Step inside the studio of Fern Chua in Malaysia and discover how the craft of batik led her from recuperation from a car accident to establishing a successful sustainable fashion brand.

Part of the British Council's Why I Make film series for our global programme, Crafting Futures. Commissioned to celebrate craft and share maker's stories from around the globe; to inspire us and to show the value of craft in our history, culture and world today. From embroidery in Mexico to glassblowing in the UK and batik in Malaysia, find inspiration in the stories and work of these practitioners as they tell us, 'Why I Make'.

We caught up with Fern after the outbreak of COVID-19, to find out how her practice has been affected and her thoughts for the future, read the interview here.

How can you get involved? #WhyIMake

Share the film to help celebrate batik and Fern's work!

We want to hear from you. Share your story if you’re a craft practitioner, or if you’ve taken up a craft; tell us why you make. #WhyIMake

Watch the full series on our Youtube channel here.

About Fern Chua

Fern established her sustainable fashion label in Malaysia in 2015. She wanted to elevate and use the traditional craft of batik to create contemporary designs and womenswear. FERN opened its first store in 2019 and was featured by Tatler Malaysia.

Visit FERN’s website here
Find FERN on Instagram and Facebook.

Feeling Inspired? 

You can find batik tutorials on YouTube here or read a useful webpage about ‘How to Batik’ here.

Visit the website for the Batik Guild in the UK to find lots of information, places to find workshops, supplies and inspiration from batik artists – or join the guild yourself!