Nestled in the historic and tranquil town of Pekan, Pahang is the beautifully and lovingly restored Sultan Abu Bakar Museum which currently houses The Contemporary Malay Wedding Exhibition, a collaboration between Malaysia’s renowned designer, Bernard Chandran and the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum.
The exhibition explores Chandran’s unique and contemporary interpretations of traditional wedding attire, through a discerning selection of his own past and present designs as well as related film footage, archive photography and text.
Famed for his skill, craftsmanship and a highly innovative approach to women’s fashion, Malaysian-born Chandran has sourced some of the most iconic bridal outfits created throughout his award-winning career, for display within the The Contemporary Malay Wedding. Visitors to the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum will be able to fully appreciate the beauty and vibrancy of his design aesthetic at close range, in a multi-media setting which converges historical context with contemporary meaning.
With the approval of the Royal Family of Brunei, whom – along with artists and celebrities from the international entertainment industries – rank among Chandran’s most high profile clientele, the centrepiece to the exhibition is an array of original designs which he created specifically for some of their own Royal weddings, during the past two decades.
Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei
2012, Cake cutting ceremony
Fabric: French lace
Colour: Gold and turquoise
Design: Modern long Kurung, with lace-on-lace cut-work, with fully beaded embroidery and metal sequins
embellishments scattered with crystals
These remarkable creations have, with great generosity of spirit, been exclusively loaned to The Contemporary Malay Wedding from members of the Royal Family’s own personal archives. The exhibition includes, among many other must-see pieces, Chandran’s incredible designs for the 2005 wedding of Princess Hamidah, the daughter of Prince Jefri of Brunei; the 2007 wedding of Princess Majeedah, the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei; the 2012 wedding of Princess Hafizah, the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, in addition to the design notably made for and worn by Dr Halina Mohd Yunos, the wife of Malaysia’s first astronaut, for their wedding in 2010.
To further enhance The Contemporary Malay Wedding, bespoke mannequins have been commissioned and made in Paris, to perfectly fit each of Chandran’s designs and showcase his work to breath-taking effect. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to view original film footage from the Royal weddings, screened in continuous thirty-second clips upon nine flat screens: these bring further life and motion to Chandran’s designs, providing an opportunity to see them being worn in the celebratory settings for which they were originally intended. Furthermore, a fascinating series of archive Malaysian wedding photographs – spanning the decades from the 1950s, up to the present day – evocatively depicts the changing nature of bridal styles and aspirations from generation to generation.
2010, Official Wedding Dress
Fabric: Silver silk Lurex
Colour: Silver
Design: Modern Kurung, geometric design
Skirt in box-cut, with sharp-ice thread embroidery work, tube beading with 3-D effect, paired with crystals and metal beads
2012, Her official wedding dress
Fabric: Jong Sarat with traditional flower motif
Colour: Red and green flower on bronze base colour
Design: Embroidery red wire work on the neck, with applique on the sleeve and bottom of the dress
Skirt, A-line cut with aero- dynamic gathers at the back to show the modern age of the bride, in gold lace, fully embroidered with tube and sequins
Chandran has proudly acknowledged that it is every designer’s dream to curate an exhibition, in an amazing museum, which can resonate with visitors from near and afar and from all walks of life. In fact, the designer first collaborated with the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum back in 2012, when he designed and curated a contemporary collection there, using gorgeous Pahang Royal Silk. Building upon this past interaction with the Museum and Pekan, Chandran is especially keen for the local community to enjoy and feel involved in the rich sensory experience now offered by the The Contemporary Malay Wedding.
The Contemporary Malay Wedding : from June 27th, 2013, until February 27th, 2014.
The exhibition is open on Tuesdays to Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9.00am to 5.00pm; Fridays from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00 and close on Mondays. For more information, kindly contact tel: +609 422 1371, +609 422 1459.
