KUALA LUMPUR - The Kadazan Dusun legend of the sacrifice of Huminodun - a mythical woman who sacrificed her life to ensure a good harvest for her starving people - has been incorporated into contemporary fashion by a Sabah designer.
Combining elements of traditional Sabah ethnic attire with modern touches, designer Nancy Jullok intends to portray the strength, independence and elegance of a woman through the six pieces she showcased at an international fashion show, Fashion Mosaic: A Tapestry of Global Styles, here recently.
She told Bernama to create this collection, she conducted extensive research on the legend of Huminodun and sought to embody the character and sacrifice of the woman herself.
Her collection, comprising four outfits for women and two menswear designs, featured long and short dresses as well as jackets reminiscent of traditional Borneo attire.
According to the designer, who founded the P'LO Borneo Fashion Design brand, black and gold were chosen as the theme colours to enhance the elegance of the outfits while preserving the authenticity of the attire’s traditional tone.
Nancy, who has over 10 years of experience in designing, said among the challenges she faced in completing the collection was the stitching technique for the different fabrics she had used to create a sense of uniqueness.
While velvet is usually used for traditional attire, Nancy made her creations more special by using a combination of materials such as duchess, PVC, dastar, stiff net and organdy.
To highlight Borneo's identity, she also incorporated traditional motifs and elements, including accessories like beaded necklaces and tupi sinulatan headpieces.
"I am committed to upholding Borneo's identity in every piece I create. I want to elevate Borneo fashion to international standards and let the world recognise the uniqueness of Malaysia's culture and people," she said. - BERNAMA