Tokyo Goes “Aiyo!” Over Malaysian Paralympic Athletes Eye-Catching Outfits

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games kicked off with the opening ceremony yesterday (25 August) and all eyes were on the Malaysian participants, thanks to their gorgeous outfits!

Their Laksamana Hang Tuah-inspired attire was so eye-catching that they were even featured on the Tokyo 2020 official Twitter page.

Tokyo 2020 cheekily wrote, “Aiyo! We just wanted an excuse to use that. We just love your outfits, Malaysia.”

How did they know that “aiyo” even existed? 

Now, you might be wondering why Tokyo 2020 even came about using the colloquial word, ‘aiyo’.

Well, it might be because the notorious term has been inducted into the Oxford English Dictionary and the Cambridge dictionary!

Based on a report by Utusan, the Paralympians’ outfits come courtesy of the Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Art and Design, Shah Alam.

The outfits were styled and inspired by Malaysian historical figure, Laksamana Hang Tuah. The designers adapted traditional motifs with fresh ideas while still maintaining the Jalur Gemilang’s main colours.

The overall outfit symbolises the love for Malaysia and emphasises Malaysia’s rich identity in its culture.

They even utilised the pattern of flowers made from the traditional motif of mangosteens, in a cultural element applied in the design, allowing traditional elements to have a modern twist.

With Malaysia standing out so strikingly at the opening ceremony, we can’t wait to see our national Paralympians shine and excel in the games to come!

We wish our local Paralympians the best of luck!

What do you think about this? Let us know in the comment section.

 

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