The Messy Report #1
Going home and going out.
The shedding of wool and cashmere, the transition from Melodrama to Solar Power. These could only mean two things: summer is here and I’m going home.
A lot has happened in the first week of my homecoming, so here are some of the things that will be covered in this edition of The Messy Report:
Whimsigirl’s Lawatan Sambil Belajar
Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair (KLABF)
2/11/2023
I left the keys to my apartment on the desk.
The space is barren except for the bed, desk, and chair that came with it. Anything that was mine have either been packed, given, or thrown away. It’s surprising how much one could accumulate within two years, it’s even more surprising how easy it was to let go.
After making a final sweep of the space, it was time to let go of my apartment too. Farewell, 338. You will be missed.
My friend, Jazz, came over and we Uber-ed to the airport. My flight wasn’t until 11 A.M., but because I grew up with an Airport Dad – whom I think gave me travel anxiety – I made sure I was there 4 hours before my flight.
The flight itself was overstimulating (I was elbowed TWICE by the person sitting next to me before I was graciously moved to another seat where a kid would periodically kick the back of my seat), but was made bearable only because I was heading home. And also because they had Midnight in Paris (2011) on the little tv.
After seven restless hours, we landed in Kuala Lumpur and I was immediately greeted by my parents and the heat.
6/12/2023
When I think of traditional clothes – the kebaya, especially – I rarely think of them as something that’s worn casually. The label “traditional” followed by the intricacy of their designs make them feel very formal – theatrical, even – so I’ve always thought of them as clothes reserved only for special occasions, like weddings and Eid celebrations.
But perceptions of these garments are changing. With the growing appreciation for one’s cultural identity and heritage, more and more young people are adding traditional wear into their daily rotation of clothes.
One Malaysian label that’s mobilising this change is Whimsigirl, whose chic and modernised collections of traditional clothes make it too easy to incorporate traditional wear into everyday life. But beyond their latest baju kedah collection and beloved two-piece kebaya sets, they’re also encouraging their devoted fanbase to fall in love with traditional clothing again through fun community events.
One I’ve had the pleasure of attending was their tour of Rahsia Kebaya, a special exhibition at the National Textile Museum. In ode of the exhibition, we were encouraged to wear, you’ve guessed it, a kebaya for the tour.
My outfit for the tour:
I’m more of a baju kedah girl, so when I was told that the theme was kebaya, I frantically dug through my unpacked luggages and closet to find one. Thank God, I had this lacy brown piece which paired well with my bag, pants, and slingbacks for a monochromatic number. I added the bows because I didn’t have anything to pin the fronts together, but also to Sandy Liang-ify my look🎀
We were a party of 30 women headed by the exuberant Sarah, who fed us secrets about the kebaya throughout the tour.
There were 60 of them on display, including personal pieces from Malaysian royal families and the largest kebaya in the world (which stands at 8.3 metres tall!). We learnt that each state – even each Peranakan community – has their own rendition of the kebaya which is distinct from one another.
My favourite fact from the tour was one about the iconic Malaysia Airlines kebaya: you never have to iron it. Just take it out of the washing machine and it’s good to go.
8/12/2023
As part of the book fair, KLABF held a Satellite Event at the Zhongshan Building in Kampung Attap. Itching to go outside again, I dragged my cousin to check it out. Unfortunately, we left the whole thing disappointed. And sweaty.
Let me tell you why.
I was informed via KLABF’s instagram post that the event (which consisted of four exhibitions) were happening on the 8th - 10th of December, but when we got there, only two were running: “Buku Tarik” Zine Exhibition and Shushi Library.
Then there was the challenge of navigating the building.
I’m not very familiar with the space, it had different blocks and units yet there were barely any signages or staff to guide us through the building. When there was a staff on duty, they were unfamiliar with the building too. So for the most part, we were left wandering up and down the blocks, but got there eventually thanks to the various store/studio owners who helped us.
The exhibitions were just fine. A feast for the eyes for sure, but that’s about it. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t so hot and I wasn’t already so frazzled from navigating the building.
My outfit for the day:
9/12/2023
After breakfast, we went back to Kampung Attap for the actual KLABF book fair. I braced myself for further disappointments, but it was actually really good! There were vendors from many corners of the world including Indonesia, Japan, and Australia.
The central focus of the book fair were zines, though there were stickers, posters, shirts, etc. on sale too. It’s creative heaven, in other words, and because of that I couldn’t really tell you much about my time at the book fair.
So, let me give you a little haul of the things I got instead:
Mystery/comedy zine from Detektif Linggam.
Stickers from 2 in Row.
Stickers from Honk Honk Studio.
Sticker from threedaystudio.
Doodle of myself by Wawanda.
Postcard from Ning-Ning’s Sari-Sari Store.
It was a great fair, overall, but maybe they could consider hiring a larger venue next time because it was PACKED!
That about does it for today’s newsletter. I’m sorry it took me so long to write something and quite frankly, I don’t think it’s that good either (so, sorry about that too) but I wanted to have something out for you guys to read.
Till next time!