Fashion Batik Voyager

Malaysian Batik Voyagers Fong Wai Ling speaks to some of Malaysia’s prominent designers about the waves they are making on the global fashion scene using batik. And who's that voyager who took our batik into space?

Dato’ Tom Abang Saufi A strong identity wins ardent fans in London and Europe It was familiarity that prompted Sarawakian Dato’ Tom Abang Saufi (the Datoship was appropriately conferred on her in the past year by the state of Pahang) to set up her boutique in London. Aside from her days as a student in the London School of Fashion, many of Dato’ Tom’s family reside in London – including her daughter – which makes London the perfect site for her first retail store out of Malaysia. Nestled in the high fashion district of Connaught Village, Dato’ Tom’s boutique sits on the same street as Armani, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Chanel and other luxury brand names on Connaught Street, London. Although it’s been only eight months since the business started, there’s already a steady fan base of customers flocking to her boutique. Dato’ Tom believes that it is her involvement with Asia House, a non-profit organization that promotes Asian culture and heritage in London, that helps promote her in the UK market. Setting up her boutique has been the biggest challenge for her – especially as she prefers the creative

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side instead of the management side of the business. Dato’ Tom has had to defy impediments by learning the ropes from scratch. She credits much of her success to her friends and family who have been a tremendous help along the way. Even shoe maestro, Datuk Jimmy Choo, proposed the location for the store. "There were just so many things to learn and it’s tough. For example, hidden costs that can easily be overlooked, the high rent – and marketing batik to an international market!" The batik that she sells in London is mainly resort wear – clothes that exude bright and warm colours, light fabrics and bold patterns. They quickly garnered the attention of Londoners, especially in the summer months. Tourists from the Middle East are also fast spreading her name and European buyers have broached the idea of tapping further into the European market by bringing her batik designs into department stores or distributing it through other channels. In fact, the idea of being represented by different agents thrills Dato’ Tom even more as she feels her brand is able to reach more people in this manner instead of just having a stand alone boutique. "Batik is an Asian heritage. Even more, it provides

"I once had a fashion buyer from Gucci stop by the boutique who commented that batik designs are clever and adaptable in the sense that it is wear-friendly and that, to me, is valid testimony that batik has a lot of potential to flourish in the international market," – Dato’ Tom Abang Saufi a profound identity for us Malaysians. Thus, using batik in my designs is only natural as this is my identity," says Dato' Tom when asked why batik remains her favourite fabric. The designer prefers using batik because of the control she is able to exude over it, calling batik, "an amazing medium where art and craft comes together." "I once had a fashion buyer from Gucci stop by the boutique who commented that batik designs are clever and adaptable in the sense that it is wearfriendly and that, to me, is valid testimony that batik has a lot of potential to flourish in the international market," Dato’ Tom shared. "The future of batik is going to be exciting. There are so many opportunities for us if local batik makers first learn to improvise on the production of batik. People around the world are now championing the environment. If we can produce batik using ecofriendly methods, we will definitely garner the world’s attention," said Dato’ Tom, speaking with enthusiasm about the future of batik. Speaking to Dato' Tom in mid-November, she said: "My shop has been open nearly a year now. Spring and Summer were great but winter was difficult and does not justify the monthly upkeep. It's been a learning curve." Nevertheless, the exposure has been good for her brand. "There are shops outside London willing to take my label and we are working on stores like Selfridges taking my products as well. Once I establish other distribution channels I will probably close the stand alone shop. It's way too expensive and I am here in Malaysia a lot of the time. But there are people in Miami and the Middle East interested in it. I have been invited to do a batik show in Palm Beach and Miami in January 2008 by a fashion socialite who saw my products in London as well." As Dato’ Tom shares her experience on being a designer, she advises that young batik designers should first discover their identity and harness it locally before venturing abroad. "Opportunities abound when you are good at something. Discover your own mode first and then, when you are presenting your work internationally, you will know how important your identity can be because people identify you through your designs no matter how varied they are."

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Dato’ Bernard Chandran Concentration, Consistency and Cooperation will win the day There has been no stopping designer Dato’ Bernard Chandran ever since he established his boutique in Knightsbridge, London, back in January 2004. As we corresponded via e-mail, Dato’ Bernard Chandran was showcasing his label at London Fashion Week 2007. London is a pit stop for this renowned fashion designer who is already a household name in our country. "For two years in London, we researched and studied the market, as we see London as a truly cosmopolitan city and very much a foundation of fashion. It is edgy and there is a great freedom of artistic expression. Just being there has given me great motivation and a fresh perspective on creativity," Dato’ Bernard said when asked why he chose London. London did well by him – his Autumn/Winter 2005-2006 ready-to-wear collection was a huge success and his designs spearheaded the London fashion scene that season. Since then, there has been no turning back. Dato’ Bernard’s latest collection to grace the London runway, Petang Raya 07/08, has received very positive feedback. With this collection, Dato’ Bernard transposes batik with an edgy and modern twist. "I gave my own interpretation to batik, by making use of the batik cloth and changing the texture, by pleating it. The result – an urban feel that is both smart and chic." "For batik to shine in the international scene, local designers have to first embrace change in the way we perceive batik," explains Dato’ Bernard. He believes batik has a lot of potential and may even one day be one of the main exports of Malaysia in the same way that textiles and fashion are to countries like Italy, Paris and London. "Batik will always have our country’s acceptance. But we have got to embrace change in the way we perceive it. In order for the world to utilise our batik, it must first be relevant to current fashion trends. We must get away from just perceiving it as a traditional material or craft. The designs, the colour palette must match the latest season. And it should not just be confined to fish, nature and flower motifs. While those are very unique, they may not be what the world wants," he explains.

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"We should Concentrate in our areas of work and see how we can improve every time and outdo ourselves each season; monitor the Consistency in the quality, design, end products and supply; and Cooperate amongst each other in the industry to elevate the local batik industry to the next level." – Dato’ Bernard Chandran Dato’ Bernard also believes that the local batik industry has to be mobilised to be more forward looking and be in line with the world’s fashion capitals. For the batik industry to bring itself forward, Dato’ Bernard cites the 3Cs – Concentration, Consistency and Cooperation. "We should Concentrate in our areas of work and see how we can improve every time and outdo ourselves each season; monitor the Consistency in the quality, design, end products and supply; and Cooperate amongst each other in the industry to elevate the local batik industry to the next level." Bernard has great respect for the late Datin Paduka Seri Endon and admires the work that she has done for the local batik industry. "What the late Datin Seri Endon did was excellent. For example, she invited fashion experts from Italy, London and Paris to fuse in the quality and benchmark that will go towards making world-class quality batik. The Piala Seri Endon will also be able to encourage batik designers to perceive batik as more than just a cottage industry. It brings out the bigger potential of batik." Dato’ Bernard Chandran believes in passion and encourages all young batik designers to believe in their work and most importantly, be passionate about it. "Be genuine about it and eventually it will become wealth."

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MELVIN LAM Dress fit for a (Beauty) Queen? Pretty Deborah Priya Henry, the newly-crowned Miss Malaysia/World 2007 will be representing the country in the Miss World competition set to take place in Sanya, China. And in her suitcase will be an exclusively designed dress for her to wear to the grand finals. From the design house of Melvin Lam Haute Couture comes this stunning dress made from batik sarongs. More than just a dress, the cotton-based batik sarong dress with gathers and gold and colourful beads represents Malaysia’s identity. Designed by Melvin Lam himself, the dress will also compete in the "Best Designer Award" category, a new category in this year’s competition. With subtle colours, tropical floral motifs and silk gold trimmings, the halter-neck dress is designed

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exclusively for the Miss Malaysia/World 2007. "It was not hard at all because Deborah has every designer’s dream figure and height. I had her in mind when I designed it and the gown was meant to accentuate her figure," designer Lam is reported as saying in the Star, 27 September 2007. "It cost less than RM1,000 to make the gown and I only used 15 pieces of batik sarongs to produce it," Lam explains, adding that it took him two weeks to make. "It is gorgeous and I feel confident wearing it to represent our country," quipped 21-year-old Deborah. She will be leaving for Sanya on 2 November to participate in a month-long series of activities before the grand finals on 1 December. Batik Guild magazine wishes her the best of luck as she represents the nation – wearing batik sarong fabrics – in the Miss World competition.

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BATIK IN SPACE! Global? Hah! Malaysian Batik has been to Outer Space this year! Batik and astronauts. The first thought that came to mind was how they belonged on opposite ends of a spectrum of time. Batik is an age-old traditional craft that has been practiced since time immemorial. Space travel signifies the new, modern age. Where do they meet? I wondered. It may seem strange to some that the National Space Agency would run a batik art competition, the Pertandingan Batik ANGKASA. But yes, in the year before the first Malaysian went to space, that is what they did. "We wanted to promote a fusion of the Arts and Sciences, to get people in the Arts stream to think about the Sciences," explained Professor Datuk Dr. Mazlan Othman, DirectorGeneral of the National Space Agency. "For this competition, participants were encouraged to do research on space as, apart from submitting a one metre by one metre piece of batik art, they also had to write an essay on their work and why they chose their subject matter." While it won’t be running a batik competition again any time soon, ANGKASA has a long-term programme to promote space science to school children, specific target groups and the general public through the Planetarium. They wanted to Professor Datuk Dr. Mazlan Othman, Directorgenerate wider interest about space. "We have a fellowship for General of the National Space Agency, said Dr. artists to explore Space as artistic subject matter," says Sheikh Muszaphar asked for a batik shirt to wear in space! Professor Mazlan. ANGKASA received 106 entries for this competition. The judges in the first round scrutinised the entries for batik technique and eliminated all but 40 of the pieces. The final 40 are presented in a little booklet, alongside the names and photos of the artists that produced them. The subject matter ranged from the Sun and Moon to the solar system, the Andromeda galaxy, meteors and black holes, nebula, comets, the planets, stars and more. From the work submitted it is indeed clear that research had to be done. And when our Angkasawan, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, asked for a batik shirt to wear in space, ANGKASA elicited the help of the National Art Gallery to choose four pieces of the artwork that was submitted and to get it tailored into two shirts for him. The result is the photo you see of our handsome astronaut here. "I believe strongly that as a Space Agency we must go beyond our own agenda to look at other national agendas," explained Professor Mazlan. "If we are able to promote other national agendas, then we should do it. The Americans have done it by wearing Hawaiian shirts in space. The Japanese have eaten ramen noodles up there. Batik is about national character. Sheikh was very supportive of this and actually asked to wear that batik shirt in space."

Clockwise from top left: Antara Malam dan Siang by Nadiah bt Ngah; Misteri Cakerawala by Zalipah Ismail; Aura Galaksi by Norazran bin Ibrahim; Bulan, Bumi, Zuhal, Bintang by Nor Rahila bt Abd. Rani Nuraini bt Sulaiman.

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A photo that was probably snapped by a fellow cosmonaut, provided with the courtesy of Dr. Sheikh himself.

A photo of Sheikh snapped from ASTRO footage. The station had a 24-hour channel dedicated to Malaysia's first man in space.

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NAZLEEN NOOR In 2006, Nazleen Noor attended the pret a porter show at Paris Fashion Week as an observer with a view to participate in it in 2008. "I met the marketing people and got details to prepare for the show in September 2008 – the Spring/Summer show." So, what will her collection look like? We don’t know yet, but she gave us some insight into how she is inspired recently. "My work is usually nature-inspired. I use stylized leaves, flowers. I like to travel to get new ideas. When I travel, I go to the shopping strips to look for new styles and ideas. I attend Fashion Week in the main cities in this region – such as Bangkok Fashion Week. I look for new fabrics. I apply what I see with my own mark. If, for example, I see something I like by Vivienne Westwood, I will take it and develop it further. Creativity comes all the time. I keep trying out new things and experimenting. While the silhouette might be recognizable as Nazleen’s work, I will keep changing the motifs as I develop them."

SHARIFAH MAHERAN Sharifah, trading under the Barakaff name, is considered the matriarch of Malaysian batik. Sharifah says that she usually goes to the library or bookshops in search of inspiration. She researches what is available in terms of textiles, colour and so on. In June this year, she, along with some six Kelantanese batik designers, traveled with Tourism Malaysia to Covent Garden for Malaysia Week.

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What did she learn? "This was my second trip so I had a better idea about what to bring with me. It was summer in London so the kurtas, sundresses and pareos sold well this time. The main fabric was cotton voile – which seems to be quite popular. Last time I didn’t really know what to bring."