Kebaya shops see boost in sales after UNESCO listing, but worries grow over declining craft

Further down the street, Kebaya at Ratianah has been more successful in securing a next-generation successor.

The owner’s daughter, Ms Putri Nadirah, said she believes education and exposure from a young age is key in keeping the heritage dress alive for future generations.

“The kebaya itself is quite prominent in my culture, so the early exposure did help to encourage my love towards it,” she added.

“I grew up seeing my mother, my grandmother and all the beautiful ladies donning the kebaya, and that created such a special memory, as well as like intimacy in terms of remembering the strong ladies who wore it.”

Ms Putri noted, however, that the growing presence of fast fashion kebayas, which are often cheaper and produced with alternative materials, may erode the authenticity of the traditional silhouette.

“A different kind of fabric … might not be suitable for our weather, then, in the end, creates a certain idea that it might be uncomfortable to wear the kebaya itself,” she added.