BRIDE’S AUNT DESIGNED WEDDING DRESS
Tenun Pahang DiRaja fabric woven by Penor inmates
MANY were left wondering who was the designer behind the simple yet stylish baju kurung Teluk Belanga that Johor princess Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Sultan Ibrahim wore on her wedding day for the bersanding.
Which famous fashion personality was behind it? Was it a local couturier? Was the cloth from a glamorous fashion capital?
Turns out, the designer is the bride’s aunt, Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, and the material used was woven by inmates of Pahang’s Penor Prison.
In a Twitter post, Tunku Azizah revealed that her niece wore a baju kurung Teluk Belanga made of Tenun Pahang DiRaja fabric.
She said the material was woven by inmates from the Penor prison.
“At my niece’s wedding, Tunku Tun Aminah is wearing a baju kurung made out of Tenun Pahang DiRaja (fabric), designed by me. (It) was woven by inmates of Penor Prison,” the post read.
Created using traditional looms showcasing decorative textiles enhanced with unique manufacturing techniques, the Tenun Pahang DiRaja is a hand-woven high quality fabric.
It was originally called Tenun Pahang, but its mark of excellence in producing exclusive textiles, especially for the Pahang royalty, saw it elevated to royal in 2006 by Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah.
More than 200 inmates focus on weaving Tenun Pahang Diraja in the Bentong and Penor prisons in Pahang.
Inmates in Marang Prison and patients in a correctional centre in Dungun, Terengganu, focus on songket, while patients in a correctional centre in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, focus on batik.
Tunku Azizah is a frequent visitor to Penor Prison, and supports the inmates in their efforts to produce Tenun Pahang DiRaja.
Tunku Tun Aminah was married to Dutchman Dennis Muhammad Abdullah on Monday in a ceremony steeped in Johor royal tradition and customs.
She was praised for having a simple yet elegant wedding ceremony at Istana Bukit Serene in Johor Baru.
The newly-wed couple then had their bersanding ceremony at the Throne Room of the Istana Besar Johor Baru.