Preserving a dyeing art

Kan: We want to see batik embraced by everyone and incorporated into their daily lives.

FOR the last decade, batik has enjoyed a quiet revival, spurred on by emerging brands and designers bringing fresh, modern interpretations of the traditional textile.

No longer confined to formulaic pieces only dusted off for formal and corporate events, batik fashion today exists in a variety of youthful, innovative styles, from cropped blouses and day dresses to bucket hats and handbags.

“Batik resonates deeply with Malaysians, Singaporeans, and Indonesians today because it’s so interweaved into our history, culture and heritage,” Noelle Kan, founder of modern batik clothing company Kanoe, tells StarBiz 7.

“Besides that, many travellers from abroad see batik pieces as a beautiful and unique piece of our countries that they want to take home.”

Founded in 2016, Kanoe was one of the earliest local businesses to lead this wave of modern batik wear.

Known for its contemporary, casual silhouettes, the company designs and produces tops, dresses, bottoms, and accessories made with an array of batik types.

“We want to see batik embraced by everyone, and incorporated into their daily lives and at all occasions,” she adds.

Prior to starting the company, Kan had studied fashion in Australia and Italy, and spent two years doing social work in the Philippines.

For years, the idea of creating her own brand had always sat in the back of her mind.

“I wanted it to be personal, so I played around with my name, and came up with Kanoe.

“It also calls to mind a canoe, which is a little boat that travels, which represents who I am and my interests,” she says.

The name also points to the brand’s core motto of carrying one’s tropical-born identity into the worlds they inhabit, whether in the corporate boardroom, at school, or at home.

Kan’s first creations for Kanoe had been geared towards linen resort-wear styles, but when her subsequent collection of modern batik designs received an overwhelmingly positive customer response, she began working on more batik products.

The business sources a variety of batik fabrics made with different techniques, including machine-printed traditional patterns as well as hand-printed ones made with manual block stamping or wax resist dyeing processes.

Due to the time, complexity and labour involved, the handmade batik pieces can have up to three times the cost to produce as machine-printed ones.

Despite this, the founder believes the handmade fabrics are still worth including in Kanoe’s product range.

“This kind of batik is just so beautiful and even though the garments will have imperfections, customers are seeing the value and beauty in that,” she says.

When Kan first launched the company, her lack of business experience meant significant amounts of trial and error and on-the-ground learning.

The business initially started out selling online and through local market pop-ups. A pivotal point came around the start of the pandemic, when she connected with a marketing expert that taught her how to leverage Facebook ads.

“Without that, we wouldn’t have reached new consumers in the wider Malaysia and Singapore, or grown the way we did during the Covid-19 period.”

As lockdown restrictions lifted and consumers rushed back to in-person retail, Kanoe seized the opportunity to open its first store at cultural hub REXKL in 2023.

Thanks to its Chinatown location, the outlet began drawing tourists and international visitors, which now constitute a substantial part of the brand’s target market.

Further expanding its recognition, the business has in recent years partnered with pharmacy chain Guardian to supply its tote bags to over 300 stores nationwide, and presented its collections at the Mercedes-Benz Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week.

This year, Kanoe launched its second retail location at The Campus in Ampang.

While her responsibilities have shifted towards overseeing and steering the wider business, the founder remains heavily involved in the design and production of collections.

Looking to 2026, the team is now evaluating the next strategic steps for the brand, and working towards plans for its next retail outlet.

“Kanoe started off with just myself, setting up and handling pop-up events alone. Then it grew and we brought in part-timers.

“Now we have a full operations team, a retail team and a studio team. I’ve learnt to let go and focus on delegating and motivating.

“With our stores, there’s also much more to manage in terms of finances, overhead costs, and cash flow, ” she says.

For Kan, the current period marks a time of reflection and transition for the business and her team.

“The landscape moves very quickly. Trends, marketing strategies, and platforms are constantly changing, but are we tapping into it? We need to step back for a moment to see what’s working and what’s not,” she says.

The long-term goal for the founder is to lead a team that is flexible, adaptable and consistently improving, while helping each member achieve personal growth by bringing out the best of their strengths.

A forward-looking ethos propels the brand, echoing its original inspiration – a humble canoe that is in perpetual movement and exploration.

“We’re on a new journey. I’m focused on building up this team of people so that the business can grow to the next level. I don’t want to stay still.”