Frankfurt Bookfair 2009

Went to Frankfurt recently for the biggest book fair in the world. We actually went under the Malaysia trade mission.

Though it's been coming to 4 years that the book has been published now, but this is the first time we are in such an international fair. In fact, apart from the Singapore Book Fair, this is the first book fair the book is participating in.

We put the book on display together with the other Malaysian books.

However, I wasn't really manning the book... instead, I went to the other hall to try to talk to a few USA & UK distributors. Frankly, it's not easy (the questions of 1 title, niche topic, South East Asian topic, etc)... but still I managed to get some leads. Now to see if we can work something out with them.

Though my focus this year has not really been on this book at all, but I still believe strongly that there will come a day when this book will get its proper global recognition... and participation in the Frankfurt book fair is just one of the steps :)

A Beautiful Journey: Part 6 - Events & Marketing

Having received the books in my hands the first time, I glanced through the pages - it was really a dream book come true! And I couldn't believe it was in my hands.

At first, I was a lil worried as the pages seem dark (we use black as the background). But as I look at it from a brighter place, the pictures came alive. eM.K was around at that time, and we were rather proud.

Actually, getting the book out was just part of the process - I dare say not even half the process. We had to find ways to market it.

So began my rounds of meeting the bookstores & book distributors both in Singapore & Malaysia. And like I mentioned, some were sceptical as they've never really seen such a different book :) Bad part is many look down on local publishers - and the terms are not very favourable.

Many agreed on consignment, ie the books will be left at their shelves and payment done when there's sales. Boy, each time I clinched a 'deal', I really felt happy - it was the only way for the books to be out & seen by the public!

We also went to a few bookstores in Asia - and that deal was a bit better. Kinda proud we have our books in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, Seoul, Taipei & also Hong Kong. :)

Beyond Bookstores
Apart from just bookstores, we also participated & even organised our own events for more exposure, and hoping for more sales.



The series of events include meeting Prime Minister YAB Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the Kuala Lumpur International Batik Convention & Exhibition. That was really an awe inspiring moment - to meet the no. 1 man in Malaysia! And at that time, I was really new to the business, so it meant so much more to me.

I will treasure & remember his words - which were full of encouragement & support, together with his very firm handshake. I remember stuttering as I asked him to sign 2 copies of the book for me. Willingly, he obliged :)

Meeting Amber Chia
Before that fruitful & eventful event, we also participated in the KL Asia Fashion Week. And surprisingly, Amber was accompanying Datuk Dr Victor, former Secretary General for Ministry of Tourism Malaysia.



Datuk Dr Victor was encouraging as well and he liked the photographs in the book - another feather on the cap :) And I did have a short exchange with Amber, though the whole situation got me quite nervous! At that time, I think Amber was just coming up to be a well-known star.

Back To Peranakan Roots
Another event which we participated was the week long Peranakan festival - where we had a booth and also did a fashion show. That was actually to launch the book.

We had worked with the Peranakan Association of Singapore. For this, I actually choreographed the whole fashion show. It was scary actually and it being my first time, I think it was ok, though I think could have been improved.

I used the traditional peranakan & even some modern Malay songs (just instruments)... we also had some dramatic songs - very opera like, suggested by eM.K. That was quite a hit. The models paraded in lifestyle method - yes, they were modeling as if they were shopping, going out, etc. It really was something!

More Events
There were so many other events that we participated, again working with the Peranakan Association, there was the press conference cum fashion show in MPH, Midvalley, KL and even some batik talks in Singapore!

These were all done in a period of over a year. And it was really fun & exciting though very very tiring - from carrying the books to organising, and lots of time searching for information. Looking back, we sure came a long way and this is an experience we treasure and truly something we will always remember :)

See our pics: Our gallery of events.

A Beautiful Journey: Part 5 - Printing

I'm adding two additional segments to give an understanding on what went behind in the final stages in the book.

First, the books were sent to the printers - which were uploaded using FTP by the graphic designer.

The printers did an empty mock up to show us the book size, quality of paper and for us to approve it. This book was blank and was in full white.

Once they were ready, they actually called me to stay for 2 full nights (ie 3days, 2 nights) in their factory for press check. This was quite an experience.

They had a room for me with a sofa (no bed) but comfortable enough with working table. There's internet too. They mentioned that I will be in the factory for this whole 3 days - having to inspect on quality control for the book.

That means every 2-3 hours, I was walking back & forth to the printing room to check 8 pages each time (they printed in 8). This seem relatively simple, but for a lack of sleep and to do it even in the wee hours when the eyes are groggy, that was a bit of challenge. Also, the pages are not in order meaning I could be seeing 8 different pages from anywhere in the book.

Our pictures in the book are mainly full spreads ie 1 picture in 2 pages and this is where it becomes difficult.

One example is when I have to supervise one side of it (ie one page), while the other page has already been printed. That's not all - in fact, it could be 2 pages here (from 2 different full spreads) while the other 2 are in another 2 different stacks.

To make it even, and the pages to blend together, I may need the worker to increase or reduce a certain colour. But by doing so, though one spread will be fine, however, the spread will not blend well.

In fact, I took a while to resolve one of this. And luckily there weren't that many like that.

This whole experience of book printing is quite interesting for me. I never knew how printing a book would be and it was nice to see it 'come to live'! I can gladly say that I watched the printing process live!

After that, I went back, and in about 2 weeks later, the books arrived to my doorstep ready for delivery to the bookstores!

A Beautiful Journey: Part 4 - Compilation

Once all the photographs and interviews were done, the next step was more of a consolidation.

I played & replayed the videos with the designers to capture the essence of their views - on Batik Malaysia and also on their dreams as designers.

eM.K. was working on the photos. That was good, or otherwise my hands would be tied. He selected most pictures he felt suitable. That means he had to go through a lot, selecting only the very best. I gave him the liberty to do so - as I believe he has the skills with his vast experience.

We then had outsource a graphic designer to assist in the layout of the book. We had the first meeting with her to sort our ideas and style. I mention we want something neat and catchy, and classy.

In other words, it was to be plain, but with style.

We tried a few background colours for the pages - from brown, grey and finally ended with black. The photos stood out best with black - where the eyes see the photos rather than the panel. We soon found out that this was what most art book does anyway.

The designer's work was relatively easy as there were no touch ups on the photos, as we wanted to remain its authenticity and to show the readers what went through the photographers' eyes. A photo took the space of a spread of 2 pages.

A photo takes 2 pages giving much details of the picture

This proved to be a right choice as later on people like the big view. However, that meant we had a small black panel for every spread of 2 pages - but that is ok. As I said, black did wonders.





Inside pages using black background. See how the pictures stand out

Most of the segments in the book was written by me, except for a segment Fun With Pics. Again, you can see the headline is light - making this a light book for a heavy subject.

eM.K. suggested this segment - as he thought it would be a good insight to behind the scenes and more info on the designs and also on his subjects on the photographs. Also a lil bit of info on what went on during the interviews with the designers. He wrote well giving very good insights. Many people love this segment a lot - even one of the designers mentioned it. Up to today, I'm thankful that he suggested this segment.

We also had contributions by Pak Adriano for his 3 pantuns (Malay poems) which once again gave the book a lil bit of style - making it very Peranakan & Malaysian.

Although it seemed simple, but this whole process took a full 1 month, with a lot of bouncing back and forth with the graphic designer. There were minor changes each time, even up to the font size. However, we were quite open to her ideas as well eg. on the font type and layouts for some of the segments.

Finally, with much work and lots of late nights (up to 4am and up again by 9am), we were done, and it was next ready for print!

Read also: A Beautiful Journey - Part 3: Interviews

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

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 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