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Peranakan fashion at your fingertips

SINGAPORE — Some of Singapore's heritage fashion can now be found on Google’s new virtual project, “We Wear Culture”.

Screengrab: Google Arts & Culture

Screengrab: Google Arts & Culture

SINGAPORE — Some of Singapore's heritage fashion can now be found on Google’s new virtual project, “We Wear Culture”.

This project, launched on Google Arts & Culture, will feature 100 artefacts and two exhibits from the National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore, and will be available online for Singaporeans to view from Thursday (June 8).

The two exhibits, from the Peranakan Museum, are Singapore, Sarong Kebaya and Style and Nyonya Needlework: Embroidery & Beadwork in the Peranakan World.

The whole point of this project, which had collaborations by fashion experts, curators and designers as well as universities, museums and NGOs from around the world, is to show that fashion is a part of culture, a form of art and a result of true craftsmanship with a multi-faceted impact.

Together with more than 180 cultural institutions from 42 countries around the world, the project has over 400 online exhibitions, and allows users to explore “everything from the ancient Silk Road, through the courtly fashions of Versailles, to British punk and the stories behind the clothes you wear today” via Google’s technology, including virtual reality, 360° videos, Street View and ultra-high resolution “gigapixel” images.

It also features four VR films centring around iconic fashion pieces: Chanel’s famous Black Dress, Marilyn Monroe’s sparkling red stilettos by Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Comme des Garcons’ kimono-inspired sweater and skirt from Kyoto Costume Institute, as well as Vivienne Westwood’s unique take on the corset.

Amit Sood, director of Google Arts & Culture said: “You might be surprised to find out that your jeans or the black dress in your wardrobe have a centuries-old story. What you wear is true culture and, more often than not, a piece of art.”

You can check out “We Wear Culture” at g.co/wewearculture, or through the Google Arts & Culture app on iOS and Android.

CLARIFICATION: In a previous version of the article, we said that three exhibits from the NHB were featured in the project, based on information from Google. NHB has clarified that only two are being featured. 

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