Songket Revolution: Set to Transform the Fashion and Design Industry in Malaysia and Beyond
Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah (YTNZ) has launched a book on theheritage of songket and recent innovations involving this traditional hand-woven textile.
The new style songket is significantly different from the conventional songket in terms of texture, dimensions, colours and designs. The contemporary songket is lighter and malleable with good draping qualities. It was woven in a variety of new, fine yarns to produce a wider and longer material.
The book was launched by Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah’s patron Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah at Carcosa Seri Negara on 19th March 2009. Also present at the launch were the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Songket Revolution, a 144-page hard cover coffee table book written by author and textile expert Noor Azlina Yunus, traces the rich, royal history of songket and now, the development of an exciting new type of songket fabric, one that combines contemporary designs with innovative weaving techniques based on the ancient songket weaving process.
After tracing the development of songket weaving in the Malay Peninsula, this book treats readers to a sumptuous photographic showcase of fashion and product designs created from the new-style songket, initiated by YTNZ in its quest to modernise handwoven songket practices and products and to expose the beauty and versatility of songket to the wider world in order to raise the standard of living of weavers in Malaysia and preserve the heritage of songket.
Employing a technique that is hundreds of years old, songket weavers on the Malay Peninsula, particularly in the east coast state of Terengganu, the heartland of songket weaving, sit at foot-operated wooden frame looms adding brilliant metallic threads to lustrous silk yarns to build up intricate ornamental patterns and motifs that stand out from the background of silk.
Songket Revolution also presents a captivating view of how some of Malaysia’s leading fashion designers such as Jovian Mandagie, Melinda Looi, Tom Abang Saufi, Radzuan Radziwill, Tengku Marina or Pink Jambu and Eric and Moses of Tangoo have found fresh inspiration from songket.
The outfits are mostly tailored from organza-songket produced at the YTNZ’s factory in Kuala Terengganu, Kuching and Sarawak.
These fashion designers’ creations carry the Royal Terengganu Songket label. Other items have been created under this brand include gift items for households and offices, developed in innovative designs and adaptations that are refreshing and unique. Similarly, soft furnishings are also being produced.
There are also two chapters dedicated to the story and art of songket comprising interviews with songket weavers, designers, producers and collectors accompanied by images of rare and precious pieces from Malaysia and around the region.
Proceeds from sales of the Songket Revolution will go into supporting the activities of YTNZ which includes providing fair employment and funding for skills training of songket weavers in Terengganu and Sarawak.
Available at MPH and all major bookstores as well as YTNZ’s office; the Songket Revolution was also displayed at Harrods’ Malaysian Crafts Fair in London.
For more information, please write to info@yayasantnz.org or call +603-2284 8253 |
