Cover Wesley Hilton works on his Borneo Doll project out of his apartment (Photo: Fady Younis)
Wesley Hilton works on his Borneo Doll project out of his apartment (Photo: Fady Younis)
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Wesley Hilton is the founder of Borneo Doll, proudly showcasing Malaysian indigenous tribes through miniature recreations of ancient traditional costumes
As a child, Wesley Hilton nurtured a love of fashion design even before he knew how to articulate his fascination with words, noting “I had no exposure to the concept, but I knew I loved to design.”
Hilton took to exploring his interests behind closed doors by creating outfits for dolls, cherishing them as blank canvases for his burgeoning artistic expression. Even so, he recognised the need to stay discreet, understanding that dolls were strictly seen as toys for girls due to gender stereotypes.
How did a budding designer source the materials for his secret hobby, you ask? From his mother’s closet, naturally. “I used to cut up my mother’s dresses to have material to work with. I would look into her cupboard and think, ‘Oh, she doesn’t wear this anymore!’” Hilton admits, having selected well as evidenced by his success in evading his mother’s reprimand.
Above Borneo Dolls from left to right: Iban, Siamese, Melanau, Kadazan-Dusun Sabah, Iban
Borneo Dolls from left to right: Iban, Siamese, Melanau, Kadazan-Dusun Sabah, Iban
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Today, the 37-year-old flight attendant lives in Kuala Lumpur, with 15 years of experience at making the skies a friendlier place. At the start of his career, Hilton used his newfound freedom and financial independence to begin collecting dolls from around the world, focused exclusively on Mattel’s Barbie dolls. When the Covid-19 lockdown saw all flights grounded in 2020, Hilton turned to exploring doll making.
Unable to return home to celebrate the Gawai festival, the dollmaker drew from his personal collection of dolls to transform one into a Kumang doll, wearing the Ngepan Iban traditional costume. It marked the dawn of Borneo Doll by Wesley Hilton. “That first doll is my favourite. I eventually took it back to my hometown in Sibu and kept it in a glass case,” Hilton says.
Despite admitting to loving his culture, traditional costumes and enjoying the process of creating his first Dayak doll, Hilton had no plans to take the venture further at the time. “I wanted to test my skills and knew that nobody had ever done this before. The Dayak doll had a lot of accessories and that’s when I got to be creative and try to make things from scratch with what I had on hand at home,” he recalls.
Above Hilton admits that learning metalwork to create miniature headdresses was challenging
Above The dollmaker’s curated reserve of miniature beads and metallic elements
Hilton admits that learning metalwork to create miniature headdresses was challenging
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When Hilton shared his creation on Instagram and Facebook, he was overwhelmed by the positive responses. “After that, people were asking if my work was for sale and making requests if I could make a doll based on their tribe. All the malls were closed during the movement control order (MCO), so I sacrificed more dolls from my collection to deliver.”
Hilton appreciates Barbie and Ken dolls for their versatility and less cartoonish appearance compared to alternatives, making sure to note he does not work with vintage dolls, selecting instead from modern ranges with features that suit his vision. Hilton gives the dolls a new “faceup” by modifying features and executing bold makeup looks on a miniature scale—going as far as to tack on feathery eyelashes.
See also: Everything you need to know about Pat McGrath’s porcelain doll look for Maison Margiela
More challenging than working on a small scale was researching costumes for accuracy. “The biggest challenge was gathering information and becoming knowledgeable on the stories behind Sarawakian costumes. When it comes to traditional costumes, no matter the ethnic group, every element has a meaning. I can’t proceed simply and need to rely on elders for the facts, because this is a sensitive matter. I try to include descriptions on social media about the significance of certain costume elements.”
a Kadazan-Dusun doll wears an elegant Kadazan Penampang costume
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Asked why he thinks it’s important for people to have an awareness of cultural designs, Hilton says, “This is what makes us Malaysian. We come in different colours, different races and religions. It is time for us to see the whole of Malaysia and appreciate that essence of diversity. When foreigners visit, they know Malaysia is made up of Malays, Chinese and Indians but don’t know the rest of it. I think it’s important to change that, and to get to know each other.”
Since 2020, Hilton has created over 500 dolls for his Borneo Doll project both for fun and on commission basis. When it comes to the thought of branching out, Hilton admits to being open to new opportunities although he is “still in love” with his first career as a flight attendant.
Hilton also collaborated with Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) and Barbie Mattel in 2021 on The Patung Project, offering guidance to fashion students who were challenged to make their own dolls to showcase Malaysia’s rich culture and heritage through themes like Nyonya beading, tekat embroidery, calligraphy and henna.
Researching the history of traditional costumes is a huge challenge
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“My only skill before the Borneo Doll Project was sewing. It’s another hobby, but I have designed evening gowns and wedding dresses for people in the past. I don’t have any formal training in fashion design, I am purely self-taught,” he shares.
While sewing was a transferable skill to doll making, the steepest learning curve came in the form of learning metalwork to create miniature headdresses and more. “Working with wires and pliers was brand new to me and everything that looks good today came from a long process of trial and error.”
Hilton is grateful to friends who help him source his pua kumbu—a traditional patterned ceremonial cotton cloth used by the Iban people in Sarawak—selecting motifs that look ideal even on a smaller scale. He hand-sews most of the outfits, often taking anywhere between three to five days to complete a single doll. “I don’t think I was a perfectionist, but I became one thanks to Borneo Doll,” he says.
While Hilton acknowledges that people are trending towards being more open-minded, Hilton knows there are many who continue viewing it as taboo for boys to play with dolls, even if only to dress them in works of art. “My advice to parents, no matter if you have boys or girls: learn about what your children like and what their passions are. Don’t refuse them before giving them the chance to explore those interests.”
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Photography: Fady Younis
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