Yes, It's Different!

"Your book can't sell. It's so unlike the other batik books... the cover is different. The inside pages are different - it's modern, bright, and showcasing different kind of batik. The layout of the book is also different. This is just a very different batik book. I don't think it can sell," says the Purchaser in a high tone in a bookshop in Singapore.

eM.K. just nodded at each statement she said.

I was thinking to myself "Oh, that is it, she's not going to take it...".

She goes on to show us the other batik books around which focus in on traditional batik motifs and its meanings. None were on modern batik which focus is on modern artistic values. These were pages after pages of batik cloths. And none were on how batik can be used today.

After she has finished, eM.K. just said
"Great. That is just what I want to hear from you."

I was a lil puzzled, and I'm sure the Purchaser was more so.

eM.K. continues "All the things you have said makes this book special. It's not just another batik book, like the rest on your shelf."

"The batik is different - it's on modern, contemporary batik - from Malaysia. The cover and layout are all different. This is a different book, and you are right. And
that is why it is published in the first place...
we don't want just another book".

I had to agree with him. This book is really a unique book by itself. It was planned that way. Though it is hoped to reach the batik enthusiasts, but it is also aimed to reach the ordinary folks who don't want to know just about history and traditional works. We wanted a book with a wider appeal - the reason is because we wanted
'to show how beautiful batik can be'.

And that is something I must say that we can be proud to have done, though in a small way. In the events and even through the book itself, we have had many compliments like
"Wow, I didn't know batik can be like this!".

These comments were mainly from people not in the industry, who have never knew about batik much, what's more be associated with it. Their idea of batik was gold, brown, and dark - not trendy and maybe a lil dull. As for the Malaysians who may know about brighter colours, they think of batik as just bright ugly designs!

But now, these people from Malaysia, Singapore and all the way to Hong Kong, Japan and USA have a new mindset about batik. They know that batik is cool and chic. Modern batik in fashion can make them look young and good. What a difference a book can do. These people can actually flip through the pages of a batik book!

So back to the story, the books were eventually taken on a 'see how' basis. And what a surprise, as we heard there was a buyer who actually bought all the
Batik Inspirations books available - wonder who that was. And after we replenished, it still sold and now they are going to send us the cheque again.

So, the Purchaser is right. This is a different book - it is a book with a difference.

Surprise Orders & Re-orders

Last week, Batik Inspirations had quite a fair bit of pleasant surprises.

From Cannot Sell To Sold-Out!
First, after some checks at bookstores in Malaysia, there is one bookstore that have fully sold out the book. This is a nice surprise as at first the purchaser in charge didn't want to carry the books in the first place, saying that this book is 'too different', and may not sell.

Well in a way, she was right that it was different, but how wrong was she that no one wants didn't want to buy it. It's because it is different that people buy - it's a coffee-table book like no other. In fact, many people who like books, especially coffee-table books have commended on Batik Inspirations.

There were quite a fair bit of negotiation in between, but to cut the story short, she finally ordered and now they are all already sold! And for the bookstore to re-order, it only shows that they know the book will sell.

Orders Pouring In
Another good news happened last week - where there was a reasonable sized order via the email left on the website. This came as quite a pleasant surprise.

It's good news to know that there are still orders for Batik Inspirations despite the first edition being launched in Nov 2005.

And for the website to pay benefits - that is good news too. In fact, the website is one of the facilitator for us to receive orders from all over the world - one of them is quite a renowned publisher from Europe :)

A Really Special Gift
One of our corporate buyers mentioned that the book has been given as a gift from the country to someone very internationally famous. Now, that is another thumbs up for us - for our works being able to be given away to such renowned people, and to be seen by them.

The pleasant week of surprises does ring a bell - that if we produce good works (eg. publish a good unique book), it will be able to go far, and this is just an example. It aspire us to continue publishing good books that can benefit the readers and even the country :)

A Beautiful Journey: Part 3 - Interviews

With completed photos, the next was to drive up to KL for the final round of interviews with the designers. Their interviews have been scheduled all in one day - with one after another. That means prompt timing is needed for each interview.

The more professional designers were on time, all set and ready for their interview. However, there were some who 'spoilt' the interview timings and made some others who came early having to wait. That got me into a lil 'hot soup' as 1 of the punctual designer was furious having to wait his turn. Luckily, we managed to cool him down, telling him the mistake by his fellow designer.

Apart from the minor glitch, the interviews went pretty well. I had a good time interviewing them, and it was a new perspective for me - fashion. I learnt a fair bit on the industry, and to see them rather humbly sharing their opinions, their career works, and their aspirations.

I conducted the interviews with the aim to make it a heartfelt one, one that when transcribed, will touch & connect with the readers. That was the best part actually, as the designers were then very willing to share their thoughts & inspirations behind their works.

'Divas'(?)
One memorable part was also when one so called 'high & mighty designer' (I found out later), was rather humble throughout the interview - and even sang some songs for us - all for the fun. In fact, she joked a fair bit!


Another designer even suggested to bring some food as the time was late. We soon became good friends with her up to today.

There was however, one designer who was one of the time spoiler, in fact many times, as he kept rescheduling... and when I jokingly mentioned that he did so & this affected the others, he blew his top & had urged he wanted to back out. Rather weird actually for him to loose his cool - but he eventually took back his words and asked to be featured & the interview was rescheduled. My first 'diva' encounter!

The whole interview process took 2 full days - one was before the shoot, the other just after the shoot. By the time it ended, it was already dark at night, but very contended, and it was the mark of some new friendships.

Read Also:
A Beautiful Journey: Photoshoot Day 4

Next:
A Beautiful Journey: Part 4 - Compilation

Available In KLIA

Yes, it's a lil slow I admit. But finally a few weeks back, Batik Inspirations is now available in Malaysia's main airport - yes, it's in the bookstore there! "Now, everyone can fly"... and purchase the book as a Malaysian souvenir before leaving the country.


And good news - the book available there is the newer edition - Malaysia's Living Heritage: Batik Inspirations! The cover is a good representation of Malaysia's batik and it has some forwards by the current ministers - so, really an awesome gift from the country :)

This 'join ranks' with the other airport that the book is available - Singapore Changi's Airport.

Another win, albeit a relatively 'small one'.

With those who have a chance, do check it out! :)

Happy Moment

That was what I heard from the saleslady in one of the local bookstores here in Malacca - MPH to be exact yesterday.

When I entered the shop, I was a lil surprised to find the book placed eye level and only 1 copy. When I came last time, there were a few of the books and placed at a higher level. So, I thought maybe they have kept the rest somewhere.

As I purchased my items, the saleslady asked where was I from, and I said well, I published that book - pointing her to it. And she then grabbed the book and checked to see how well it has done. To be honest, I was a lil shy & in a way embarrassed... Then she pointed to her screen - '1'. 'Oh wow' (smiles!).

This was quite a happy surprise for me... Being an independent publisher, these small things do make me smile, and again I repeat, I know it's a small 'win', but yet, it's quite a happy moment :)

A Beautiful Journey: Part 2 - Photoshoot Day 4

The models have gone back, including the make-up artists. Its only left with the main core of the team.

I thought the that on this day would be a light day, with the heavy shoots all done. But I then remembered we needed to take some close up shots of the batik motifs & design.

So, once again, with soft lightings set, I went through the pile of clothes to choose the very best motifs that represented each designer. Some had more than 1 distinct motif. The aim here was to choose the design that is synonym to the designer. I like to put it 'The person is to know whose design with just one look'. For example the spiral motifs are known to be for non other than Tom's. And though there are many copy-cats around, none come close to her placement & drawings.

The day started off a lil late, as we didn't expect a long day. And we thought work could have completed early. But this dragged on for a few hours, and we were soon rushing for time as we had to head to KL that day itself.

Finally, all the shots were done, and the clothes packed back into the bag. Now, we were all prepared to head to KL to meet the designers for their interviews.

Read Also:
Photoshoot Day 3

Next:
A Beautiful Journey: Part 3 - Interviews

A Beautiful Journey: Part 2 - Photoshoot Day 3

The 3rd day is the last day of the outdoor photoshoot. This is supposedly the lightest day so far, as long the weather was fine - which luckily it was bright & sunny.

We first went to the famous Merlimau house. This ruin house though not as sparkling as its former glory still has its charms & is filled with beautiful architecture. The person staying there mentioned that the house is influence by Chinese/ Peranakan, Indian and Malay architecture. This can be seen by the staircase & tiles along the house.

The drive off town took about 45 minutes. When we arrived, the models quickly wore the dresses and the shoots were relatively fast & easy, as the front of the house provided good backdrops, with each part of the house giving a distinctive view. The house complimented the Muslim fashion wear well.

There was 1 photo however which was rather difficult to shoot as it was towards the inner part of the house which was dark. And because we didn't want to use flash, that made the photography harder. However, eM.K. managed to do that well and the picture turned out fine.

Here, I managed to take a photo from the staircase, which is the welcoming picture of the book. The idea behind this picture is a warm welcoming greeting - and a walk up the stairs to a beautiful journey.



The black jacket gave prominence to the batik on the top left. This also allowed the staircase to attract attention, either complimenting the jacket, or even as a standalone. This picture drew compliments from many Peranakans who were fascinated with the tiles (especially after they saw it through the magnifying lens).

After the shoot at the Merlimau house, we then headed to the next location which was at the next tradional kampung house. This was also an easy location shoot, as we didn't need any artificial lighting. That saved us time as we needn't need to set up the lights.

Again, we used the front of the house. This was a unique location as the house was painted in bright colours. The neighbours house which was also brightly painted gave a good additional backdrop.

One of the nicest pics came from here as well where we showcased the 2 girls playing congkak (a traditional Malay game). This shot was to show that models can wear batik in every occasion, including while playing games! And of course it also highlighted the Malay/ Malaysia culture here in the book.

The shoot was done even quicker here. The models did well to withstand the hot weather, especially in their make-ups and fashion wear.

After this location shoot, we discussed a bit and decided to head back to Merlimau once again to do one more photo shoot - the one we missed as we couldn't do it when the sun was out already.

So we headed back to take the final shot, which is actually the last picture in the book. A smiling goodbye and a road behind shows that there is a next journey to come.

Alas, the 3 days of photoshoot ended, with tired models & crew, but very satisfied & happy. Of course, there was a lil tinge of sadness that the shoot has ended as it was a fun 3 full days, and now it was back to other works.

Read Also: Photoshoot Day 2

Next: Photoshoot Day 4

A Beautiful Journey: Part 2 - Photoshoot Day 2

Alarm bells started ringing at 5something... I woke up, though tired, but I remembered, kinda excited. Comparatively, this day was suppose to be a little easier - as the shoot will be entirely indoors.

The venue was - the Peranakan restaurant (which was formerly a house). I chose this location because the owner's have grand Perankan furnitures in the reception area - from opium bed to the 4 unique old chairs.

And moving inwards, the dining area seems a lil distinct again, giving a mixture of Peranakan & old Chinese setting, with marble tables.

We first set up the soft lighting. These lights were to give the extra shine on the clothes, yet still give its natural look on the photos.

Our first set was Tom's set. The models were in awe when the clothes were taken out - with such beautiful bright bold colours. Tom was the designer who supplied the most clothes - and that was good for we managed to showcase hers the most.

The only difficult part for hers was the part of dividing the clothes into different sets. I had wanted a picture with a few models.. and in each photo, the clothes have to blend among each other - and of course also the settings.

Of course, the accessories which Tom provided with the clothes too were a lil difficult to shoot because that meant the models had to be very still. There were times we had to reshoot again & again for the models were moving a little.

Christine became the lead female model here as she was the tallest, and manage to carry Tom's clothes well. There was one famous scene of 4 models entering the restaurant. This, I must acknowledge eM.K, for he took a very good shot. The blend of colours of the clothes, the position of the models, and most of all, how this shot made the entrance look grand! (when we went back again after the shoot, the entrance seems less grand and smaller).

The models, especially Rajah Farah & Carol acted their scene well too.



This shot became the talk of the Peranakan community when we held our event with them.

We ordered lunch from the restaurant and ate in between the shots. Our next set was Azizi's, and for that we used the dining area - as by then, the restaurant was closed. There is another unique shot in this book, this time congratulated mainly by fashion designers & photographers, as we took this shot from the level above - overlooking 3 models carrying the coffee... What makes this shot unique is that the faces of the models were not really shown - and emphasizing on the designs! And the coffee-cups and the chairs & marble table all gave the perfect setting!

The final set was Amir's lavish and stunning grand couture! The time for dressing took quite a fair bit, for it was a lil hard to put on the clothes, with its sequins and all. But when the models wore it, it was grand!

For this set, we used only the staircase of the restaurant. Again, it seem distinct from the other 2 parts of the place. eM.K. had the models posed - looking in one direction and Rajah Farah did this well with full exprression on her face. The accessories were magnificient especially when seen with the complimentary magnifying glass - you could see the ring on Christine's finger; their ear-rings & all other fine details of the clothes!



This became one of the 3rd most talked photographs in the book.

By the time we finished the shoot, it was already dark (bout 8pm) and we headed back to the hotel for change and rest. I was a little worn out already, but then, the models had to test their clothes for the night once again... and we had to arrange for the next final day :)

Read Also:
Photoshoot Day 1

Next:
Photoshoot Day 3

A Beautiful Journey: Part 2 - Photoshoot Day 1

The night prior to production, everything was set. My heart was beating quite fast. We had the make up artists - 2 of them, eM.K. photographer and one assistant, plus myself. Yes, a relatively small team, for a seemingly huge task ahead!

We left KL with the load full of clothes in the car, simply enough space for us to sit. When arrived, we quickly arranged the designs according to the designer and had to had them ironed - well at least the first 2 sets for the next day... and that would total to about 40 or more.

The first day, the models woke up about 530am to get their make up. We first went to the Cheng Hoon Teng temple - our first destination, with Eric's Chinese inspired motifs by 645. The day started off fast, and we managed to get some shots on time. We were lucky, as there was not much time for good photography as the clouds were coming up pretty fast. Interestingly, the people surrounding the set were very friendly and even stopped traffic for our shoot.. I have a feeling the driver didn't mind this whole photoshoot scene appearing right in front of him.



While on our way back, I saw this thrishaw - in its full authenticity, and asked the thrishaw puller to come back later for we wanted to use his thrishaw for the shoot. Alas, it was not to be, as it rained.. However, after the rain, we headed to the famous Malacca Stadhuys - and low and behold.. a thrishaw puller came by with this authentic thrishaw. Why I had wanted a no frills thrishaw - those simple ones, without those decorative gold-silver or flowery glitters is because it will be too much a distraction from the batiks. I had decided if there's no simple thrishaw, then we'll just go ahead with no thrishaw.. but how lucky we were! However, look closely enough on those pictures taken at the Stadhuys and you'll see a small lil teddy bear on it! haha... some of our customers actually noticed it!

I can't fully remember, but either before this shot, or after, we took the street scene - the small alley which was like mini Chinatown. I took that street firstly because it was narrow, hence giving it atmosphere & 'feel'. Secondly, that road was closed to vehicles, except bicycles, giving us much more space & time. But even that drew the crowd who wanted to see what was going on. I remember it was very very hot, and we were all dressed in those clothes that were meant for air conditioned places. It was a lil hard to keep that smile and laughther! There was also a shot of me in the car. Actually, this shot was unique, as we first tried & tested so many shots in the car...! But as I was exiting the car, eM.K asked me to re-enter & re-exit to shoot that magic moment. This shot of me exiting from the car is one of the most liked by our customers :)

Next, the colonial building where we did 2 shots - of Amyn's semi formal & Eric's weddings clothes. The first shot with Carol & Christine was difficult as we took this shot with lighting behind them. Professional eM.K, with assistance from Richard Se, a photographer-designer in KL managed this shot well.

The wedding shots next. All dressed in white - batik style. We were worn out, though the models did take some nap in between. The only issue we had here was basically not to get those white dresses filled with our make - ups.

As evening approached and the sky darkened, our very last shot was back to Amyn's. We first had Carol & Christine take shot together. This was difficult as either one of their ear-rings kept wavering and the camera couldn't capture it. Hence, I split them up to take individual shots. This is a rare, as I aimed that most photographs have to be taken with 2 or more models, to add to the atmosphere of the pictures. When we did this, the models were good, and the photos well taken.

Our final photo was Carol in the red semi liked cheongsam, and by this time, we had to use lighting as the day was fully dark. This photo is unique as Carol doesn't face the camera, but instead she looks up into the window, giving the spotlight directly to her dress!

Photoshoot of day 1 ended with all models exhausted... but the day hasn't ended yet. We first went back to the hotel, had a Chinese dinner... and it was then time to do the fitting for the models for the next day! And the clothes ironed. What a day!

Read Also: A Beautiful Journey: Part 1

Next: Photoshoot Day 2

A Beautiful Journey: Part 1

Over the course of publishing up to promoting this book, I've learnt a lot of things. To a very large extend, it can really be a turn off, as everything is new and with such a steep learning curve.

However, although there were tough times, but, there were more good to it. From pre-production to actual production and up to the marketings aspects have given such a good insight to a few industries - not only batik, but also fashion, modeling, publishing, and promotions.

Here, in this 4 part series, I would like to share the first part of pre-production.

I remember driving around Malacca to find the suitable location for the shoot. As I wanted to give this book a wholesome view on Malaysia, I thought Malacca with its multi racial & rich history would be the perfect place. So, I drove around the outskirts of the town, looking for 'perfect' homes - especially the kampung house (Malay traditional house). This was the hardest to find; while the others like the colonial building and the Peranakan homes were relatively easier - partly because they are less, hence I only need to walk along the streets of both Hereen & Jonker Street. The search include seeing a few owners of the houses/ restaurants with thematic backgrounds for the shoot.

Then came the discussions with the designers. That was rather interesting - as here came an 'unknown' in the industry having to table a meeting with the big names of the industry! Although there were butterflies in the stomach, but I'm glad to have chaired that meeting. Actually, I'm quite glad to see that some of them believed and trusted me from the first start, through my faxes, and willing to come for the meetings. For those who couldn't make it for the meeting, I went to meet them personally in their high - end boutiques. That was the start for me to the world of high - end fashion.

Looking back, I sometimes wonder how did the designers find/see me during the first meeting with them - me sharing my vision of the book and giving them a timeline for their designs :) And in a way, to do that was like doing the impossible. Up to now, being able to get the designers is still strongly holds my 'Impossible Is Noting' philosophy :)

The first problem arose when one of the designers pulled out last minute, by not sending me the clothes the day of collection - which was 1 day before the shoot. In fact, this designer who because of his limit number of designs even asked the rest to reduce their designs for submission. Too bad that designer is now not in the book... when I bumped into him after the book was out, what a shock he had on how the book came out to be, which was way beyond his expectations!

In the midst of securing the designers, the search continues for the models. As I wanted this book to represent Malaysia, hence I wanted models with truly Asian/ Malaysian features. I remembered meeting a few models in an event prior, and called them up. There were also 1 model whom I looked up using the internet. At last I managed to find 4 girl models, just enough to have the variations to the designs & for the book.

However, again, there was a horror part when one of the models pulled out just the day before the shoot. Imagine, I had 1 designer pulling out and now the model... and I was busy collecting the rest of the designs, my hands were full... and my mind blurred! Luckily, the model had her friend later to replace her to the very last minute. It's really too bad this model couldn't be part of this book too, though I must say her replacement was better than her - in personality and looks :)

I also had to assemble the team - make-up artistes; lighting and most importantly the photographer. Asking around and getting contacts, I managed to find 2 make-up artistes who usually do for drama productions.

As for the photographer, I've spoken to eM.K. to showcase his works and be part of the team. I'm glad he did, and we actually went through lots of books & magazines to sort out the kind of pictures (& feel) to the ones we are going to take. I remember he mentioning that this was going to be a big task on his part too, and he wasn't sure if he could meet the mark. But I've seen his pictures before and had full confidence that his pictures will turn out fine.

The collection of the clothes by the designers the day before the shoot was another big hassle - as there were like hundreds of clothes to fit into the car. And each set (eg. dress, earings, necklace, skirt) was worth up to thousands of ringgits! And I was in charge of any damage or loss. Luckily nothing happened throughout, as we had a tight control... and we managed to bring all the clothes down to Malacca with the whole car boot full, including the back seats!

The pre-production may seem like quite a big hassle (it was!), but it was very fun and truly an amazing journey for me. I've always mentioned that it was like co-ordinating a mini movie... and learning all the ropes in such a short period of time :) This gave me confidence in my next step and of course my other works.

Next: A Beautiful Journey: Photoshoot Day 1