KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 —Inspired by their rich Peranakan heritage, Gwyneth Lim and Melissa Chan decided to start up a business honouring the beautiful Nyonya kebaya.
Previously partners in an advertising firm, Lim & Chan (who has since left to pursue other interests) decided to fashion cushions out of old kebayas last year and name the business Ahnya-Chi which is a term of endearment for a young Nyonya.
For Ahnya-Chi’s first collection of Kebaya Chi cushions, they used beautiful kebayas plucked from their own family’s collection. These were all one-off pieces, where the elaborate embroidered bottom tips of the kebaya were cut and sewn to create a set of two cushions. Each Kebaya Chi cushion also came with individual names like Dolly-Chi, Molly-Chi, Daisy-Chi and Rosie-Chi -- the type of names popular with Nyonyas back then.
“My mother is Peranakan and kebayas are part of her heritage. I appreciate the craftsmanship and the intricate details of kebaya. At the beginning, I couldn’t tell the difference but now, I can tell whether a kebaya is good quality,” said Lim.
Ahnya-Chi also offers Berlian patchwork cushions made from rough-cut diamond patterns of modern batik prints, which are sewn together to create a seamless looking patchwork pattern. The design of these cushions pay tribute to the thrifty and innovative Nyonya grandmothers or mothers who would give new life to scraps of cloth, converting them into patchwork cushions.
Since each Kebaya Chi cushion is one of a kind, some customers were frustrated because they couldn’t get the same design once it was sold. With this feedback in mind, Lim decided to design the cushions’ embroidered motifs in her latest Straits collection before sending them out to the tailor to embroider into cushions, using traditional methods. Lim and the artisans work on the designs together using traditional motifs and thread colours of their choice.
“To meet the demand, I decided to standardise the cushions, keeping it to four types of designs. I will be launching two colours first, the Baby-Chi in baby blue and Ah Beat-Chi in dusty pink as these were the most popular colours from the previous collection. I think they are popular because these are the colours of that era.
“The Winnie-Chi in ebony will be released at the same time. In August, I will release the Nancy-Chi in apple green. Instead of sewing kebaya pieces onto cushions, I decided to do it this way so that it looks more finished,” said Lim.
She adapts traditional patterns to make them stand out even more by designing the flowers to be larger in size. For the first collection where existing kebaya pieces were cut and sewn on the cushions, it didn’t look as neat.
By designing the embroidered patterns and sending them to the tailor, the pattern becomes part of the cushion as opposed to being just sewn on. Lim’s design emphasis is on florals like the peony, lotus and orchids. For her, designing for
Ahnya-Chi is all about mixing and matching, as she is cherishing the old and creating new things.
The brand started out as a project last year but it only became a business this January. Ahnya-Chi approached DESIGNation, an incubator for Malaysian-made designers, to feature their cushions. Most of the first batch of cushions were sold at DESIGNation although you can also find Ahnya-Chi cushions at Kita-Kita, Damansara Heights and the Baba & Nyonya Museum in Malacca.
Lim will also be launching the Baba collection along with the new batch of cushions. They are the new generation of Berlian cushions, featuring a more modern and neutral design, which are ideal for homes without any Asian influences. “These patchwork cushions personify the Peranakan gentleman for a living room,” said Lim.
According to Lim, the Baba collection has four versatile configurations where pieces of patterned and plain textured fabric are mixed together. One of the four designs include support cushions in a single-coloured patchwork design. The remaining three designs consist of different groups of colour variations.
Going beyond just cushions, Ahnya-Chi recently collaborated with Stephanie Ng Design to make lamps out of their kebaya and patchwork designs. The kebaya embroidery light is called Emily while the patchwork light is called Rhom. These will be available for pre-order.
When decorating your home with Ahnya-Chi’s Kebaya Chi cushions, it’s best to treat them differently from your typical square cushions.
“I call them accent cushions because they enhance just like earrings. I love colours and accessories and I enjoy making things beautiful in a subtle way,” said Lim.
Since the launch, Lim noticed that there is a timeless appeal for Kebaya Chi cushions from ladies of all ages. Surprisingly, most of Ahnya-Chi’s customers are locals.
Will there be a chance Ahnya-Chi will open their own physical store in the future?
“I need to perfect things more first and have more control over the quality. I will expand the business if I can handle it. Hopefully, in the future I can design the fabrics too. I have plans to create a bedroom set and I’m also looking at block printing and machine printing. It is nice to do something that’s both modern and traditional,” said Lim.
Ahnya-Chi’s Straits Collection with three designs; Baby-Chi, Ah Beat-Chi and Winnie-Chi are currently available at DESIGNation while the Nancy-Chi design will only be available in August. If you are interested, pre-orders are available. Kindly email [email protected] for pre-orders. Details can also be found on the website http://www.ahnyachi.com
