Discovering talent in batik creations
lenge is to make sure her products remain affordable.
Kamaliah said she and her son planned to open a natural dye centre in the city to create a sustainable batik industry.
“The plan is to grow indigo plants and find a way to make the industry more sustainable and environmentally friendly.”
The Piala Seri Endon has managed to unearth new batik talent to revitalise the local industry and ensure it continues to thrive.
Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang) chief executive officer Datuk Leela Mohd Ali said the competition, which had been held since 2003, employs strict regulations to ensure quality submissions from participants.
She said the competition is divided into three categories — Soft Furnishing, Fashion and Handicraft — and involves two qualifying rounds.
The first round requires participants to submit a mock-up of their design, and the overall product will be judged to ensure its authenticity.
In round two, participants will submit a prototype of their product, according to their initial submitted sketches to be judged.
“This is to ensure that all elements are done by the participants themselves. Outsourcing the work is not allowed. Everything must be done by the participants from scratch. That’s why we allow a team submission of four members to enter the competition.
“It is to ensure participants understand how batik is done and also appreciate the work put into their product.
“In our submission requirements, the batik must be created using the wax resist method of dyeing fabric, such as chanting or hand block printing. Additional methods can be used but the main thing is the wax resist method.
“We have judges who are experienced in the industry to provide valuable insights on the subject to participants.”
The judges, led by chief judge Datuk Dr Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa who is former National Art Gallery Malaysia directorgeneral, comprise local fashion icons Datuk Tom Abang Saufi, Datuk Seri Dr Farah Khan, textile designer Eddie Yap and modelling agency AndrewsModel founder Andrew Tan.
Apart from the Piala Seri Endon trophy, the top three winners will receive cash prizes of RM30,000, RM10,000 and RM5,000, respectively. There are five consolation prizes of RM1,000 each.