PATTERNS OF CHANGE

Batik is making a comeback as designers adopt the age - old fabric -making technique in creative ways and consumers embrace s low fashion in favour of sustainability.

- TAN WEI LIN

Textiles don’t just serve a functional purpose – they often are heritage crafts that capture the unique art and history of different cultures. Batik, is one such example that is identifiable immediately, whether for people in Southeast Asia, where it is commonly seen and worn, or even those in other parts of the globe. Just think of the Singapore Girl and her iconic batik sarong kebaya uniform. The floral-motif fabric it is made out of has become synonymous with Singapore Airlines, and perhaps the most recognisable form of modern batik across the world.

Its contemporary commercial applications aside, batik actually has a history that goes far back in time. According to Unesco, it is thought to be over 1,000 years old, with historical evidence indicating its use in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The truth, however, is that no one can pinpoint exactly where and when it originated from. But the form of batik that we are familiar with today is an Indonesian, or more accurately, Javanese creation that is at least 300 years old.

Indonesian batik was added to Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2009, and is officially recognised as a historical fabric. The traditional way of making it is highly labour-intensive and utilises a wax-resist fabric dyeing technique: Before the fabric is dyed, patterns are “drawn” onto it by hand with molten wax, using a tool known as a canting, or manually stamped on with handcrafted pattern blocks.

The dye doesn’t absorb into the areas that have wax on them, which explains how designs and motifs are then transposed to the fabric. The same process can be repeated multiple times depending on how complicated or intricate the final design is.