FOR THE LOVE OF BATIK
Radio announcer and television personality Aishah Sinclair talks to AUDREY VIJAINDREN about her family’s three-generation love affair with batik and her desire to empower other mumpreneurs
MOST Malaysians grew up watching Aishah Sinclair blossom from a fresh-faced 8TV Quickie show host to a seasoned model and television personality who has adorned the cover of numerous magazines.
Besides being a hands-on mum to two daughters, Aishah is also a tree-hugger, radio announcer and fitness enthusiast.
While one might assume that the 39-year-old has her hands full and schedule packed, the perky personality added yet another feather in her cap when she started Bhumi Batik in 2012.
Born out of her love for batik and anything old and rustic, Bhumi Batik aims to bring back the love for beautiful pieces of art. It showcases cotton batik from Indonesia and Malaysia, ethnic brooches, as well as cotton and chiffon kebaya tops.
“My late grandmother and my mum had a collection of batik, so it’s safe to say that I ‘inherited’ a passion for these art pieces from the line of strong women in my life. One of my favourite pieces is a green sarong batik that belonged to my grandma. Besides the fact that it’s absolutely gorgeous, it holds a special place in my heart because I never got to meet her, so this is my link to her.
“Whenever I travel for work or leisure, I always made it a point to visit the local ‘pasars’ (markets) to find unique pieces of batik. I would spend hours browsing through pieces of material from one stall to another. Whenever I was in Indonesia, I always got a few pieces for myself and my friends. That’s when my passion for batik evolved into a business.” Although Aishah would love to spend more time building Bhumi Batik, she has been busy with other accomplishments and endeavours in her life.
“I would love to get back to introducing and exposing the younger generation to batik. Personally, I hope that batik is not seen as something your grandmother wears or an article of clothing that you are forced to use during official events.
“The challenge is to make batik relevant and cool. The younger generation needs to appreciate and be proud of the material and designs, which are part of our rich culture and heritage.”
She suggests batik be incorporated in schools, so that it becomes part of a child’s growing years.
“If we start introducing batik at a young age, children will learn to appreciate it. We can’t expect them to fall in love with batik all of a sudden in their teenage years. In Indonesia, there is ‘Batik Day’ in schools once a month where children get to wear batik.
“Batik does not have to be boring, there are many ways to make it trendy.
“Youngsters can be taught to experiment with colours, designs and be educated on the craft processes using canting and wax to create intricate designs.”
Think outside the box by incorporating motifs that appeal to kids, such as unicorns and rainbows, she added.
“You can create designs by applying the same batik technique. It’s great to develop a child’s imagination.
“Instead of playing with their gadgets, get youngsters inbatikprocess, volved in the making which can be a fun activity for the entire family.
“Today, parents can purchase affordable, small batik painting sets for their child. It can even be used as party favours or to host colouring competitions.
“The small pieces of art can be used as handkerchiefs or scarves. It makes great personalised gifts.”
Aishah also talks about starting a batik collection with one small item, such as a coin purse.
“You don’t have to spend a large sum of money on batik. People often have the misconception that all batik items are expensive, but that’s not true.
“There are many small items such as name cardholders, napkeykins, hand-held fans and chains that you can purchase to keep the batik industry alive.
“For those who want materi but have a tight budget, opt fo digital print batik. It’s not as expensive but looks amazing.”
Today, Aishah is focused on helping mothers start their own businesses, especially through the digital economy.
“I’m co-founder of Mompreneur Asia, a community support system for mumpreneurs in Asia to grow their business globally.
“It’s my wish that through this small circle of women, we can empower more to start taking charge of their finances and improve the lives of their families.
“For a long time, many women had to give up their careers to raise a family. But why should we have to choose one or the other? We can accomplish both, especially in this digital era.”
Apart from circle meetings to discuss various topics, Mompreneur Asia conducts workshops for mothers by reaching out to hundreds through their Facebook page.
“As a woman and mum, we need to be in a ‘good’ place and head-space. When women are stressed, either because of finances, work or home, the family unit can fall apart. So it’s important to have a safe place to get together to nourish and support each other.”