MODEST FASHION

@ Halal | September-October. 2026

� Sarawak is positioning fashion as part of a wider creative and cultural ecosystem.

� Artisans are repurposing traditional materials into contemporary fashion and accessories.

� International platforms are helping Sarawak’ s artisans build experience, networks and recognition.

Datu Dr Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan

For Sarawak ' s Ministry of Tourism, Creative and Performing Arts Special Officer Datu Dr Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan, fashion sits within a wider creative-industry ecosystem encompassing crafts, indigenous designs and knowledge.

The Sarawak Craft Council supports artisans and designers through capacity building, international exposure and platforms for showcasing products, while helping authenticate products that are uniquely Sarawakian.

The Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak( CENTEXS) provides training in fashion technology, heritage textile development, couture sewing, shoemaking and fashion entrepreneurship.

Training is linked to market access. Local designers and artisans can showcase apparel, crafts, and accessories at the Juma ' ani Pavilion in Petra Jaya, Kuching, giving newly trained practitioners a place to present their work.

Beyond training, tourism provides another route to audiences. Sarawak participates in international travel markets including ITB Berlin, ITB China, the Arab Travel Market and the London World Travel Market, where artisans and designers can be featured alongside tourism offerings.

BUILDING TALENT: CENTEXS forms part of Sarawak’ s wider creativeindustry ecosystem, providing training opportunities in fashion technology, heritage textiles and entrepreneurship.

ARTISAN PATHWAYS: The Sarawak Craft Council supports local artisans through capacity building, international exposure and product showcases.

" The cultural value of fashion lies not only in the finished textile, but in the knowledge and stories attached to it."

Datu Dr Hajah Rashidah Haji Bolhassan ticular meanings, including spiritual elements.

" These are the things that we want to tell the stories to the world," she said, describing such knowledge as part of the sustainable heritage of indigenous communities.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS International trade platforms have influenced Sarawak ' s approach. Artisans have participated in INACRAFT and other overseas programmes, while the state has developed the BorneoCraft Global EXPO & Conference to encourage value-added products from local materials.

The Sarawak Craft Council supports selected artisans with exposure, capacity building and participation in international competitions. Songket Gedong, for example, has received international recognition, while its development has generated local employment and led to products beyond traditional songket and apparel.

The next opportunity is modest

CULTURE IN FASHION Fashion also gains visibility through major events in Sarawak. During the Rainforest Music Festival, an artisan hub gives designers opportunities to display local apparel and accessories.

At the ASEAN Film Festival, couture worn at gala events can provide another showcase.

Platforms such as Alta Moda Sarawak, M. O Sarawak and Borneo Fashion Week serve a further purpose, Rashidah said: bringing international fashion names to Sarawak while exposing local practitioners to higher levels of the industry.

The cultural value of fashion lies not only in the finished textile, but in the knowledge and stories attached to it. Rashidah highlighted pua kumbu, where weaving skills develop progressively, and master weavers can incorporate designs carrying parfashion. Sarawak is participating in the Modest Fashion segment at MIHAS for the first time, a market Rashidah described as having significant potential that has yet to be fully tapped.

She said participation should be treated as a trade opportunity rather than simply a showcase. Designers and artisans need to promote their own work, tell their stories, build networks and learn from other participants.

For Rashidah, MIHAS ' s lasting value will be what participants take home to strengthen their capacity and expand Sarawak ' s creative economy.

Jay Ishak, founder and chief executive officer of MyFashion- Chamber and curator of MIHAS Modest Fashion Week, noted that MIHAS will bring buyers, trade associations and delegations from 87 countries.

" Tourism brings the world to Malaysia. Fashion brings Malaysia to the world," Jay said.