Chihiro Fernando is a 22-year-old graduate who founded Chihiro Designerwear, a silk vegan-based batik wear brand. Read through to know more about her story. 

Tell us a little about yourself

I am Chihiro Fernando and I am 22 years old. I graduated with honours in 2021 from the Academy of Design (AOD), majoring in fashion and textile design. I would say that I am an artist. I like to explore my capabilities in many art platforms. I am currently a visiting lecturer, lyricist, fashion designer, vocalist, and entrepreneur.

What inspired you to start Chihiro Designerwear and how did your journey in handmade fashion begin?

I was stuck at home during Covid-19, but I had to explore my ability in crafting for the final year of my degree. This led me to finding techniques on how to do batik alone. I found my own methods with a lot of trial and error. 

For my graduation collection I made batik garments, but I apparently used the wrong fabrics, which became a learning experience that benefited my career. The next time, I did a lot of research on fabrics before putting out another collection. 

I then enrolled in Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) 2022 and was selected for finals. I did a collection of seven looks and once it went on the ramp, two looks sold out immediately. 

I put the rest of the looks out to retail and it all sold out in a few days. People chose my brand and they gave it life.

Handmade fashion requires exceptional craftsmanship. Can you tell us about the process behind creating your designs?

It takes a lot of effort, planning, time, and energy. At the moment, my process involves completing all the batik artwork, waxing, dyeing, and boiling. The pattern-making and stitching is done by my in-house employees. 

I am still exploring myself along with my client base on what suits our community best.

What are the core values and philosophies that define Chihiro Designerwear?

We are sustainable and we use vegan-based silk, unlike other batik wear. We also have a small team of workers but we compensate them threefold more than what the industry does. Our in-house goal is to rise together. As a team, we always learn from one another and grow together. 

How do you balance traditional craftsmanship with modern fashion trends in your collections?

Batik is a technique. Trends come and go, so with research we stay on track to know what our future collection should look like. We manage to stay on track by fusing trending artwork while using our heritage crafts’ techniques.

Sustainability is a major topic in the fashion industry. How does Chihiro Designerwear incorporate sustainable practices?

This is a very important topic and not many designers think about it. But we as a brand strictly use vegan silk or cotton-based silk, while other brands use pure silk where thousands of silkworms are killed just to make a yard of silk. 

We have also curated methods in the use of chemicals, mixing in lesser amounts than usual and we never dump waste onto bare ground. We store the extra dye for later use or calculate the amount of fabric and dye needed and use it all at once. 

Your pieces are known for their intricate details. What inspires your designs and how do you ensure each piece remains unique?

It is all because we pay attention to detail. We work with delicate fabrics. I make sure to fuse Japanese ukiyo-e paintings with my batik designs, with a modernised touch. 

Each piece remains unique because I make them with love and a lot of attention to detail. Our goal is for the wearer to stand out wearing our garments. We know for sure that the garments we create cannot even be created digitally.

How do you see the future of handmade and artisanal fashion in an industry dominated by mass production?

I do not want it to go in that direction. The value of the pieces of garments will definitely die. The value of the craft wears off similar to what has happened already. Batik brands have started doing digital batik prints due to high demand, which is a shame. 

Batik needs to be represented for its craft and efforts behind the process of making. People must be educated to spot the difference between fake and real artisanal crafts. A tip I can share is that real batik will not be easily affordable.

What advice would you give to aspiring designers who want to venture into handmade, sustainable fashion?

Discover your niche point and deliver a good product to the industry. Do not try to copy another designer, be you. Take no one as a competitor, you are your own competitor. If you created a collection last year, create a way better collection this year. Just because fast fashion brings easy money, do not ever tackle that system. Never lie about your process and sell a fake crafted garment.

What is next for Chihiro Designerwear? Are there any exciting upcoming collections or collaborations?

We are growing. I am working on a very emotional collection; something different, I would say. You will get to see it by the end of this month on a massive platform. I cannot wait to show you all the work our team has put together.