The legacy of the Rajasthan Strait steals attention.

KUCHING, 8 Oct: The inspired design of Ngepan Batang Rajang brought Kuching Community College to the Fashion Heritage Awards at PolyCC Fashion Week 2026 (POLYCCFW 2026) which took place at the Sari Stage, Kraftangan Centre, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur, recently.

Head of the Certificate Program in Fashion and Clothing at Kuching Community College, Nur Hakim Raifli said that the recognition proves elements of Sarawak's heritage can be translated into contemporary fashion design without losing its original identity.

According to him, the design retains the traditional features of Banga Rajang, especially the use and arrangement of beads, but is given a more modern touch to make it more accessible to the public.

"The difference we highlighted in this design is that the bead arrangement was designed with a more contemporary design to be more accessible and attractive to the public.

"That's what we try to convey without changing it too much to remove the origins of the design and we try to convey the design by integrating the original cultural heritage", he said when contacted TVS today.

Kuching Community College won the 2026 POLYCC Fashion Heritage Award

The design was produced by the final semester student of the Fashion and Clothing Certificate, Nur Alleya Izzati Mohamad Nizal as a final project for the Fashion Design Arts course in about two months, under the supervision of two lecturers: Jefferyson Adam Henry and Nur Hakim Raifli.

Nur Hakim said that participation in POLYCCFW 2026 also gives real world exposure to students, especially in applying skills in a practical way to produce fashion products.

"This achievement is actually in line with the aspirations of TVET because students not only study a program or course theoretically but also apply the skills learned practically to produce real products.

"Through research, the process of sewing clothes themselves and understanding our cultural heritage in producing a product, students can combine creativity with innovation", he said.

He said the competitive and fashion experience also helped students understand industry standards as well as challenges, thus opening up opportunities for them to venture into entrepreneurship and creative economics.

POLYCCFW 2026 themed Threads of Time brings together the participation of 18 Polytechnic institutions and Community Colleges across the country, consisting of 16 Community Colleges and two Polytechnics offering programs related to fashion and clothing.

The programme also features three main segments namely PolyCC Alumni, Heritage Collections and Contemporary Collections, as well as being a platform bringing together educational institutions, industry players and strategic partners in expanding student opportunities in the fashion sector and creative economy.