Asean Week 2022 in Seoul showcases beauty of traditional textiles

The Asean Week 2022 this year follows the “Ancient Futures – Treasures of Asean Fabric” theme, with an exhibition of textiles and fabric items from Asean member states put on display at Cociety in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

Each display provides information on the places of origin and stories related to the fabrics created by master artisans using traditional methods.

For instance, “Pua Kumbu” from Malaysia featuring spiral patterns and intricate hooks take a year to complete. The ethnic fabric inspired Malaysian-born shoe designer Jimmy Choo’s collection entitled “Mahkota” in 2013, which pays tribute to Malaysian traditional fabrics.

“Lanh My A” silk of Vietnam is made by weaving the finest silk threads coloured with dyes made from the mac nua fruit. The textile is often used by Vietnamese fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri, whose designs have been worn by several celebrities including K-pop star Rose of Blackpink, Margot Robbie and Beyonce, according to the Asean-Korea Centre.

The four-day event, which runs until Sunday, aims to enhance understanding and awareness of Asean culture and tourism and provide an opportunity to appreciate the “uniqueness which derives from diversity”, said the centre.

The Asean Week was first launched at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall in June 2019, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Asean-Korea Centre as well as the Asean-Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan in 2019.

The Asean-Korea Centre is an international organisation founded in 2009 to promote economic, social and cultural cooperation among the 10 Asean member states – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam – and South Korea.

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network