GOASIAPLUS October 2017

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Beaded Shoes nyonya heritage: the art of beaded shoes THE NYONYAS REALLY KNOW HOW TO DRESS TO THE NINES BACK IN THE DAY THANKS TO THE RECOGNISABLE KEBAYA AND SARUNG COMBO. BUT LOOK FURTHER DOWN TO THEIR FEET AND YOU WILL SEE IT ADORNED WITH COLOURFUL AND INTRICATELY BEADED FOOTWEAR, A TRADE THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY DYING. HERE WE MEET 2 LADIES IN MELAKA THAT ARE KEEPING THIS ART ALIVE. WORDS BY AISHAH AZALI • PHOTOS BY FAIDZ ZAINAL 26 · WWW.<strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong>.COM
Beaded Shoes FROM LEFT A classic closed toe beaded shoe with a slight heel; Joyce and Jennifer Ngiow, the ladies who own J. Manik; A flat closed-toe beaded shoe with floral patterns. CLOCKWISE The bright lights of Myeongdong; Street art in the Apgujeong neighbourhood; Rodeo street featuring high-end designers; Local testing makeup at the beauty counters of Myeongdong When one thinks of the Nyonya look, the kebaya top with its floral embroidery and figure-hugging cut come to mind. It is paired with a batik print sarung or a long skirt to complete the look. But one has to look closer to see that these Nyonya take their style all the way to the feet in the form of handstitched beaded shoes. This art of making them is a dying one but I found a little shop tucked in Jonker Street, Melaka where two sisters are keeping this craft and fashion trend alive. Joyce and Jennifer Ngiow look every part a classy Nyonya from their well-coiffed bobs down to their beaded slippers. These owners of J. Manik, a quaint shop selling beaded shoes made by Joyce and accompanying kebayas really know how to model their Nyonya style and heritage without looking out of place in this modern time. The connection between Nyonyas and beaded shoes is due to the fact that Nyonyas are amazing with needlework and back in the day, it was a requirement to master it. Jennifer explains that the Nyonyas love getting dolled up for social gatherings or ‘kenduri’ in Malay where they would proudly display their garments that they crafted themselves. Plus, showing up in a pair of beaded shoes elevates your fashion status. The birth of J. Manik The love for beaded shoes and the art of making it came from the sisters' mother who frequently wore it. They were taught this detailed art of handcrafting shoes from their aunt. Opening a business came about as a way to highlight something close to their hearts and to do so with their big family of five siblings. Now they are 17 years strong with an impressive clientele of local and international shoe lovers. The hand that beads them "Joyce and I are known to be the fussiest woman in town because when we talk about handwork, it has to be detailed and the workmanship has to be good," admits Jennifer on the store's shoes. The soles of the shoes are changeable and it can be done without disrupting or damaging the beaded parts. So, if you started off with a 3-inch heel and over the years prefer to wear flats, the ladies at J. Manik are more than happy to do the alterations. That is why the craftsmanship during the inception of the shoe has to be immaculate so the beads do not go astray in the event you want a sole change. A pair of beaded shoes can cost you anywhere from RM280 to RM2000 depending on the shape and bead type. Why pay such a hefty price tag for a slip on? Well, I found that a simple pair of closed toe beaded shoe takes up to 1 and half months to complete and uses an upwards of 18,000 pieces of beads. In order for the beads to last long and the colour to stay vibrant, the ladies of J. Manik source their beads from abroad mainly Japan. The Japanese glass beads WWW.<strong>GOASIAPLUS</strong>.COM · 27
Page 1: OCT 2017 | ISSUE 17 WWW.GOASIAPLUS.
Page 6: COVER PHOTO BY FAIDZ ZAINAL EDITORI
Page 10 and 11: On The Radar ON THE RADAR ARTISANAL
Page 12: On The Radar UNLEASHING CREATIVITY
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Page 18 and 19: Saigon's Chinatown CHINATOWN The Ch
Page 20 and 21: Saigon's Chinatown Saigon or Ho Chi
Page 22 and 23: ADVERTORIAL NO MORE FLAT HAIR! Curl
Page 24: Road Less Taken Road Less Taken is
Page 29 and 30: Beaded Shoes CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Th
Page 31 and 32: Details on Dim Sum DIM SUM THE DETA
Page 33: Details on Dim Sum Speaking of swee

GOASIAPLUS October 2017

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