The National Textile Museum & Zandra Rhodes

The beautiful Moghul-Islamic architecture of the
National Textile Museum building (CNB 2013)

On the last weekend of 2013, B and I decided to go to the Muzium Tekstil Negara (National Textile Museum) at Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, KL. We wanted an update of the exhibitions in the galleries there, and to catch the special exhibition on Zandra Rhodes' 'lifelong love affair with textiles'. The last time we visited the museum building was way back in the 90s (Karyaneka then??). Now it has certainly been well conserved and refurbished as a museum (since 2007) and we were greatly impressed. What we thought was going to be a short hour visit became a whole morning affair.

The exhibitions in the five galleries (Pohon Budi, Pelangi, Teluk Berantai, Ratnasari, Saindera) of the museum were most interesting and we would highly recommend a visit by all culture vultures. The role of this specialised museum is "to collect,conserve and document and display the diverse national textile collection, especially the traditional handwork of the multi-ethnic society of Malaysia ..." So expect to be mesmerised by the rich tapestry of our textile culture and history.

An exhibit at the Galeri Pohon Budi (CNB 2013)

Another exhibit at the Galeri Pohon Budi

Mannequins at the Galeri Ratnasari (CNB 2013)

We toured the 'Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles' exhibition in the Saindera Gallery (for thematic exhibitions, etc.). Her textile designs seem as quirky as the shocking pink-haired lady herself. (Sorry, no photography allowed here, so no pictures to show except to say the exhibition was most interesting for us. It enabled us to catch a glimpse of the life of a well-traveled textile and fashion designer).

B and a ZR poster (CNB 2014)

Note: There is no entrance charge for the National Textile Museum, but for the Zandra Rhodes Exhibition (12 Nov 2013 - 12 Jan 2014) it was RM5 for B and RM3 for the OKU (as printed on the ticket, i.e. me, because at my age I am entitled to a discount for being less able to climb the stairs, I guess).
28 December 2013