Part of a growing national renaissance of traditional arts and crafts, Kapten Batik has incorporated timeless Malaysian batik patterns into its contemporary fashion collections.
Kapten Batik is the creation of former engineers- turned-entrepreneurs Farhan Omar and Ekram Faiz, who recognised the decline in the use of traditional batik by young Malaysians and developed a clothing label that sought to inject batik with a contemporary energy while preserving its timeless processes.
Launched in Kuala Lumpur and inspired by the founders’ travels through Asia, Kapten Batik fuses classic tailoring with modern batik designs created in the traditional Malaysian style. The brand has grown from strength to strength as a new generation embraces this new fusion and begins to wear batik every day, not just for formal occasions.
To maintain this balance between the past and the present, Kapten Batik employs master craftsmen as well as in-house designers to create dynamic motifs that pay homage to tradition while also capturing iconic scenes of Malaysia. In fact, many of these sui generis designs are inspired by Farhan and Ekram’s own travels, with prints then applied to sustainable fabrics, including Supima*-certified cotton in the case of the Masterpiece series (which is produced using 1,000-year-old techniques) and GOTS-certified** organic cotton for items in the Maharaja series. Fabrics are stringently tested to OEKO-TEX standards to ensure they are free of harmful chemicals and substances.
Initially specialising in men’s batik shirts - each a sturdy yet stylish item with button down collar, hand- carved buttons, and versatile seams - the company is now expanding its lines. It recently launched the Together21 collection of menswear, which includes feather-soft shirts in vibrant and soft-hued prints with both contemporary and traditional elements; and has revamped its Nusantara series with new in- house designs set against mercerised*** cotton.
Kapten Batik has also introduced women’s kaftans, men’s swimwear, the Pure Linen series of resort wear which features European linen flax; and Kapten Batik PRIVE, a made-to-measure service that offers a highly bespoke approach to batik creations for discerning customers.
Visit the Kapten Batik website to browse through their collection at www.kaptenbatik.com.my
*Supima certified cotton is 35% longer than regular cotton, which makes the fibre stronger and considerably softer.
**GOTS is a worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres.
***Mercerisation is a textile finishing treatment that increases lustre, strength and smoothness.
To know more, visit The Datai Langkawi.
Credit to IKHLAS Magazine Issue 5 by The Datai Langkawi.