00:00I mean the reality is if you're spending 50 ringgit or less on a nice kind of shirt I can
00:05promise you that the person who made it was not paid fairly. Cheap labour with questionable welfare,
00:10cheap synthetic fabrics to meet high demand, exorbitant amounts of textile waste adding to
00:17the 195,300 tons of waste produced by Malaysia annually. Such is the reality of fast fashion.
00:28To curb this, one local brand is on a mission to prove that sustainable fashion
00:33does not mean having to compromise on style or quality. Batik Boutique's new collections showcase
00:40their ability to keep up with the times. Nuance Raya for example is inspired by Malaysian heritage
00:46while being made to last and be suitable for any occasion. Their pieces can be belted,
00:52layered over trousers or shorts or dressed for holiday, dinner or daily wear.
00:57The brand believes that longevity starts with the right material. Every piece is hand painted,
01:04not with machines but by employing entire villages of artisans while ensuring waste reduction is
01:10integrated at every step. According to CEO Amy Blair, to be sustainable less is more.
01:17We do many things to reduce our waste. We monitor how much water we use for example,
01:22we reuse our wax, we actually upcycle and recycle in our process and then we are very strategic in how
01:28we print and make our fabric for what piece we're going to sew it for. She also hopes customers will
01:35move past the assumption that Batik is only for formal wear or for older people. You're wearing Malaysian
01:41heritage, you're wearing a piece of art, you're wearing sustainable stories that are actually benefiting
01:45people around you in real lives. And so to me that's like something to be really proud of.
01:51So the next time you shop, go for clothes that not only keep up with trends but are made responsibly
01:57to outlast them. Tibia Raghu and Adriana Lisa Ozaidi, FMT.
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