NADIA HASBI

Fit Rebel had to be special. What would make the brand stand out? What would take everyone’s breath away? I mulled over this for the longest time. Weeks. Two months, almost! There was no doubt that I wanted to create a line of arresting leggings, since that’s what I naturally gravitate towards. So I began breaking things down. What is beautiful? I pondered. Art is beautiful, whispered a voice from within. When I finally got my answer, it was almost as if the skies had cleared and a ray of light had shone down on me. Batik—a traditional Malaysian art form applied towards the beautification of fabrics! Popular among both the young and the old in Malaysia, it also boasts of international appeal. Serving many different purposes from home decor to accessories, batik is versatile enough to work on modern active leggings… and resulted in something magical. The line is my way of contributing to my country. All prints on the Seni by Fit Rebel collection are hand-drawn and painted by Malaysian traditional artisans. The reception has been mind-blowing; I am getting orders from as close by as Australia to as far away as Italy with minimal advertising, save for Instagram as my main channel. Research has revealed that wearing fun and attractive active apparel adds on to the fun of a workout. As such, we strive to create the world’s most beautiful active leggings to inspire women to lead more active lifestyles. Leggings so arresting that you can’t wait to ‘Train fiercely and sweat beautifully.’ As a corporate engagement manager with WWF Malaysia, my role is to educate and encourage companies to adopt sustainable business practices within their organisations. Both Fit Rebel and WWF fill me with a deep sense of satisfaction as I truly feel like I am making a positive impact within my communities. Nothing is ever as easy or as difficult as it seems. It’s just a matter of how badly you really want it. I had committed myself to an idea and gone full speed ahead.

This is my way of bringing the sexy‘ back’ to batik.