Nature’s delights

Baby Kimono. Each piece can be easily mixed and matched and features cute patterns and design motifs inspired by nature such as flowers, butterflies and palm trees as well as other elements that reflect children’s naivete, says Natasha.

“My designs are mostly inspired by nature and the outdoors; something that reminds me of how my siblings and I spent our time when we were children,” she says. “Seeing my own children, Imran, Rania and Sofia running around and playing in our little garden at home keeps me inspired too. They are like my muses,” she adds.

Kooshboo rolls out new collections three times a year — the Hari Raya Aidilfitri collection, Christmas/Chinese New Year resort/holiday wear collection and the Spring/Summer collection.

The price range for each piece starts from RM110.

BOHO CHIC

Kooshboo is about boho chic where bohemian influences are combined with contemporary styles to create looks that are folk-inspired, simple and current, all crafted by a small production team of eight.

“The boho chic aspect of the brand is where we create fresh and contemporary styles using traditional art and techniques such as block printing designs, hand embroidery as well as hand-painted batik. We keep going back to the idea of using traditional methods in whatever designs we do. For example, we use block printing for our Indian-inspired Jaipur collection,” says Natasha.

The brand’s Kupu-Kupu collection, on the other hand, features luxurious yet Trelis collection features handembroidered tiny rosettes as well as handmade crochet hairclips done by talented refugee women in Malaysia.

versatile hand-painted batik wear done by local batik artisans including the renowned Barakaff Batik.

“Our batik range is something we are really proud of. Instead of using machineprinted batik which is commonly found everywhere, we revived our treasured traditional art by working with local artisans who make the designs by hand.

“We also teamed up with batik icon, Sharifah Maheran Barakbah of Barakaff Batik for the capsule collection, making it more special,” she adds.

Natasha says hand embroidery is the

main feature of the brand’s Trelis collection, launched as an initiative by the brand to help vulnerable refugee groups in Malaysia.

“The Trelis collection features cute dresses with hand-embroidered tiny rosettes as well as handmade crochet hairclips done by talented refugee women in Malaysia. It is part of our initiative to empower them socially and economically,” she says.

NEW HEIGHT

Apart from looking at expanding into international markets next year, Kooshboo is moving to new heights with the opening of its first boutique at Great Eastern Mall in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur next month.

“I am excited to have our own boutique soon; the experience of retailing our products at Parkson, Robinsons and Isetan has taught us to keep pace with the real retail environment. New expectations and challenges make you strive for the better

and keep pushing boundaries to stand out from the crowd.

“But keeping our core business values intact is still a priority,” says Natasha. She anticipates that pricing will be among the new challenges for Kooshboo to stay ahead in the industry.

“However, rather than dealing with the price factor to compete with mass-produced garments, we will focus on the niche market and change people’s mindset when it comes to buying clothes for children. Customers may have to pay slightly more for our clothes, but with guaranteed quality and comfort for their little ones.

“And, most importantly, they know that they are buying something with soul and meaning. They know that there is a story behind each Kooshboo piece which they can relate to or which reminds them of happy childhood memories,” she adds.