Culture Club: Keeping the kebaya alive with renowned designer Raymond Wong

The kebaya is a garment that needs little introduction. Here on our local shores, many might instantly relate it to the sarong kebaya worn by The Singapore Girls. 

But you can also find the garment  in the islands of Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Each region has made the kebaya their own, and each stitch tells a tale of their own history. 

On Culture Club, Roshan Gidwani speaks with Raymond Wong, Founder, Rumah Kim Choo as they explore the timeless beauty of the kebaya and Peranakan culture. 

Raymond is a practitioner of beadwork and embroidery in Singapore, and also a seasoned fashion designer at Rumah Kim Choo, which was founded by his paternal Peranakan grandmother, Nyonya Lee Kim Choo.

Raymond once created a kebaya for Singapore’s First Lady Mrs Mary Tan, and created a shawl for the US First Lady Michelle Obama.

 

Presented by: Roshan Gidwani

Feature produced and edited by: Nadiah Koh and Aaron Lam 

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