EMBRACING THE PATTERNS OF BORNEO

Alfitry Textures specialises in making beautiful Sarawakian Batik, and its founder Alfitry Azmi has big dreams for his business

- ALISON LOH

RUNNING A BUSINESS often comes with its ups and downs. For Alfitry Azmi, opening his first textile business Alfitry Texture involved facing many obstacles, especially during the early stages. But today, business is booming with many batik lovers looking for new pieces at his store in Shah Alam.

Coming from an aviation background, Alfitry has certainly pushed boundaries and made a name for himself in this dissimilar industry. And now, seven years since its inception, Alfitry Textures has grown to become one of the main textile distributors in the Klang Valley.

What inspired you to start Alfitry Textures?

I started this business back in 2014. I just finished my studies at HM Aerospace, so I had nothing to do at the time. That led me to explore possible careers. I visited my uncle who’s based in Sarawak and brought a few batik textiles home. From there, I started selling on Facebook.

It’s been seven years since the inception of Alfitry Textures, how has the journey been so far? 

The journey has been quite tough, even now. Because this is retail and it has its own challenges and differences from other forms of businesses. When I first started, I physically went from boutique to boutique trying to make a sale on my own. I would carry them and just visit the stores one by one. I have no business background as me and my whole family come from the aviation line.