlighted, compared with Sarawak, which had promoted them globally.
"In Sabah, one well-known attire is the Murut traditional costume, which has similarities with those from Kalimantan and Sarawak," she said.
Anne said one way to "modernise" traditional costumes and make them popular as daily wear was by having their motifs and patterns incorporated into modern and comfortable wear, bags, interior designs and souvenirs.
Anne said one way to "modernise" traditional costumes and make them popular as daily wear was by having their motifs and patterns incorporated into modern and comfortable wear, bags, interior designs and souvenirs.
She said designers could either use handmade traditional or digital printed textiles to give their products a "Sabah identity" and promote them at the national and international levels.
"I believe as people recognise fashion with motifs that are unique to Sabah people, they will learn more about the traditional costumes.
“People need to know about traditional costumes to ensure local crafters, weavers, and future generations will continue producing them.”
Comments
Post a Comment