About

About Us

ManekNya is a blend of two words in the Baba language, "Manek" meaning beads, and "Nya" meaning mother. We chose this name to honor our beloved grandmother, who was like a mother to us and lived her whole life as a true Peranakan. Our Nya was the one who taught us how to embroider and create beautiful beadwork, which is a traditional Peranakan craft. The name ManekNya represents our respect, love, and gratitude towards our grandmother and our connection to the Peranakan culture and heritage. It also reflects our commitment to preserving and promoting the traditional craft of beadwork and Peranakan culture through our shoes & other lifestyle products.


Did you know that Kasot Manek (Beaded shoe) was paired with a Baju Kebaya (a blouse dress) by a Nyonya (a lady) to complete her look back in the twentieth century? These beaded shoes were handmade and were considered a symbol of wealth and status. They were also used as a form of self-expression, as the intricate beadwork designs reflected the individual's personality and taste.


Today, the tradition of Peranakan Beaded Shoes still lives on to be an essential flashpoint in Peranakan’s fashion and culture. However, the vintage beaded shoe is currently on the verge of facing cultural extinction as it is deemed untrendy by millennials nowadays. ManekNya aspires to bring out modernity with traditional needlework of the Peranakan culture through shoe and beaded art pieces.


Some of our products are available in retail stores. We are currently stocked in over 10 stores in the Klang Valley & Penang, Malaysia, and are in National Gallery Singapore & National Museum Singapore. Feel free to drop us a note if you would like to purchase them!

Craftmanship

Manek is a unique bead embroidery art. Each shoe is embroidered delicately with distinctive patterns, which grants the wearer a perfect complement to any elegant outfit, traditional or modern clothings.


We use different types of beads, such as Miyuki glass beads and Czech glass beads which are of the highest quality beads.


The process of making a fully beaded shoe is a very delicate and time-consuming process. It takes a skilled embroiderer approximately 2 weeks to complete just one pair of shoes. This is due to the intricate beadwork and the attention to detail required to create a high-quality product. The economics of our shoes reflects the hard work and patience put into every pair by the embroiderers. Each pair is truly a work of art and is a testament to the traditional craftsmanship of the Peranakan culture.


Currently, some of our other products are in retail, including Tote Bags, Iron-On Patches, Bag / Hair Tie, Beaded Peranakan Pillows, Beaded Enamel Pin, and DIY Peranakan Beading Kit.

Limited Edition Shoe

ManekNya dares to be different, always designing with contemporary fashion in mind that could go along with the times. Our shoes will be a beautiful series of collections, handcrafted traditionally with continuous innovation that could fit your feet. We guarantee that each design is unique and has a personal touch from our highly-skilled artisan. Our artisans use traditional Peranakan beading techniques to create a distinctive and authentic look that sets each of our collection a truly special and exclusive piece.


With every collection, we produce a limited number of shoes, ensuring that each one is a rare and unique piece of fashion.

Discover our Shoes

Sustainability

Our vision is to be able to create the entire Circular Fashion ecosystem, that not only supports the growth of our artisans and local communities, but also minimizes our impact on the environment.


Our mission is to provide training, support, and employment opportunities for underrepresented communities in Malaysia through the art of Peranakan beads embroidery. We strive to cultivate and enhance their livelihoods and empower them to achieve financial independence through the acquisition of new skills and business opportunities.


By equipping them with the necessary tools, resources, and techniques, they can create and sew from the comfort of their own homes. We believe in the power of community, skills, and opportunity to drive positive change and uplift the underrepresented communities. So far, we have trained close to 250 artisans.

Partnership & Collaborations
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