Growing up, Raymond Wong was no stranger to sarong kebayas—a traditional outfit worn by women in many parts of Southeast Asia, and commonly worn by the Peranakan community here in Singapore. Hailing from a Peranakan household, he was used to seeing his mother, grandmother, and neighbours don the garb.
“They would wear kebaya biku—kebayas with lesser embroideries—almost daily,” he said, sharing early memories of the sheer long-sleeved blouse that Nyonyas wore with a long sarong skirt.
Wong is the grandson of the late matriarch Lee Kim Choo, who started the Kim Choo Kueh Chang glutinous rice dumplings business in 1945—now a successful family business located along Joo Chiat and East Coast Road. Back then, he never expected that he would carve out a career in crafting traditional Nyonya outfits.
But he could not resist the allure of the fashion of his childhood. This year, the 45-year-old celebrates 20 years as co-owner of fashion boutique Rumah Kim Choo in Joo Chiat.
He is also one of the last few practitioners keeping the art form alive in Singapore, making him one of the recipients of the National Heritage Board’s Stewards of Intangible Culture Heritage Award this year.
Stitching with passion
From a very young age, Wong believed that he would join the family business and continue the legacy of selling delicious and affordable Nyonya kueh chang, the signature pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings with sweet pork filling.
His plans quickly changed when he returned to Singapore after finishing school overseas in 2003. Driven by personal interest and a genuine passion for the craft, Wong set up Rumah Kim Choo in 2004, and taught himself free motion machine embroidery.
This embroidery method—where the designer uses the sewing needle like a “pen” and moves the fabric around under the needle—is essential for the final step in designing and embellishing the beadwork that completes the kebaya’s iconic look.
Mastering this sewing method from scratch was no mean feat. The breakthrough in Wong’s learning came when he chanced upon an instruction manual for an old Singer sewing machine which described how removing certain parts in the machine could better facilitate free motion embroidery, he recounted.
He spent many hours at the wheel researching, improvising, and adapting the machine’s functions to produce the results described in embroidery books. He also consulted Peter Lee, scholar and curator at the NUS Baba House for his wisdom and insights on Peranakan Chinese history.
Sure enough, his efforts paid off. “I am now conversant in many techniques and applications which I gained through sheer hard work and trial and error,” he said.
Kebaya for the modern woman
As one of the last remaining Kebaya makers in Singapore, Wong recognises the pressing need to do two things: groom the next generation of designers as well as make the kebaya more appealing to younger women.
To reignite interest in this fast fading trade, he believes it is imperative to educate the younger generation and make the craft accessible to them.
When he is not sewing, Wong promotes kebaya making by lecturing at LASALLE College of the Arts and participating in local initiatives such as the NHB’s Craft x Design programme, which gives local craft practitioners and designers a platform to showcase their works to new markets and audiences.
“It is essential for us to keep these dying art forms alive,” he maintained.
Beyond preserving the art of making kebayas, it is equally important to increase the demand for the traditional attire by aligning it with contemporary fashion.
Many factors have led to the decline in popularity of the kebaya after the 1970s, and Wong believes the rise of fast fashion in Singapore in the 1980s is one major reason.
Garments were being produced at a faster and cheaper rate, putting the kebaya—which he termed as “slow fashion” and costly to produce—at a disadvantage.
Wong is countering this trend in several ways. To capture the attention of fashionistas, one of Wong’s earliest attempts was to switch out traditional beading for Swarovski crystals on the kebaya. This sparked interest in younger women, who thought it made the kebaya look like an evening gown and were more willing to splurge on the clothing.
The explosive popularity of local television series The Little Nyonya in 2008 also made kebayas trendy for younger clients, sparking a revival of the outfit. “Some wanted to have a kebaya theme for their wedding,” he recalled.
Wong is currently finding ways to produce kebayas more efficiently too. For instance, he is exploring embroidery digitising software as a method to better transpose designs and map out embroidery directions.
“We need to modernise the craft of Peranakan embroideries through technology—to enhance its relevance and accessibility,” he said. “To pass down the craft, we should work together to reconnect with our generations to come.”
All images are credited to Raymond Wong and Mediacorp.
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