Witty Wicker

FASHION designer Priscilla Shunmugam fondly recalls how, as a child growing up in the 1980s, rattan furniture was ubiquitous in her life. "The sofa set at home, Dad's reclining chair and even my rocking horse were all made of rattan," she says. "I didn't necessarily value it back then, perhaps because rattan was too accessible."

After successfully launching her tableware collection under the Suvarnabumi line, Ms Shunmugam is now introducing a furniture and basketry collection, made using rattan. The collection includes dining chairs, planters and a screen that are all handmade in Malaysia.

Loo Yingzhi, co-founder of Momiji Kids, a brand of kids' cane furniture, says "far from being just a trend statement, what we like about rattan is its durability and portability, which makes it safe and suitable for children to handle."