Fashion designer gets inspiration from his mum
KUALA LUMPUR: It is said that every artist has his muse. For batik-maker and fashion designer Amir Harith Mat Kashim, the influence comes from his mother.
“She is my inspiration. She encourages me to enter competitions and try out new techniques and designs, which give me an extra edge as a designer,” he said of his mother, business owner Azizah Abdul Wahab, 53.
“She taught me to draw since I was a toddler,” added Amir Harith, whose sakura flower-themed batik designs recently placed him among the 12 finalists vying for the Piala Seri Endon Batik Design Competition trophy.
“When she was younger, my mother learned batik-printing from her friends, a skill she passed on to her nine children.
“All of us can draw, but only my younger sister and I are doing this full time,” said the 23-year-old Kelantanese, who runs a batik store in Kota Baru, at the competition’s semifinals catwalk show at a hotel here.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan was present at the event.
The competition finals will be held on Sunday.
International Islamic University Malaysia Applied Arts and Design department associate professor Dr Mandana Barkeshli, who is a member of the panel of judges, said the contestants’ work were evaluated based on their technique, design, workmanship and presentation.
The Piala Seri Endon Batik Design Competition is an annual event organised by Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang), which was founded by the late Tun Endon Mahmood.
The purpose of the competition is to provide a platform for the support, recognition and encouragement of Malaysia’s batik-making talent.