Viral Singapore Airlines-style crop top shows off wonders of batik, plus 6 Southeast Asian brands giving the craft a fresh spin
- Makerly SG’s crop top is made with a print similar to the one used for the airline’s signature sarong kebaya uniform
- Other designers including Amanda Hartanto in Indonesia and Fern Chua in Malaysia have been reinventing the way people think about batik
Like most people around the world, Singaporeans have had to put their travel plans on hold over the last year because of the global pandemic. But while locals were unable to fly on Singapore Airlines as frequently as they would have liked, some wore their love for the national airline on their sleeves – literally.
Local company Makerly SG, which tailors small-batch orders of handmade batik clothing, has been making a splash with its crop top made with a similar print as the one used in the airline crew’s signature sarong kebaya uniform.
The refashioned top, which was launched to commemorate Singapore’s National Day in 2019, has since become an Instagram hit. It was spotted on popular content creator Alyne Tamir, the girlfriend of video blogger Nuseir Yassin aka Nas Daily, while a different version of the top was also seen on sports shooter Martina Veloso, a recipient of Singapore’s Sportsgirl of the Year award.
This year, the crop top and the other pieces in Makerly SG’s Singapore Series that offer a modern spin on the sarong kebaya have become some of the brand’s bestsellers, comprising about 40 per cent of its orders.
“The iconic kebaya batik print resonates with many of us who are familiar with the iconic Singapore Airline outfit donned by the svelte cabin crew,” founder Ruth Lum says. “They are great additions to the wardrobe for fuss-free days, and they also make great gifts to friends and family as souvenirs from Singapore. We have previously sent orders out to Singaporeans living abroad in Australia, Germany, Norway and more.”
Chua hand-draws her batik designs and prefers to come up with bold and graphic patterns in a move away from the intricate traditional motifs that are more associated with the batik-making technique.
Shunmugam of contemporary womenswear and homeware label Ong Shunmugam has been pushing boundaries since she launched her brand a decade ago. She has made a name for her culturally sensitive yet adventurous approach towards modernising traditional clothing, as well as her use of carefully sourced artisanal textiles, including batik, in her designs.
While her signature styles often incorporate a range of different fabrics, Shunmugam has a soft spot for batik. “To me, batik is a work of art,” she says.
The batik textile featured in her latest collection was sourced from Indonesia a few years ago and showcases the image of the Tara deity. It is used in two of her blouse designs and every piece is carefully cut and positioned so that the image is seen in its entirety on the top.
“As a fashion designer, when you incorporate batik into your work, you need to respect [the maker’s] intentions,” Shunmugam says.
Here are six Southeast Asian brands that are offering a fresh spin on this time-honoured Asian craft.
Fern
For batik that challenges notions of what this textile should look like, check out Fern by Malaysian fashion designer Fern Chua. Chua, who went to the Malaysian states of Terengganu and Kelantan to learn about batik, experiments with different tools such as brushes and sponges to create contemporary patterns and lighter pastel colours. Her clothing, which ranges from shirt dresses, draped kaftans and shift dresses, will easily fit into any woman’s wardrobe.
Amanda Hartanto Batik
From flowing dresses to chic twinsets, Amanda Hartanto Batik reimagines the revered Indonesian heritage of batik wear into fashionable pieces for everyday wardrobes. Her fashion-forward, ready-to-wear pieces, which include kebaya-inspired pantsuits and midi dresses, are made with feminine touches such as lace and chiffon overlays.
Ong Shunmugam
Shunmugam also has a knack for the harmonious “clashing” of traditional and contemporary textiles from across Asia, including batik, silk, jacquard and lace. The brand’s latest cheongsam collection, which commemorates its 10-year anniversary, is a tightly edited range of 10 key silhouettes pioneered by the brand over the past decade and is proudly made in its Singapore atelier.
Makerly SG
After learning to sew and alter her own off-the-rack clothing, founder Ruth Lum launched Makerly SG to offer made-to-measure orders to other customers who were not satisfied with the fit of their store-bought clothing. The brand also carries a range of small-batch, ready-made batik clothing in wearable, contemporary designs such as wrap tops and shift dresses. Each piece is hand-cut piece by piece and hand-sewn in very limited quantities. Lum also continues to offer a custom tailoring service.
Nost
His-and-hers loungewear label Nost, a participant in the Singapore Textile and Fashion Federation’s The Bridge Fashion Incubator initiative, creates its own fabrics from scratch. Its founders support marginalised communities by partnering with heritage craft artisan families who specialise in block-printing, batik-printing and handloom techniques. The modern, graphic prints of its textiles add a fashion-forward touch to its robes, flowing tops and pyjama sets, making them suitable for wearing outside the home as well.
Martha Who
This luxury resort fashion brand hand-makes traditional batik with a unique twist such as watercolour splashes. Expect easy, breezy maxi dresses, kimono robes and intricate scarves that are embellished with beads and crystals that evoke the relaxed glamour of tropical island living.
