The Nyonya Kebaya: Wearing A Deep Heritage

By Liani MK

July 2025 FEATURE
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kebaya_from_Singapore_ca_1950s_ IMG_9860_singapore_peranakan_museum.jpg
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THE KEBAYA—hand-embroidered fabric reflecting detailed lace and embroidery work—is today at once a symbol of style and status, and a shared cultural heritage across Southeast Asia.Of sartorial elegance, the garment is usually a lace-top paired with a sarong or kain lepas skirt with batik patterns. The traditional wear, threaded with tenun details and steeped in natural dyes, is often handed down for generations.On 4 December 2024, after being jointly nominated by Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand, the kebaya was successfully added to UNESCO’s...

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Liani MK

is an independent writer, journalist and artist whose works span areas of language, film, culture, indigeneity and migration in Southeast Asia.

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