Written by Sean Ho
And we think it’s a fantastic idea.
Last year, we made history. The political landscape shifted to the opposition’s favour, and Pakatan Harapan was elected as the ruling party for the first time in Malaysia’s history. Tun Dr. Mahathir was elected, and a new Malaysia is born.
Of course, deep-rooted issues take some time to adjust, as bureaucracy and laws try to get the cogs moving, but nevertheless, signals a ray of hope that we are indeed, capable of change.
As a perfect response to the issue, the timing couldn’t be more perfect when Around The Block had an idea on of highlighting the diversity within Malaysians. The collection, curated by OKGO store came from thrifted pieces from various eras and countries, and styled on models of different backgrounds.
Adam Jeffery, editor-in-chief of ATB had this to say, “I believe that ‘creativity’ is the new resource but in order to fully make use of such untapped potential – society, governments, individuals, and creatives must set aside their egos and reliance on ‘identity’ (who cares who you’re doing behind the privacy of see-through windows of your cars or what race is stated on your identity card). Let’s put aside our differences and let us live our democratic lives where all lives matter and no creative work or opinions are hushed for the sake of those in power.”
Lapisan Masyarakat, which stands for Society’s Layers, is a Kuih Lapis inspired fashion ensemble. Depicting Malaysia’s cultural diversity through a profusion of outfits presented in this colour popping series. Traditional Baba-Nyonya desserts are reimagined as multi-layered outfits pieced together from thrift store treasures.
Like they always say, we are the future of the new Malaysia, and having a collaboration that symbolizes and strengthens the diversity between our colourful cultures, could potentially serve as a catalyst to a better, more understanding community, because God knows how much more can be achieved when we’re all united.
