#PotretRaya2019

A : My name is Adila Long. I am a creative director and fashion designer to my own self-named fashion label. I was born in Selangor but raised in Taman Melawati, Ulu Klang. My family and I have lived at the same area throughout our lives until today.

E : My name is Ezzati Amira. A fashion designer who started my very own label called Ezzati Amira. I was born in the middle of Ipoh, Perak at Klinik Bhajan and raised around the area of Gombak in Kuala Lumpur. My family and I eventually moved to Datuk Keramat and we have been residing at the same place since.

N : My name is Natrah Omar. I am currently working as the Regional Colour Marketing Manager of JOTUN Paint Malaysia. My family and I have been living in Kuala Lumpur throughout my entire life. We used to live in the city centre, nearby Vistana Hotel but am now staying in the same area as these two other girls at Taman Melawati, Ampang. We are basically neighbours!



Where did your family came from? And how was it like growing up in your household?

N : My father is still working as a businessman and my mother used to work at the bank in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. It’s the fast-paced city life but when we were younger, it was very different then. We had no iPhones. Nothing digital. We played with each other outside through games like congkat, batu seremban and baling selipar.

E : We could all definitely relate to that. When I was younger, my mother was just a housewife but both my parents are working together now. There was definitely more physical interaction back in the day. We were indeed quite lucky to be the generation to have lived between the no-internet time to now where everything is virtually connected.

A : I guess through this interview, you can tell that we're of similar age. Both my parents used to work in the bank in the city too. My late father used to be a finance director. My mother is still working as a banker now. Back then, we had no option but to be resourceful and innovative to look for new things to play with. Our parents really just allowed us to go all out and be creative with what we had then.




What strikes your emotional chord every time you think about your family?

A : It reminds me of how I’ve managed to gather the courage to start a business on my own. Since we were young, my thrifty father would constantly give us precautionary advice about our finances — ‘don’t forget to save your money’. It was the same with my mother. She may not be a businesswoman but I have learnt a lot from through all the risk-taking opportunities she took on too. Her entrepreneurial spirit has always been there whenever she attempts to sell batik fabrics from Kelantan and Terengganu to her colleagues in the office. To witness their relentless spirit whenever it comes to the decision-making of the business and finance aspect gets to me everytime.

E : As the first child in the family, I do have to mention that I was that one rebellious child who grew up under quite a strict household. It was probably the same for Adila, Natrah and I because we were experimenting with different things throughout our teenage years. If I had not gone through such a hard time with my family - especially my father - I would have not repented and be as strong as the personI am now. My mother was always the soft-hearted person. She would call me everyday to ask if I'd be home for dinner. It was really a tough love relationship between my father and I.




How do you handle trying to balance a career as a working women and needing to prioritize family at the same time?

N : I tend to travel abroad frequently for work. There will be times where I need to leave family behind for long periods but in the midst of a busy schedule, I always find the time for family. It is not a question, more of a priority of mine.

E : There has not really been a balance for me since I started my own fashion label. My fashion schedule is different because I am more focused on Ready-To-Wear compared to Adila who does more custom garments. RTW is a beast on it’s own because you have to work on it at least a year ahead. So, yes I do feel that there has not been a balance at all between family or friends. It could also be because my team is still small in size. It depends on how intense the schedule is for that month too. Alhamdulillah, my friends and family understands that.

A : As a fashion designer and a mother to two children of 6 months and 6 years old, I understood from the start that having a support system is one of the most important part to this. Without it, I would not be able to travel as frequent for work and I will not be able to run my own fashion label.

What is the one thing you always feel nostalgic about when reminiscing about your past Raya celebrations?

A : The Malam Raya which is known as the eve of Raya before the first Syawal had always been a significant moment. The anticipation gets to me every year. The excitement runs through me every eve of it, leaving me sleepless and by the morning when I wake up. The question that instantly runs through your mind is ‘Dah habis puasa? Can we already makan?'

E : I have always felt incredibly nostalgic about the process of buying, writing and sending out Raya cards to family and friends. There was this thing where you have to count the amount of cards you received at the end of Raya and the numbers used to determine how popular you were.

N : My kampung is in Kuala Lumpur and I missed how much effort we used to put into preparing for Raya. The decorations, the food, the buying of fireworks. The gathering of relatives between my family has become a lot more simple.




Describe what your Raya celebration looks like.

N : It has been about 5 years now where I would have an annual Raya gathering between my family and close friends during the first night of Raya. Something for those celebrating Raya in the city centre. I know that most of us now rather celebrate Raya in Kuala Lumpur instead of going back to their hometown.

E : I would visit Natrah during the first day of Raya, if I am not heading to my cousin’s place. My grandparent’s house in Ipoh has already been sold and most of my relatives have recently moved to Kuala Lumpur. It is not the same anymore, and my grandparents would be the first to complain about the authenticity of the rendang.

A : My grandparents used to stay separately with my parents and I. Since my late-grandfather has passed away, we don't have a kampung to go back to anymore. It’s different in the sense that we no longer feel the anticipation to going back. My grandmother now stays together with my mother and aunts in Kuala Lumpur. But, we do get together for the Hari Raya prayers, sunat prayers and for an annual family photo portrait with everyone. It’s less elaborate as before.     

Do you have a particular song, movie or film that brings back those Raya memories?

A : Any Raya oldies by M. Nasir, Saloma or P. Ramlee are some of my all-time favourites. It’s difficult to decide on just one.

E : The infamous comedy show, Senario always makes me laugh.

N : The Balik Kampung track by Sudirman is it for me. It really gives us the nostalgic feel during Raya.



(L-R)
Ezzati wears the Elia in Burgundy (coming soon).
Adila wears the Mawar in Bronze (coming soon).
Natrah wears the Camelia in Burgundy.

Ezzati wears Petit Moi. (Website | Instagram)
Adila wears Tangsi. (Instagram)
Natrah wears the Sueka Sueka. (Website | Instagram)
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Photos by Amani
Styling by Haida Yusof
Set by Aida
Background by Miriam

Aisha Jamaluddin Aziz is a currently in Grade 9 at The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) and is part of the Life Centred Education (LCE) programme. At 16 years old, Aisha is quick-witted and sometimes feels more like an old-soul when you begin to converse with her. A bright talent who has her set her goals to one day study in Sweden.

A : I am Aisha Jamaluddin and am turning 16 years old this year. I am born and raised here in Kuala Lumpur.

H : My name is Hana Jamaluddin and I was born in Petaling Jaya. Aisha has mostly lived here but before this we were living everywhere from the United States, Japan, England, Singapore, Kuwait to India. We had the opportunity to travel quite a bit.

Where did your family come from? And how was it like growing up in your household?

A : Our household can get very chaotic. It is really the survival of the fittest.

H : We live in an animal kingdom. Aisha lives with my side of the family.There's grandma and we have aunties and cousins living with us. I think she has quite an amazing family life, different compared to what I grew up with. When we had to live in different countries, we had no choice but to ensure that we treat each other like our support system. We didn’t have anyone else to support us. I am very happy that Aisha had such an experience. When we moved back to Malaysia, Aisha was only 2 years old. I knew that I wanted the support of a larger family when I raised her. I am glad that's how it is today.





What strikes your emotional chord every time you think about your family?

H : We have a motto that all of us embrace, no matter where we go. It is family above everything. We have learnt that family is something that you can rely on and it gives me so much joy just spending time with them. As I turn 52 years old this year, it became clear to me that certain things in life just cannot be compared to family. But of course, there are sacrifices that needs to be made and that teaches you a lot about life. The moment you figure out the answers to life’s questions and put them in the right perspective, it will all begin to make sense.

A : Our family is my ultimate foundation and turning 16 years old this year really had taught me so much.

What were some of your earliest creative memories with your family?

A : There were no arts and crafts classes for me. It was more sporty especially when I have a family who has been very involved with outdoor sports like polo and horse riding.

H : I have to say one of my earliest creative memories would be something related with horses and polo too. My passion for horses has been developed since a young age by my family. It has stayed with me throughout the years. We still do today together at Bukit Kiara Park and we are grateful to have travelled everywhere that had allowed us to ride horses.

A : I was told by my mother that I technically rode my first horse when i was only 2 months young. It was during one of our vacations at The Shangri-La’ Rasa-Sayang Resort in Penang.



Describe to us how your annual Raya celebration looks like.

A : Our Raya celebrations focuses heavily on family. We only started celebrating Raya at Rembau after the family house was ready. It is a new thing for our family. Rembau is a place where we will have our big family gatherings, especially on the first day.

H : After being away from Malaysia for quite some time, I came to a realization that Raya is such an important time for family. It doesn't matter where Raya is celebrated. Unfortunately, some years the family was split up because a few of us were traveling, in school or at work.

What is the one thing you always feel nostalgic about when reminiscing about your past Raya celebrations?

A :  I am not very nostalgic about Raya but maybe the takbir which is something that can only be heard during Raya.

H : I think she is too young to have nostalgia.  I have a tons of them! It is always a must for us to visit my father’s graveyard. Always emotional and a bit of a tear-jerker, every now and then. It always makes me feel something whenever I think of him. He has been gone for too long.

Do you have a particular song, movie or film that brings back Raya memories?

A : The takbir raya always gets to me. When we have the opportunity to celebrate Raya back here, there would be men visiting from our local mosque to initiate the takbir raya which announces the commencement of Raya.

H : It is the same for me. The call for prayer is all I need. Unfortunately, we never listened to a lot of P. Ramlee or Sudirman like what most would usually do.

Aisha wears the Mutiara in Gold.
Hana wears the Seroja in White (coming soon).

Both wear Sueka Sueka. 
Check out their Instagram for more.

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Photos by Amani
Styling by Haida Yusof
Set by Aida
Background by Miriam

E : Seremban is our mother’s hometown. We were born there but moved to Kuala Lumpur soon after. Right now we would only head back to Seremban for Raya. It’s quite different now especially when our grandparents are no longer around.

Where did your family came from? And how was it like growing up in your household?

E : Our father is Pakistani. In our household, in terms of language, we would speak mostly in English because of him. He was brought up by his family to converse in English.

R : He used to not be able to speak properly in Malay. So, we end up speaking English at home. It has always been mixed for us. Our mother is Malay but before this she had a bit of a difficulty trying to understand and speak in English. She has picked up more of it now.

What strikes your emotional chord every time you think about your family?

R : The thought of my parents will always be bittersweet because I was quite a rebel and there were times that my parents could not see the reason why I acted that way. It was mostly my father who was particular about specific things. After I got married and finally moved out of the house, I started to realize that I missed both my parents more now and I guess you could say, it took moving out to not take them for granted.

E : Whenever I think about the distant age gap between my sister and I - 8 years. I am 21 years old and she's turning 29 this year - I start to think about how my parents aren't getting any any younger and I may not have much time left to spend with them. That thought always hits me when I'm asked about family.

What were some of your earliest memories when you got to first found out about fashion?

E : It all started with our mother. She used to dress us in different styles when we were younger. However, for kakak she sort of ventured into her own style as she grew.

R : To add to that, I only started to pick up fashion properly after working for the first time with a fashion company. That was when I started to pick up trends, know of the different designer and brand names and got to understand how things work in the industry. Before that, it was simple. Only knowing the industry on the surface level through social media.

E : The other thing to it now is that our mother is the one who frequently purchases new clothes for us. When we were both a little younger, we would get called for castings and photo shoots and our mother would be very supportive of it. Our father did not understood it then but became more accepting of it eventually. She would bring us for castings and take our photos, getting overly excited when she directs us on how to pose for photographs. I guess it was because she used to be a model herself when she was younger.



Describe to us how your annual Raya celebration looks like.

R : It’s not what you would might think with 30 or more people in a house. Nothing like that and it can get quiet because it only consists of our immediate family. The first day of Raya for us begins with morning breakfast at home then we will do the salam raya. We are usually dressed in our normal clothes or sometimes cotton baju kurung.

E : After that, we'll head back to Seremban and visit our grandparents' graveyard. We'll typically leave home by 10am and when we reach, it will be blazing hot in the afternoon. Since our grandparents have left, it has been very different.

R : They were definitely the backbone of our Raya festivities among the family, especially our grandmother.

What is the one thing you always feel nostalgic about when reminiscing about your past Raya celebrations? 

E : What's nostalgic for me is when we used to play with the fireworks every time we head back to our kampung in Seremban. It was something I looked forward to. We almost never play it here.

R : Elysha might not have a lot of memories with our grandparents because she was still young then. For me, I had the opportunity to actually stay at our hometown for a longer period during Ramadan. I would go back to Seremban probably a week before the actual day of Raya during the start of the school holiday. The kampung life — being awaken by the loud crowing of the rooster in the morning. Our grandmother used to run a canteen for offices and will begin cooking early in the morning.

What do you both plan on wearing for this year’s Aidilfitri celebration?

E : I think something comfortable is good especially when the weather in Seremban can get extremely hot. I am also gravitating towards pastel colours this time round.

R : Definitely, prioritizing comfort for me too. Taking into consideration that there will be plenty of traveling involved, visiting different places and the people of Seremban dresses simple. You really do not want to end up wearing anything that's over-the-top.

 Roselyn wears the Intan in Gold.
Elysha wears the Intan in Burgundy.

Roselyn's baju kurung is from ANAABU.
Find them on Instagram too.

Elysha's baju kurung is from MKita by Mimpikita.
Discover more on their Instagram.

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Photos by Amani
Styling by Haida Yusof
Set by Aida
Background by Miriam

C : My name is Cheryl Samad. I was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur and have never lived out of the city.

P : My name is Ng Ping Ho and I think we are similar in that sense where I was also born and raised here. In fact, it was right in the centre of the city. I never needed to go elsewhere for Raya, until I met Cheryl.

Where did your family came from? And how was it like growing up in your household?

C : My family is quite mixed as my father is Malay and my mother is Eurasian with Portuguese mixed in her blood. The family feels like a concoction of different races and religion because we celebrate everything you possibly could think of in Malaysia from Christmas, Chinese New Year to Hari Raya. For us, celebrating Deepavali is just another excuse for us to have more parties together. We are a very close-knitted family and is incredibly supportive of each other.

P : It has always been a Kuala Lumpur affair for my family. We have always been based in the city and I used to lived in my grandmother’s house. Her house used to be located at the Grand Millenium Hotel, in the middle of the the bustling city. An area now known by many as Bukit Bintang.



What were some of your earliest creative memories with your family?

C : My mother’s side used to sing a lot at home. I am the middle child with an older sister and a younger brother. We used to put up our own concerts and every kid in the house had to perform something. Not forgetting, flyer-making to even dressing up. The one song that was a hit amongst us had always been ‘The Sound Of Music’ then. There was always a need for someone to be the host and I, naturally became the host. It’s second-nature for me. So, when I started to work a professional emcee, it was all very organic.

P : Unfortunately, neither of my parents were creative individuals as one was an accountant and another, an electrical engineer. They were individuals who were not motivated to create things. The influence actually came from my family’s babysitter who was oh-so talented at drawing. Both of my siblings are older than me and I am the youngest in the family. One works as an architect and the second brother, graduated with a degree in Marketing but is basically pursuing what I am doing at the moment, trying out different things. It is interesting to see how our babysitter's creativity affected our creative pursuits.

How do you both handle a career while needing to prioritize family at the same time?

C : My work is quite flexible. It leaves me with plenty of time to look after our children. Ping and I came to an understanding that I will slow down my career to look after our kids until they become more grown up. Ping has a busy schedule but is quite hands-on when it comes to the kids.

P : I am no longer directing and screenwriting, and if I carried on with that you will probably not see us here. Making time for family is important.



Describe to us how your annual Raya celebration looks like.

C : To begin with, our pre-Raya celebration is pretty much like everyone else. I always make sure my kids are prepared before the rest. And by the time that's done, I'll realise that I have nothing to wear and that'll be at the very last minute. Stella and Kate are usually comfortably dressed in something they can easily run around in. Once our kids are all dressed, I will start getting ready. Ping, on the other hand, has been dressed in the same baju Raya every year.

P : The story to that is, a few years ago, I made a good set of baju melayu in dark navy colour. After my first time wearing it, I told Cheryl that I am set. I have been wearing it ever since. It is my favourite colour and made out of good quality linen material. This is just what I wear every year. The glittery sheen on materials does bother me.



What is the one thing you always feel nostalgic about when reminiscing about your past Raya celebrations?

C : My father was born in Segamat and I always reminisce about our large gatherings. I enjoy having the time to catch up with each family member and how we will always be welcoming a new baby into the family every year. For us, it is important to have our children be in touch with their roots and see their extended family in a kampung setting.

P : My Raya are her Raya’s. Whenever we go back to Segamat to her father’s side, I try to find my way to Nam Heong, a kopitiam known for their black coffee and homemade kaya. That is something I always think about whenever it comes to Raya.

Do you have a particular song, movie or film that brings back those Raya memories?

C :  Menjelang Hari Raya by DJ Dave is an instant classic for me. It always makes me very happy when I hear it.



Cheryl wears the Lily in White.

Cheryl wears a top from ANAABU.
Check out their Instagram here.

Ping Ho and daughters, Stella and Kate wear Petit Moi.
Find more on their Instagram here.

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My name is Emma Shazleen and I was raised in Kuala Lumpur. I have always been a city girl and have lived here my entire life.

Where did your family came from? And how was it like growing up in your household?

My father grew up in the state of Kedah. My mother was originally born in Singapore but she moved to Malaysia after they both got married. There are five of us siblings in total, including me who is the youngest in the family. It can get quite chaotic because I have 4 older sisters. Girls being girls, we can be quite mischievous towards each other. But I would not have it, any other way. We are each other’s support system like best friends.

What strikes your emotional chord every time you think about your family?

The question you asked made me think about how I became more open and became less of a private person now after having children. Before this, I had the tendency to feel quite disconnected and would instantly head into my room after dinner with the family. It has turned out to be so different after having children because it forces me to instill more family values. I am grateful that my three children has made me that way,

What were some of your earliest memories when you first found out about fashion?

I first developed an interest in fashion after giving birth to my first child. I was more plump before and never had the confidence like I do, today. During high school, I gained a little more weight but it was after marriage when I had my first child that I started losing a lot of weight. Most of it was due to the breast-feeding routine I went through. Funny enough, that had had given me the confidence and the courage to be dressed in anything now.

It helps that my mother is already a stylish individual herself. Our mother would constantly remind us that we will have to learn how to dress and present ourselves better to the outside world. From learning how to correctly put on makeup to learning how to walk in heels, just because.



Describe to us how your annual Raya celebration looks like.

Usually, my distant relatives will already be in Kuala Lumpur before the first day of the festivities. We do not need to head back to our ‘kampung’ anymore as most of us are now based in the city. I am sure, most of us do the same with the family - breakfast in the morning before the ‘Salam Raya‘ By lunch time, we will head to our relatives houses around the city and you can say that throughout the entire month, we will be quite occupied with open houses not just by families but with friends and people who I used to work with as well.

What is your thought-process when it comes to finding the right outfits for you and your three children during Raya Aidilfitri?

Every Raya, my family and I will get together to decide on a theme for our outfits based on colours. Once the theme is decided, we will begin to hunt for our outfits whether it is through e-com sites, social media or in-store.

If there happens to be nothing that catches our eye, we would normally custom make our outfits. We show them what we want by referencing high fashion looks, sometimes it’s a hit or miss. I try to choose an outfit that will make me stand out, it has to be perfectly cut considering I am petite in size. The thing about local designer labels or brands is that they mostly cater for someone with an average or taller height. Whereas for the children, i keep it simple by choosing a comfortable outfit that they can run in and making sure their colour matches the rest of the family.

Do you have a particular song, movie or film that brings back those Raya memories?

Before I got married, my family and I would head back to our kampung together. One of our favourite Raya pastime is to watch P. Ramlee movies. It’s an all-time classic for us. Recently, everyone has moved into the city so there is no kampung anymore. Celebrating Raya back in the kampung compared to being in the city is so different. I miss it so much.

Emma wears the Ruby in Burgundy.

Emma's kebaya top is from Tangsi.

Her sons are wearing Petit Moi.
More on their Instagram here.

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