Aqilah Zailan, SIM-RMIT Alumna, Founder of Studio Gypsied

In a modest home studio a decade ago, a young woman sat behind a sewing machine, breathing life into pieces of batik fabric. What started as a personal exploration of heritage soon blossomed into a purposeful brand - Studio Gypsied. Today, Aqilah Zailan stands at the helm of a slow fashion label that not only celebrates Nusantara heritage but also champions sustainability and social empowerment.

Initially named Shop Gypsied in 2013, the brand reflected her hands-on approach and personal journey. But by 2019, as her vision expanded, the name evolved too. “‘Shop’ was dropped and replaced with ‘Studio’ to reflect the brand’s journey into apparel and fashion design. Today, we design batik womenswear.”

While nurturing her passion project, Aqilah sought a broader foundation to build her future. She pursued a Bachelor of Business (Management) at SIM-RMIT, a choice driven by both curiosity and strategic foresight. “Compared to my law diploma, the business degree would also give me a foundation and more options to discover my strengths and weaknesses before settling on a major.”

This proved to be a pivotal step in her entrepreneurial journey. “Interestingly, it was my minor in Marketing which eventually shaped my career path as a marketing and operations practitioner in retail. I clearly remember a consumer behaviour lecture that linked buying behaviour to psychology,” she recalls.
 

Redefining Batik for the Modern Woman

For Aqilah, working with batik was never just about textiles. It was a deeply personal exploration of identity and ancestral roots. “As I was in my early twenties when I started the studio, it was also a time when I was discovering and building upon my identity - a coming of age, as one might say,” she shares.

Inspired by her parents’ stories of pre-independence Singapore and their Javanese heritage, Aqilah saw batik as a living archive. “The studio was born out of my personal search for a sense of belonging,” she explains. In the world of batik, every motif carries meaning - stories of hope, faith, community, progress, resilience, and independence passed down through generations. That narrative shaped her approach to Studio Gypsied. Batik, to her, became a medium not only of art but of storytelling, heritage preservation, and empowerment.

 

Sustainability as Legacy

While tradition is at the heart of Studio Gypsied, innovation propels its future. Aqilah’s decision to explore sustainable materials was driven by a desire to modernise batik in a responsible way. However, experimenting with certified organic fabrics came with challenges. “I would say the main challenge is having limited financial investment and resources. Batik crafting is an ancient method of production that does not fall neatly into a business model of profit and gain in the modern sense. In fact, there are no economies of scale in this production method. It is a slow, patient craft,” she explains.

Traditional batik is made on treated, mass-produced cotton. Aqilah sought alternatives that aligned with sustainability goals, yet were suitable for the batik-making process. In 2023, Aqilah was awarded the National Heritage Board’s Organisation Transformation Grant, which enabled her to conduct R&D into making batik on certified organic fabrics.

After extensive testing, Studio Gypsied became the first brand in Singapore to develop a batik collection on certified organic fabrics. Materials like TENCEL™ and EcoVero™ were introduced, significantly reducing water and chemical usage while maintaining the vibrancy and durability of batik art. Beyond product innovation, sustainability became part of the brand’s story to educate and engage customers.

 

Empowering Craft Communities, One Motif at a Time

For Aqilah, sustainability is not just environmental; it is also social. Studio Gypsied works closely with artisan families in Central Java, ensuring ethical and fair trade practices. The work with craft-making communities goes beyond just ensuring cultural continuity, but also social empowerment.

By fostering long-term relationships, Aqilah ensures that traditional craft communities are not only preserved but also uplifted. She acknowledges that introducing new ideas can feel daunting, but even small changes such as experimenting with sustainable materials can have far-reaching impacts. “I think slow fashion is a very intentional journey of change-making, sowing seeds of change,” she advises.

 

Heritage meets Innovation

Behind the scenes, Aqilah juggles multiple roles. “Every day is remarkably different! As a solopreneur in Singapore, I cover design, retail operations, production, sales and marketing all at once,” she shares candidly. Recently, she brought on a part-time assistant. Aqilah hopes this is just the beginning of nurturing young designers and growing her team.

Her hands-on approach reflects the resilience and adaptability required to sustain a purpose-driven business in today’s competitive landscape. “Resilience is knowing whether to keep hitting the wall until it breaks and when to stop hitting the wall to find alternative ways to problem solve or move on,” she adds.

Innovation in a heritage business can be daunting, but Aqilah’s journey proves that meaningful change starts with small, intentional steps. “We don’t all start on the same footing. Some of us do have to spend more time figuring out how to shape our professional journeys. Whatever it is, our paths are not linear,” she reflects.

As Studio Gypsied continues to grow, Aqilah remains focused on her mission to celebrate Nusantara heritage in meaningful ways. From her home studio to becoming a changemaker in fashion, Aqilah’s story is proof that weaving heritage with purpose can inspire not just garments but generations.