Cover Studio Gypsied founder Aqilah Zailan (Photo: Studio Zainal & Zainal)
Studio Gypsied founder Aqilah Zailan (Photo: Studio Zainal & Zainal)
1 / 1
The founder of Studio Gypsied shares about the brand’s origins, its collaboration with Indonesian artisans and milestones
Growing up, Aqilah Zailan often felt out of place. “I’ve always felt like I didn’t fit in absolutely anywhere,” she muses. “That feeling of not fitting [in] eventually inspired Studio Gypsied. It became a space where I could thrive, a place where I felt most comfortable. I had to create that space because I didn’t know how else to be in the world.”
This sense of displacement is deeply rooted in her upbringing. As the middle child in a family raising a child with cerebral palsy, Aqilah experienced a unique childhood shaped by both responsibility and resilience. “As the second and first ‘normal’ child, my parents always felt like I was the light bearer, their hopes and dreams,” she reflects. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does something to your psyche. My parents raised us without a village, so when my [late] sister had to go to the hospital or had fits at home, there was no one to help my mum but me. It felt like no one could relate to our reality.”
In case you missed it: Inspiring inclusion: Klarra founder Beatrice Tan believes fashion can be a powerful tool of self-expression
Above Studio Gypsied’s cropped jacket and pencil skirt in Tumbuh Clay
Studio Gypsied’s cropped jacket and pencil skirt in Tumbuh Clay
1 / 1
In these trying circumstances, her parents found joy in recounting stories from their past. “They loved telling me stories about their childhood. I guess they were thinking of happier times in their lives,” says Aqilah. These stories, woven with her rich heritage, later became the foundation of Studio Gypsied. Aqilah vividly remembers her father describing his mother dressed in batik and kebaya, while her mother, who grew up in a traditional Javanese family on Pulau Bukom, brought these cultural legacies to life. “On her birthdays, she [used to] always wear a kebaya,” recalls Aqilah.
Drawing on these memories, Aqilah saw herself as a conduit for her parents’ stories. “Life has been so unfair to them, and I feel like I can honour their experiences by telling their stories,” she explains. “Over time, those stories evolved into ancestral narratives, and I found a connection and voice in them.”
Above Aqilah pivoted into apparel, officially transforming Studio Gypsied into a fashion brand (Photo: National Heritage Board)
Aqilah pivoted into apparel, officially transforming Studio Gypsied into a fashion brand (Photo: National Heritage Board)
1 / 1
Established in 2013 during Aqilah’s university years, Studio Gypsied (then The Turban Shop) began as an Etsy shop selling handmade headbands. Using marketing knowledge gleaned from school, she later moved the store onto an e‑commerce platform and ran it as a side hustle. Stints at Epigram Books and Carrie K gave her invaluable experience in publishing, retail and operations, allowing her to expand into clutches and bags.
In 2019, a private loan from her VIP clients helped Aqilah pivot into apparel, officially transforming Studio Gypsied into a fashion brand. The first clothing item released was the Open Jacket, which displays the canvas of each batik, draping the wearer in the textile’s motifs. Over time, its offerings have expanded to include jacket silhouettes, pencil skirts, culottes and cropped tops.
One of Aqilah’s earliest struggles was not designing apparel—despite having no experience—but defining Studio Gypsied’s design language. “Anyone can make a garment,” she notes, “but what’s going to be your visual DNA? You can’t force that.” She now describes Studio Gypsied’s design ethos as a blend of traditional silhouettes reimagined for modern, mix‑and‑match versatility.
Above The brand’s cropped top and trousers in Asmara Indigo
The brand’s cropped top and trousers in Asmara Indigo
1 / 1
Initially, Aqilah considered herself a “batik purist”, relying exclusively on batik tulis (hand‑drawn batik) and natural dyes. She soon realised, though, that this approach limited the brand’s scalability due to higher costs and production challenges, such as the fact that natural dyes depend on seasonal availability. Batik tulis also requires labour‑intensive care, making it impractical for the fast‑paced lives of modern consumers. “If you look at the lifestyles of women in Singapore, the last thing they need is to wonder how to take care of a piece of batik,” she explains.
Aqilah grasped that to grow her brand, she had to adopt practical approaches to balance tradition with sustainability. Studio Gypsied’s Tumbuh collection is proof of this evolution. Featuring the brand’s first house‑made batik design, it incorporates hand‑painted motifs silk‑screened onto Oeko‑Tex certified organic cotton. “There were lots of trials and errors over the years,” Aqilah admits. “Now, our batik is safe to put into the washing machine. Just put it in a laundry bag.”
This pivotal shift was made possible through a collaboration with a Chinese Indonesian family in Surakarta, Indonesia. Specialising in base cotton fabrics for batik, they introduced Aqilah to a network of artisans and tailors in Jakarta, streamlining her production process. Although she has since transitioned away from working with the family, she lauds them for playing an instrumental role in her understanding of the batik business.
Other collections also incorporate sustainable fabrics such as EcoVero and Tencel, which are produced using less water and chemicals than conventional cotton. These also hold dyes well, resulting in vibrant, lasting colours. Working with artisans has been a journey of persistence and adaptability. Aqilah initially faced resistance from older artisans reluctant to stray from traditional methods or palettes. Over time, she built relationships with younger artisans who embraced innovation while respecting tradition.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the batik industry. The [artisan whom] I’m working most with right now is the son of a batik maker. He’s of a new generation and has ideas,” she says. Her current network includes a workshop of 10 artisans—six full‑time and four ad hoc—who bring her designs to life.
In 2023, Studio Gypsied was awarded the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Organisation Transformation Grant (OTG), which enabled it to experiment with certified organic materials for the Tumbuh collection. “The NHB funded the cost for the research, the testing of [the processes] and the first batch of production for that collection,” Aqilah shares. “The OTG helped me to refocus Studio Gypsied into what I want it to be. I was really proud of this collection and [how it was] made on Oeko-Tex certified organic cotton.”
Above The brand’s Nusa Kebaya collection
The brand’s Nusa Kebaya collection
1 / 1
Last year, Aqilah launched Studio Gypsied’s first Hari Raya collection to overwhelming praise and she is now preparing for the brand’s first Chinese New Year collection, which will feature red and white pieces in classic silhouettes. “I didn’t want to design just [to make] sales during the festive period,” she says. “But sometimes, you have to make concessions for business. I think of it as a way to grow the brand.”
Aqilah’s artisan collaborators are eager to explore home goods, but she is cautious about overpromising. Her focus remains on thoughtful growth while staying true to her brand’s mission. As she says: “Studio Gypsied was my refuge and now, it’s my career. It’s about honouring stories and building something meaningful.”
NOW READ
31 Singaporean fashion brands to keep on your radar in 2025
14 brands you didn’t know were Singaporean
The Paper Bunny co-founder Jaime Lee on turning the brand into a staple of Singapore lifestyle
Credits
Images: Studio Gypsied
Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
