Singapore · Beadwork / Embroidery / Costume Making
Kasut Manek / Sulam Kebaya Peranakan
Singapore's Peranakan beadwork and kebaya making tradition is the last surviving urban instance of a craft that was once practiced across the Straits Settlements. The Singapore tradition encompasses two related but distinct skills: kasut manek (glass bead slippers — cross-reference CRAFT-0235 for the Penang/Melaka parallel) and sulam kebaya (embroidery on the sheer voile or organza kebaya blouse). The Singapore tradition is notable for two departures from the Malaysian parallel: Raymond Wong — one of Singapore's last Peranakan kebaya makers — is male, breaking the exclusively female transmission of the tradition in Malaysia; and Heath Yeo, a fashion design graduate, represents a new generation learning sulam embroidery from established masters. Both were recognized through NHB's Craft X Design program (2021 and 2024–25), providing an unusual level of institutional documentation for Singapore craft practitioners. The beadwork grid technique (one bead per canvas square) is as described in CRAFT-0235 — what distinguishes the Singapore records is the practitioner lineage, the male transmission, and the institutional revival context.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Kebaya inscribed on UNESCO Representative List 2024 (multinational — Singapore co-nominated); kasut manek not separately inscribed
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