Pioneering the Future of Sabahan Fashion
nabalunews
21 March 2025
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s rich textile heritage is stepping into the future with new found confidence in colour.
The Colour Harmony Workshop, a collaboration betweenChanteek Borneo and GLEAM Studio under the" Rintis Pengkomersilan Inovasi Sosial program" funded by Yayasan Inovasi Malaysia (YIM), has empowered local designers and entrepreneurs to harness the science of colour in their craft.
The workshop was part of Chanteek Borneo’s Bengkel Pemasaran Colour Profiling initiative,designed to help designers, textile entrepreneurs, and fashion industry players integrate strategic colour application into their designs—preserving and innovating Sabah’s cultural heritage for a global audience.
During her closing remarks, Anne Antah, founder of Chanteek Borneo, spoke about the challenges in preserving and evolving ethnic motifs in modern fashion.
Traditionally, the selection of colours for indigenous patterns has relied purely on instinct and observation, withouta structured formula. This, she explained, has made it dificult to adapt and innovate these motifs for contemporary use.
Without a deeper understanding of colour, local designers risklimiting their work to familiar black-and-white tones, instead of expanding their palettes to suit both local and global markets.
She expressed hope that this workshop would not only benefit Chanteek Borneo’s designers but also equip fashion entrepreneurs across Sabah with theknowledge and tools to elevate their work.
Participants from established companies such as Kristal Handal and Mahabbah Tailor,alongside independent designers from Kota Marudu and Telupid, engaged in an intensivehands-on learning experience.
Many shared that before this workshop, colour selection hadalways been a challenge, often based on intuition rather than method.
The introduction of colour analysis principles allowed them to see colour from a new perspective—making design choices easier and more intentional.
As facilitators of the workshop, GLEAM Studio introduced a structured approach to colourselection that extends beyond aesthetics.
With expertise in personal colour analysis, branding,and design, co-founders Adelina and Fara guided participants through the fundamentals of hue,value, and chroma, demonstrating how these elements influence not just design, but also brandperception and customer appeal.
“We see colour as more than just an artistic choice—it’s a strategic tool for personal branding,business growth, and industry innovation,” said Adelina and Fara, co-founders of Gleam.
“Ourgoal is to help local designers leverage colour theory to strengthen their work, refine their brandidentity, and create designs that can compete on a larger stage.
"For many attendees, the workshop transformed how they approach colour. Some shared howdificult it had been to advise clients on suitable colour choices, while others admitted that theyhad always relied on gut feeling rather than structured knowledge. "
Seeing colour from ascientific perspective gave them the confidence to integrate these principles into their work,whether in designing garments, selecting fabrics, or styling clients.
The Colour Harmony Workshop is a significant step towards advancing Sabah’s textile andfashion industry by equipping local designers and artisans with the knowledge to elevate traditional motifs through strategic colour use.
By combining heritage with innovation, Sabahan designers are now better positioned to expand their reach—strengthening the local industry while making a sustainable impact on the global fashion scene.
Comments