Saturday Style: #METRaya2026

A Decade of Dreams, Detours, and Determination

I don’t know how to feel about this year’s #METRaya2026, to be honest. On one hand, this was supposed to be my grandest Raya yet. On the other, life had very different plans for me.

This year marks my 10th year of making my own baju raya. I started this journey back in 2016, armed with YouTube tutorials, passion, and a lot of trial and error. Since then, MET Raya has become my own little tradition — a personal fashion milestone I look forward to every year.

When Ambition Meets Reality

Last year, I went big. Too big, maybe. I took on an ambitious woven baju raya project that, in theory, sounded incredible. In reality? Time was not on my side. The idea was there, the vision was clear, but execution didn’t happen the way I wanted it to.

So naturally, I told myself: Fine. I’ll go even bigger next year.

And that was how #METRaya2026 was supposed to be a celebration — not just of Raya, but of a decade of self-taught sewing, creativity, and growth.

Then Life Happened

If you’ve been following my journey, you’ll know that last year took a hard turn for me professionally. I was unemployed for four months, and financially, I’m still trying to recover from that period.

So now, with Raya just two months away, I find myself questioning things I’ve never had to question before. Do I have the capacity — financially and mentally — to turn a look this year? Can I even celebrate Raya the way I used to?

Right now, the honest answer is: I don’t know.

Redefining What MET Raya Means

For the first time in ten years, MET Raya might not be about going bigger, louder, or more extravagant. It might be quieter. It might be simpler. Or it might not happen at all — and that’s something I’m still coming to terms with.

But maybe this year’s MET Raya isn’t about the outfit.

Maybe it’s about survival, recovery, and resilience.

Fashion has always been my escape, my outlet, my way of telling my story without having to explain too much. And right now, my story is still unfolding.

For Now, This Is My Update

I don’t know how fast I’ll recover financially.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to create something for Raya this year.

But I do know that this journey — this 10-year relationship with creativity — doesn’t end here.

So this is my update for #METRaya2026.

Uncertain, honest, and very real.

We’ll see where the next two months take me.