Cover Melinda Looi
Melinda Looi
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Gearing up for her most ambitious collection yet, Melinda Looi hopes to inspire the next generation of weavers and designers
With her children, her team, and the production crew of Think Tank in tow, Melinda Looi hit the ground running as soon as she arrived in Kuching.
There, she filmed key components of her latest couture collection’s journey, from waking up before the sunrise for six-hour drives and boat rides to villages to documenting the lives of songket weavers and the Penan craftspeople.
"I would have loved to stay longer to learn more from the local community, especially the weavers," Looi says. “There was just so much to do and film."
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Above The Penan weavers discussing how to incorporate the illustrations that Maya, Looi's daughter, had done for the collection (Image: Courtesy of Melinda Looi)
Above A closeup of the songket that will be featured in Looi's couture collection
The Penan weavers discussing how to incorporate the illustrations that Maya, Looi's daughter, had done for the collection (Image: Courtesy of Melinda Looi)
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If we don’t try to curate, cultivate and grow these artisanal crafts so intrinsic to our cultural roots now, we stand to lose them in this lifetime
While it cost Looi over five figures for two metres of handwoven songket and a Penan rattan piece, the designer believed it was worth it.
“It takes a long time for one weaver to complete a piece,” she explains. “If they had the money to improve their workforce as well as the logistics it takes for them to deliver their crafts to others, it would make them more accessible, perhaps increase the demand for their products and even contribute to the local economy as well.
“This would then help lower cost and encourage designers to use local materials as well. I know many would love to use them, but they just aren’t accessible in terms of costing and the time it takes to be delivered.”
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Above Jacqueline Fong of Tanoti, whom Looi describes as being an instrumental figure to the collection's fruition, being interviewed for a documentary by Looi (Image: Courtesy of Melinda Looi)
Above Penan bags made of rattan weave (Image: Courtesy of Melinda Looi)
Jacqueline Fong of Tanoti, whom Looi describes as being an instrumental figure to the collection's fruition, being interviewed for a documentary by Looi (Image: Courtesy of Melinda Looi)
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Not wanting to create a one-off collection with a temporary shelf life, Looi intends to do a campaign as a tribute to Malaysia’s craftsmen and creatives. She stresses that the continuation of local craft hangs on the present and coming generations.
“We need the younger generation. While innovation has allowed for better convenience as well as better connectivity, what happens to those lost in the race of modernisation? If we don’t try to curate, cultivate and grow these artisanal crafts so intrinsic and tied into our cultural roots now, we stand to lose them in this lifetime.”
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“It’s not just about the glitz and the glam,” she continues. “It’s about nurturing and cultivating a new generation of passionate creatives; it’s giving back to our society and shining a light on our artisans. And it’s not only the weavers—it’s the tailors, the seamstresses, the ones who make the clothes you see on the runway and the clothes you wear. Take my team, for instance. They’ve been with me for so long and worked with me in their 20s to 30s, but they’re getting older.
“So, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking, what’s going to happen when they stop? Who will continue to sew? Which is why, when I see the women in Sarawak, most of whom are good with crafts but have no access to many things, I want to see how I can nurture that skill. If it’s possible, I want to see if I can give them jobs, train them and encourage their creativity.”
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Above Melinda Looi
Above Maya's signature on the fabric
Melinda Looi
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An exhibition in October will feature her and her daughter Maya’s work; Maya asked that her mother use her work for charity. she's also launching a fundraising programme at the end of the year.
The designs will be auctioned off at a fundraising programme at the end of the year, and the proceeds will be given to underserved homes.
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Credits
Photography: Imran Sulaiman
Usually found at home and one with her couch, Koy Yi would either crack open a good book or game in her spare time to wind down after a long day. She also loves to scour art conventions and book fairs alike when she's able, collecting art books of all regions to gain inspiration for her own illustrations. With a keen interest in people and the stories they tell, she enjoys a good talk and a good laugh (preferably over food). Follow her on her Instagram @peiyi57.
