AT the 8th Asean Traditional Textiles Symposium now going on in Putrajaya, the newly designed and constructed capital of Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur, the theme is 'Celebrating Asean Textiles: A Journey.'

Indeed it is. While there are distinctive woven materials from each country of Southeast Asia, there are many borrowings, copyings and similarities that resonate in their individual woven textiles. They come from trade, from propinquity and exposure, from practicality, from adapting the best innovations, the successful techniques and the ability to make efficient use of natural resources available. And that is a journey.