A few years ago, Farhan Omar and Ekram Faiz—engineering graduates and close friends from university—discovered a gap in the market for men's fashion labels. The duo realised that a lot of what was available for men was imported. They came up with the idea of connecting modern Malaysian men such as themselves with their batik heritage.
Determined to change the perception that batik belonged only to the older generation, they took a leap of faith into a completely new industry and launched Kapten Batik in 2017, starting with refreshing new batik prints, inspired by travel and architecture, on slim-fit shirts. Since then, Kapten Batik has continued to innovate and present modern alternatives to wearing traditional batik.
See also: 10 Indie Brands That Show Off The Versatile Side Of Batik