by Marlynda Meraw & Ashley Sim
KUCHING, March 5: In a momentous reveal at Ranee Museum today, hip-hop sensation Arafah Edruce, professionally known as Arabyrd, has unveiled an exclusive line of Keringkam Kaftan designs for Raya 2024 in collaboration with Bruneian designer, Farhanna Pura.
According to Arabyrd, her deep appreciation for traditional textiles blossomed during her extensive travels across Malaysia, Kalimantan, and Brunei, thus igniting a profound passion for these cultural treasures.
“There are a lot of textiles all over Borneo, but I am a Sarawakian, and one of the common textiles we had with Brunei is the keringkam,” she shared with DayakDaily when discussing the choice to feature keringkam designs in the collection.
To her, the significance of this textile lies in its recent resurgence, becoming a crucial avenue for the younger generations to embrace it.
Given that keringkam is typically reserved for brides and comes with a higher price tag, the collaboration aims to allow access to this exquisite textile, making it affordable for everyone.
“With its beautiful art form, we decided to create more,” Arabyrd said, referring to her collaboration with Farhanna, who is also the founder of Na Forrer.
“We made a few pieces so that it can be worn any time, especially for Raya”.
She expressed her desire to extend this design to incorporate hijabs and selendang, hoping to witness the widespread integration of keringkam patterns into the global fashion landscape while inspiring the younger generation to explore their creativity in the realm of fashion.
Drawing from her extensive travels across the Borneo islands, the singer firmly believes in Sarawak’s potential to emerge as a standout destination in the fashion tourism industry.
“If a small girl who likes hip-hop from Petra Jaya could travel the world, then I believe keringkam too, can travel the world because it is an even larger art form,” she said.
The exclusive collection comprises seven distinct pieces, including a stunning pua, three captivating batik creations, and three intricately designed keringkam masterpieces. — DayakDaily
