Asian Consul General Club Spouse Group brings unity in diversity through fashionThe mesdames of the Asian Consul Generals Club (ACGC) Spouses Group (L-R) : Omega Garibay of the Philippines, Fauzia Salik of Pakistan, Liang Lin Jie of China, Siti Hamidah Mahally of Indonesia, Youngae Shin Cha of Korea, Kausar Kidwai of India, Pimtippa Sakolvari of Thailand, Nuzhat Nazmul of Bangladesh, Syukrina Sulaini of Brunei and Mariko Yoshida of Japan. — SG photos by Donna Corpin Sadiya A. Nadeem Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — One rarely gets to witness fashion shows on this side of the Red Sea, let alone an avant-garde event that served as a platform for bridging the rich cultures of various countries through fashion. It was a pleasant morning on Dec. 19 as for the first time ever, the sophisticated mesdames of the Asian Consul Generals Club (ACGC) Spouses Group hosted “Qesat Reda'a” (The Story of Clothes), a national costume fashion show, at the residence of Consul General of Japan Jun Yoshida. “The traditional national costumes of a country tell us a lot about the values of a nation, culture, geographic ties, and historical influences,” said the master of ceremonies Dr. Omega Garibay, wife of Philippine Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay, adding that each national costume is a great symbol of pride. Models and mesdames from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan, and Brunei donned their respective traditional attires as they walked the ramp ? which was actually the aisle of the residence's palatial living room. They did so in the presence of Alia Uthman Akbar, wife of Ambassador Muhammad Ahmed Tayeb, Director General of Makkah Region in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Fusun Ihsanoglu, wife of Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of OIC, and around 50 other distinguished guests. The models were not professionals but they surely exuded an air of confidence, grace and style, regardless of age. The sari, a six-yard outfit, has been popularly worn by Bangladeshi and Indian women for centuries, both on casual and informal occasions. Known for highlighting the elegance of a woman, saris have fashionably evolved over time to be sported by many international celebrities at red-carpet events. The audience members were visibly impressed by the confidence with which the Bangladeshi and Indian models, clad in saris of vibrant shades and matching jewelry, sashayed down the “catwalk.” Fatin Mir, a student of Bangladesh International School, said: “It felt great to participate and represent Bangladesh in the show. All our costumes and jewelry were selected by the Bangladesh consul general's wife.” Although the national costume of Pakistan for women is shalwar kameez (knee-length shirt worn with trousers), over the years the dress has also undergone numerous changes such as churidar (wrinkled pajamas worn with shirts), anarkali (frock-shaped shirt worn with trousers or churidar), an ankle-length shirt worn with trousers, among others. Young Pakistani models displayed colorful and heavily embellished dresses of the latest designs as the crowd clicked photos and clapped. It was a delight to witness Filipino models show off different variations of the Philippine costumes such as the baro't saya and terno. The baro't saya (midriff blouse and a layered skirt) is the unofficial costume of the Philippines; it was usually worn by women to church during the Spanish era; some even took a panuelo (shawl) or an umbrella to cover their heads. It was inspired by “300 years in the convent,” or Spanish colonization, and “50 years in Hollywood,” or American rule. The national costume of the Philippines, however, is the terno (a gown with butterfly sleeves), which is also considered a national treasure. Dr. Muna Bagour, a friend and a guest of the mesdames, said she was awestruck by all the cross-cultural exchange. “It was great to experience the different flavors of music and culture. I learned a lot. The moderator was amazing,” she said. The beautiful Japanese models wore traditional kimonos in pastel colors. The kimono traces its origin to the 8th century and the original style remains the same to date. However, today it is only worn on special occasions and festivals. Kimono schools can also be found in Japan, which teach students the art of wearing the elegant yet complicated costume. Mariko Yoshida, wife of the Japanese consul general and one of the models for the day, said the fashion show exclusively organized by and for women was a great success. Masaka Naito, one Japanese who modeled for the occasion, said she enjoyed a lot. She looked regal in her bright orange silk kimono with bold prints, worn for weddings. The culturally diverse fashion show also exhibited Malaysian costumes — long, loose gowns with traditional batik prints in versatile patterns and colors. The Malaysian government encourages civil servants to wear batik-printed clothes on Thursdays to show support to the growth and development of Malaysian Batik Industry, a national heritage. Petite Indonesian models showed off elaborate hairdos and dainty accessories with their traditional dresses called kebaya (fusion of a blouse and dress worn with a sash). Fashion designers now seek to modify the design of the kebaya to make it trendier among the young. It is usually available in silk with bold batik prints or self-embroidered silks. Brunei is known for skillfully weaving fine cloths with artistic prints that fall in the family of the brocade fabric. The national costume songket is largely worn by men and women for marriage ceremonies. Dressed in hues of brown and gold with matching headgear and accessories, the charming model from Brunei drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. Dazzled by the diverse display of culture on one platform, Reham El-Alfy, wife of Egypt Consul General Adel El-Alfy, said: “This was a fantastic fashion show. All the information provided with the costumes was just amazing.” The traditional Korean costume hanbok has existed since ancient times. Today, it is only worn on festive days and special anniversaries. Hanbok comprises jeogiri (upper garment), a skirt and seven different layers of undergarments; the costume clings to the upper part of the body and loosely flows from the bodice. The Chinese were already wearing silk when people in other parts of the world were still sporting animal skins. Surprisingly, the Chinese do not have a national costume as with each dynasty the dresses changed. However, qipao is one traditional Chinese attire they wear on special occasions. The traditional Thai costume is known as Thai jong krabane, and Thai people have lots of classical dresses to pick and choose from depending upon the ceremony or festival. Pimtippa Sakolavari, wife of the Thai Consul General Chalee Sakolvari and one of the Thai models, said: “Although we have been planning this event for the past two months, we just rehearsed once. And I enjoyed every bit of it.” The 60-minute fashion show also featured radiant bridal garments from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Japan, and the Philippines. Nicole Limochin, who modeled a pi?a-and-abaca bridal ensemble from the Philippines, said she felt proud representing her country in such an event. “All the other costumes were beautiful. It was nice to see so many other colorful and elegant dresses from other Asian countries.”
