'Bustani' blossoms: Local designer revitalises Malay fashion in Southern Thailand

PATTANI - Amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing for the upcoming Eid celebration, the Muslim community in Southern Thailand, particularly the youth, continue to pay attention to fashion choices.

In addition to robes and tunics, colourful Baju Melayu (traditional Malay attire for men) are increasingly popular here, including those produced by local designers.

Seeing this trend, a local designer and enthusiast of Malay attire in Narathiwat, Muhammad Sabri Jehloh, 48, was inspired to create his own brand called ‘Bustani’ to meet the demand of local youths for this year's Eid celebration.

"Bustani (is) from Pattani for Pattani. It's a source of pride for the people of Pattani and stands as an exclusive brand competing with others in the market," Muhammad Sabri told Bernama recently.

He explained that "bustani" in Arabic means 'garden,' and in the context of designing Baju Melayu, it symbolises a shelter and gathering plalce for the Pattani community.

"Our initial inspiration to create our own Baju Melayu came from observing the annual gathering in Pattani on the third day of Eid, where between 10,000 to 15,000 young men and women dress in Baju Melayu," he said.

"It occurred to me, why not make the most of the chance and derive something from it?" he added.

Sabri mentioned that 10 per cent of the sales profit will be donated to the Palestine fund, and another 20 per cent will be used to establish sewing skill workshops specifically for single mothers in the area.

Meanwhile, a traditional Malay clothing and headgear merchant here, Ku Abdullah bin Ku Rambli, 32, said he is currently delving into knowledge about Malay attire from Malaysia.

"We Malays need to uphold our Malay heritage, including the traditional clothing of the Malay community. There has been widespread interest in the tanjak (traditional Malay headgear) in the past two years, to the extent that tanjak makers couldn't keep up with orders," he said. - BERNAMA