GOASIAPLUS June 2018
Since its World Environment Day on 5th June, we explore the green resort of Eight Acres in Raub, Pahang for a sustainable staycation. For the month of festivity, this issue features rendang, the delight of Hari Raya and modern batik wear for local men. More travelling voyage covers sushi in Tomakomai, Japan and Inle Lake in Myanmar.
Since its World Environment Day on 5th June, we explore the green resort of Eight Acres in Raub, Pahang for a sustainable staycation. For the month of festivity, this issue features rendang, the delight of Hari Raya and modern batik wear for local men. More travelling voyage covers sushi in Tomakomai, Japan and Inle Lake in Myanmar.
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Batik for Men<br />
BATIK FOR MEN IS NO LONGER JUST ROCKED BY THE<br />
OLDER GENERATION FOR GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS<br />
BUT HAS SEEN AN INJECTION OF MODERN DESIGN<br />
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD. WHETHER AS CASUAL<br />
WEAR OR FORMAL, HERE ARE SOME BATIK BRANDS<br />
MEN SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR TO OWN A PIECE OF<br />
THIS TRULY MALAYSIAN CREATIVE TEXTILE.<br />
WORDS BY AISHAH AZALI • PHOTOS BY KAPTEN BATIK, NOH & CO.<br />
& KARYANEKA<br />
Batik is a well-known fabric in Southeast Asia that has gained<br />
popularity thanks to Indonesia where locals in the royal court<br />
wore them as a status symbol. But when it reached Malaysian<br />
shores, batik in the form of sarongs were donned by the common folk.<br />
The art of making batik requires skill and patience. This handmade<br />
trade can still be found in the motherland of batik-making which is the<br />
east coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan. Hand-painted batik is<br />
when melted wax is funnelled through a tool called ‘canting’ and it is<br />
used to draw on a fabric. Intricate designs of nature or geometric shapes<br />
are usually depicted. Once the wax hardens, the artisan begins painting<br />
on it and the process is repeated to create layers of colours. Another<br />
method is block-printed batik where copper or wooden moulds with<br />
complex designs are dipped in wax and stamped on the fabric to create a<br />
pattern before dyeing it with colour.<br />
Since the 1970s, batik has been a symbol of Malaysian art, taken<br />
home by tourists as memorabilia from Malaysia in the form of a shawl or<br />
shirts. The idea of batik being formal wear, and where some are styled by<br />
your uncle or grandfather, has changed as many local brands are reviving<br />
the batik in modern cuts and patterns for all to wear. Following are some<br />
KaptenBatik<br />
brands with interesting designs.<br />
Straying away from the formal, Kapten Batik’s designs are meant to be<br />
worn by the everyday man paired with staples like jeans or khakis. Short<br />
or long sleeved, these slim fit cuts inject a younger feel as envisioned by<br />
the creators, Farhan and Ekram. Both started this line to preserve the<br />
beauty and tradition of batik for the future generations.<br />
Their batik material is sourced from various parts of the world<br />
and each with its own distinct pattern. The local collection called<br />
‘Masterpiece’ is from Terengganu where they partnered with Terengganu<br />
Artisanal Batik to create signature designs and blocks. The assortment of<br />
fabric designs for the ‘Nusantara’ collection came from Indonesia but are<br />
made using their own colour scheme and design. Lastly, fabrics that use<br />
natural dyes are printed at Rajasthan in India for their colourful ‘Bolly’<br />
series which still utilise their own batik block.<br />
get it at<br />
Pasar Seloka Raya at Publika Shopping Gallery (21 May – 13 <strong>June</strong>) &<br />
Robinsons Department Store at The Gardens<br />
www.kaptenbatik.com.my<br />
kapten.batik<br />
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