SABAH ETHNO COLLECTION BY JEFFIE JEFF - PART TWO

Ola Darlings!

It's been exactly a month since my last post and you can't imagine how much I missed sharing with you the many events ( both personal and passion-wise ) that have been happening to me for the past couple of weeks! 

Anyways now I'm finally back again with another new post and this is a follow up to my previous post, also with the same title. As you already know I have been creating pieces inspired by my beautiful homeland - SABAH and here are my latest creations which I have been crazily completing last month in the festive spirit of Kaamatan! 

So without further ado, I present to you 

Sabah Ethno Collection by Jeffie Jeff - Part 2 :

 Kicking off this post is my design for Unduk Ngadau Papar 2014 - Debbie Colette Christopher which naturally drew influences from the Kadazan Tribe of the Papar District.

Since the original Papar costume had white ruffles, I decided to interpret that idea and turn it into the top ruffled part of the dress which reminds me of Flamenco dancers! Also since this year KDCA implemented the new ruling that all evening gown designs have to be fully inspired by their respective districts, I had to keep the overall theme to black and gold.

To further highlight the Papar District identity, I added this handmade cross-stich motif commonly known locally as 'Langkit' or 'Linangkit' to the waist section to further cinch her figure.

 Basically my idea was to create a classic black dress with ethnic influences suitable for Red Carpet events and here was the outcome. Sometimes less is more and that is why I love the simplicity this dress carries because I like my designs to be wearable!

Back View of The Dress 

This dress also made another appearance during the Unduk Ngadau DBKK 2014 Gala Night for another  finalist.

Moving on to the next creation, I present to you

Charming Huminodun :

This next design was for Unduk Ngadau Beaufort 2014 - Christine Ferra Mojiun and was actually the last creation that I made among all designs featured in this post. 

Naturally inspired by the bright yellow, red and greens of the traditional Beaufort costume, I decided to go for a more elegant approach to this evening gown by giving this design classic off shoulder sleeves.

Continuing to the next design, I give you

Runduk Tosindak :

This design was my entry for the Unduk Ngadau DBKK 2014 Gala Night and was inspired the Kadazandusun Community as a whole because I felt that since Kota Kinabalu is the state capital of Sabah, why not create a design that captured the essence of North Borneo?

So for this this creation I took influences from Kadazan, Dusun and Murut motifs and tried my best to infuse them into one look which can be seen in the details of intricate weaving, beading and traditional lace work.

Also pushing myself in terms of innovation, I tried to include tree bark material into my designs as the Murut Tribes are known for using it in the mens traditional costume. Kadazan Penampang influences can be seen through the gold braid and buttons featured at the neckline and also at the waist fabric section which was deliberately included to emulate the 'Selendang Bobohizan' or Priestess' Sash used during rituals. Sashes are also worn by women during the Sumazau Dance.

The belt piece also made another appearance at Unduk Ngadau Tenom 2014 Gala Night which was paired with another dress to create a different look.

Finally moving on to my last design,

Unduk Eleganza 2.0

Finally we have reached my last masterpiece for this post and there are actually two reasons why this design has been named Unduk Eleganza 2.0. 

The first is because this design has actually been upgraded/modified from an existing, previous creation and is sort of a tribute to the original design. Second reason is that I can't think of a better name for this creation! Check out the original design HERE!

Basically the original idea of this design was to showcase my innovation by using the traditional woven fabric 'Dastar' which is generally used by the Kadazan Dusun and Bajau Community as a Traditional Headgear among the men.

I then added the bottom part of this design with woven fabric to give it a more sophisticated look as opposed to the original design which was more of a casual cocktail dress. Judging by many entries this year, I noticed that actually many Sabahans have been inspired by Unduk Eleganza and in turn have created their own version of woven dresses.

I guess you can say that I'm flattered because I DID I FIRST!

Whew! I feel tired even talking about it but I'm glad to be able to share it with everyone. Looks like now I am able to pull off a complete fashion showcase now with my collection of designs! So looking forward to the day. 

So we have come to the end of this post. Which dresses are your favourite? Do lemme know in the comments section below and don't forget to share!

Also special Thank You to all the amazing photos from respective photographers in this post. I didn't crop out their watermark to showcase their amazing work!

Till Next Time,