Appreciasian Magazine

E D I T O R ’ S N O T E S
Appreciasian magazine embraces the significance of its name,
to appreciate Asia and the diversity of cultures within. Escape
into foreign countries and travel through Asia page by page
while discovering the rich cultures each nation has to offer.
Appreciasian magazine intends to cultivate readers to gain a
refined understanding and knowledge on a variety of cultures
from the East to the South of Asia. The magazine portrays
an array of graceful female traditional attires represented
by each Asian country, celebrating different forms of beauty
with the use of patterns and textiles. Explore through the
1 2
threads from distinct, vibrant fabrics in this exhibition of
visual photographs displayed. The magazine is of value to
me as a Hong Kong born Nepalese woman as I can relate
to these traditions and have encountered several clashes of
identities while having to conform to various cultures throughout
my life, moving overseas from one country to another.
Anima Gurung
E D I T O R
P H O T O G R A P H E R
H A I R & M A K E U P A R T I S T
G R A P H I C
D E S I G N E R

K O R E A
3 4
The traditional dress known as hanbok for
Koreans have been worn for thousands of
years since the Joseon period, and is still
worn for special occasions such as holidays,
weddings and funerals. During ancient
times, the hanbok was worn according to
social status to indicate the social rank differentiating
between royals and upper
classes to lower classes. Koreans of
higher position would accessorise with
expensive jewellery to common people who
were restricted to undyed plain clothes.

Hanbok
Jeogori - jeogori is the upper traditional
garment of the hanbok
Dongjeong - refers to the collar attached
along the rim of the neckline. It contrasts and
harmonizes with the overall curve of the neck
5 6
Otgoreum - an ornamental piece which hangs
vertically across the front of the chima
Baerae - the lower lines of the sleeve,
featuring a naturally curved circular line
Chima - women's outer skirt, there are several
variations of the chima ranging from singlelayered,
double-layered and quilted

J A P A N
K I M O N O
日 本
7 8
J A P A N E S E O G I F A N
A T T R A C T I V E
A L T E R N A T I V E
Kimono simply translates to "a thing to
wear" in Japanese and is recognised
worldwide as a statement piece within
the fashion industry. The kimono consists
of a full-length silk-made, loose garment
with wide sleeves and is occasionally
tied with a sash, known as obi. There
are different types of lengths and sleeve
sizes of kimonos and are all worn for
different purposes. A long kimono would
be worn formally whereas a short
kimono would be worn casually. Kimonos
are normally covered in floral patterns of
the Japanese sakura blossoms. There
are also differences between a kimonos
that a married woman would wear
compared to an unmarried woman.

C H I N A
中 国
Qipao
9 10
Qipao also known as cheongsam is
a one piece Chinese dress design
with floral patterns. It first appeared
in 1911 when the Qing dynasty had
ruled China since 1644. China
wanted to modernize immediately
both in its politics and its economy.
It was ruled to allow women to
gain more freedom which as an
outcome affected their clothing
to a modern fashion for comfort.
C H I N A T O W N
N I G H T L I F E

11 12
F O U N T A I N O F Y O U T H

Kira is the national dress for women in Bhutan
Wonju - long sleeved blouse made out of silk, polyester or
lightweight bottom
Rachu - it is a silk scarf usually worn on the left shoulder
Kira
13 14
B H U T A N
འབ ྲ ུག་ཡ ུལ
Bhutan is a small Buddhist country
between Nepal, India and China. It has
adopted an unusual philosophy toward
tourism to preserve its unique culture
and religious traditions. Population
of Bhutan is just under 800,000.

S H E R P A S
T I B E T
ཊ ིབེཏ་
Chut Thai
Tibet is rich in tradition
and some Tibetans
have lifestyles that
have changed little over
generations. Raising yaks
and other livestock has
been a way of life in Tibet
for centuries. The Tibetan
languages are a collection
of Sino-Tibetan languages
spoken primarily by Tibetan
peoples, who live across
a wide area of eastern
Central Asia bordering
the Indian subcontinent,
including the Tibetan
Plateau and the northern
Indian subcontinent in
Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal,
Sikkim, and Bhutan.
The national cultural dress
for Tibet is known as the
Chuba and also worn by a
Nepalese ethnic group/ caste
called Sherpa. It is known as
a bakhu for Sherpas.
15 16
T I B E T A N S
Chuba: It is a long, warm
ankle-length robe that is
bound around the waist by a
long sash
Wonju: traditionally worn under
the Chuba and is made from
saffron patterned silk with
delicate floral patterns
Pangden: handwoven colourful
textile similar to an apron,
made from sheep’s wool that
only married women wear

17 18

Pha Nung: the Pha Nung
19 20
is a long and rectangular
piece of clothing that is
worn on the lower part
of the body. The Pha
Nung can be draped in
several ways. It is very
much similar to the Lungi
Nepalese women wear.
Sabai: it is a shawl-like
garment usually found as
a long piece of silk with
about a foot of width which
is draped in a diagonal
manner across the chest
covering one shoulder with
one end of the cloth which
drops behind the back.

N E P A L
न ेपाल
G U R U N G
M A I D E N
Gurung
The Gurungs of Nepal are oriental people who migrated
to the foothills of the Himalayas. Gurungs are known for
practising Tibetan Buddhism as well as Hinduism. Main
occupation of the Gurung people are agriculture since
the past. There is an estimated 450,000 Gurung in Nepal
totalling about 2.43% of the population.
Cholo: cholo is the first item of clothing you wear, it is
a blouse found mostly in the colour red, blue and green.
21 22
Patuka: special piece of cloth worn around the waist to
secure the long skirt known as lungi
Ghalek: cotton cloth tied from one end to another to be
worn from the right shoulder to the left hip
Khorpate: a colourful thread with decorations wrapped
around Ghalek and hip
Lungi: long patterned skirt wrapped around the waist
Pachyaura: Gurung Pachyaura is the last item to wear. It
is a red shawl worn on the right side of the shoulder
Dori: three parted strands of thick red thread used to
braid the end of the hair as an accessory
U S I N G A N K H O R A
B R A S S W A T E R P O T
Bhiru: coral and turquoise bead necklace
Potey: made out of hollow cylinder beads and worn by
women as a sign of married status
Sun ko jantar: a square shaped gold necklace
Chandrama: moon shaped golden ornament attached on
the side of the head
Chura: all Nepalese women wear sets of bangles
regardless of their caste
Nepalese people are categorised by caste essentially for their identity. The
caste system is divided into four folds which are Braham (priests and scholars),
Ksatriya (warriors), Vaisya (merchants and traders), and Sudra (laborers).
Within these caste system are over 125 castes and ethnic groups. In the past,
the caste you were born into would affect your family life, food, clothing,
occupations and culture. It would restrict you from marrying people of other
castes regardless of being the same race, as well as discriminating one another
based on your social class. It would determine your way of life. The caste system
is still intact today but the rules are not as strict as they were in the past.

N A T I O N A L S Y M B O L I S M O F N E P A L
D H A K A P A T T E R N I S A
The Kirats are the tribals of the forest and mountains
from the past in Nepal. Kirats have been identified
as the present day Nepalese ethnic groups/ castes of
Rai, Limbu and Sunuwar. They have various language,
each sub-caste group speaks their own Kirat language.
The Rais are indigenous people of eastern Nepal.
They are mainly farmers and stock raisers, depending
primarily on crops of rice or maize. They follow the
religion of both Buddhism and Hinduism like many
Nepalese people. There is an estimation of 650,000 Rais
in Nepal totalling about 2.79% of the total population.
Rai
K I R A T S
23 24
Shirbandi: gold ornament worn around the forehead
Sun ko jantar: a square shaped gold necklace
Potey: necklace made out of hollow cylinder beads and worn by women as a sign
of married status
Patuka: special piece of cloth worn around the waist to secure the fariya
Fariya: long patterned skirt wrapped around the waist
Dhaka shawl: soft, stretchy shawl in a traditional Dhaka pattern which is an iconic
design in Nepal

Limbu
Limbu belong to the Kirat religious
groups. The population of Limbu is
just over 400,000. The Kirati people
of eastern Nepal, Limbus together
with Rais form one of the largest
single ethnic groups in Nepal.
25 26
Shirbandi: gold ornament worn
around the forehead
Dhaka cholo: soft, stretchy shawl in
a traditional Dhaka pattern line
Pachyaura: It is a red shawl worn
on the right side of the shoulder
Fariya: is a long cloth wrapped
around the waist with the patuka
L I M B U
D R E S S 0 1

L I M B U
D R E S S 0 2
Dori: three parted strands
of thick red thread used
to braid the end of the
hair as an accessory
Silangsakma: a badge
that represents the Limbu
tribe logo
27 28

Nepali Bride wearing Lehenga
for wedding
29 30
Shirbandi: gold ornament worn
around the forehead
Mangal Sutra: it is a black
and gold beaded necklace.
The groom ties it around the
neck of the bridge during
their wedding ceremony
Kantha: a necklace that
consist of a combination with
gold and red beads
Haar Malla: chandi ko mala
which means silver necklace,
the biggest necklace worn by
Limbu brides

I N T E R
I N T E R V I E W W I T H
Muna Banda
Muna Banda is talented, innovative Fashion Design BA Graduate from Univeristy of Derby.
She was born in Nepal and has moved to United Kingdom in 2008. Through different
environment, and culture shock, Muna adjusted to her lifestyle to a completely different culture
which to her advantage, has inspired this collection of avant-garde, high fashion designs.
How did you start this journey for your Muna: The traditional Nepalese wear is the root
31 collection?
of my inspiration for the colours I have chosen.
32
Colours play an important role in this collection, as
D E S I G N E R / S T Y L I S T : S T Y L E D
V I E W
Muna: Inspiration can be found anywhere and
for me, I get inspired from different cultures and
have incorporated this into my designs. I have
always wanted to base a collection on Nepalese
Culture. From the vibrant streets of Kathmandu
Nepal, the memories of yesterday keeps me
inspired and connected to my home in a faraway
land. To showcase my inspiration but also for me
to express my inner self. These projects work with
different aspect of my heritage and looks to not
only include Nepalese culture but also integrate
certain British culture as it has been my current
residence away from my homeland, Nepal.
colours are always seen in celebration and daily life.
Each colours have a different and deep meaning
in Nepal such as the colour red is omnipresent
in the Nepalese cultures, as it’s a colour of pride,
of life of energy and of passion. As for the frabric
and patterns, I have chosen the dhaka pattern
to incorporate into one of my designs as it is a
very popular pattern in Nepal designed on most
Nepalese cultural clothing. I chose bright fabrics
as they coordinate together due to their texture
and feel. Due to my love for textures and fabrics,
I have designed and created my own knit, and
weave fabrics. Since living in UK for over 10 years,
I wanted to include British culture in my collection
What were your inspirations behind this through the fabric which is why I choose tweed as
project?
it is very traditional and it compliment the rest of
fabrics.
Muna: My collection been inspired from Nepalese
traditional clothing and culture. Which I then
fused into modern culture using British made
Are there any particular existing designs you
based your collection from?
fabric tweed. The concept of time keeps things
going forward but looking back, it takes me to
my roots in Nepal reminding me of the different
cultures that coexist and influence each other
which inspires me and help to stay connected to a
place I call home.
Muna: Yes, I based one of my designs from the
Sherpa traditional dress, the Bakhu w which is the
dress of an ethnic group/ caste in Nepal as well
as the dress from Tibet. ALong with the dhaka
pattern and architecture from Nepal and their
temples. I created a mixture of these to design a
Can you explain your thought process in your modern, avant-garde styled clothing.
choice for the patterns, fabric and colour?

33 34
N E P A L E S E
I N S P I R E D D E S I G N

I N D I A
इंडि या
Sari
The sari was first originated in India
and through the years has been worn
by many south asian countries such
35 36
as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc
and has a great cultural significance.
Sari consists of a long piece of cloth
ranging between 5 to 9 meters which
you have to wrap around the waist
and end it by placing it over one of
your shoulders. You wear a matching
blouse on top to complete the attire.
The sari is found in thin sheer
material nowadays as it gradually
evolves in the cultural fashion industry
Women accesories their attire with
chura which are bangles worn by
Nepalese people as well as other
south asian countries, maang tikka
which is a diamond jewellery head
place the on the forehead and
L A L
payal which is an ankle bracelet.
D U P A T T A

37 38