November 22, 2021

REKINDLE Gifting: Yeomama Batik

"It’s beautiful to come together to share the love of artisanal handcrafted products, spreading more awareness about the work that goes into making these handmade clothing and accessories."

- Desleen Yeo, Yeo Daughter of YeoMama Batik

Share a little about yourself.

Hi I’m Desleen Yeo aka YeoDaughter. I started the brand with YeoMama, a full-time homemaker. Prior to starting this brand, I was working as a full-time piano teacher, and then moved on to working at two different events and marketing agencies before leaving my job and dabbling in random part-time / freelance projects and then somehow I stepped foot into the world of batik.

Why did you start the YeoMama Batik?

The brand started accidentally. I fractured my ankle and needed immediate surgery and while recuperating at home, YeoMama called me from Indonesia. It was a casual chat and she randomly brought up the idea of selling batik in Singapore which I just ‘ok lor’ to. Like there’s something for me to be occupied with. So, the most initial intention of why the brand started is so that i could kill time haha!

What is YeoMama Batik's ethos and what does it hope to achieve?

We stand by being fun, relatable and authentic. Our brand ethos is in creating a warm and welcoming experience for our customers, and to use authentic handmade batik from Indonesia to support the craft and community. We hope for people to be able to integrate batik into their everyday life, to see batik beyond its stereotyped characteristics of something old, traditional and formal.

Describe the person who wears YeoMama Batik!

Me, you, everybody and anybody! Someone with an open heart and mind and willing to explore new patterns in fuss-free style. You don’t need to be a super fashionista to wear YeoMama Batik. You don’t need to be a very loud and colourful person to wear batik. Love neutrals and subtle tones? We also have the right batik for you. Whether you are in your 20s, 30s or 60s, you can still wear YeoMama Batik!

Why partner Our Barehands in this collaboration?

I guess we have similarities in the sense that we are both brands that support the craft community but the way we portray our brands can be quite different. It’s beautiful to come together to share the love of artisanal handcrafted products, spreading more awareness about the work that goes into making these handmade clothing and accessories.

Which is your favourite batik scarf colour in the gift bundle & how would you style it?

Yellow! Yellow is my favourite colour! The easiest way of layering over my clothing to keep my arms warm because I feel cold easily and yet I like to wear sleeveless. Cardigans and jackets may be warm for my armpits (hahaha) so a scarf is a perfect blend of keeping me warm and my pits cool. I wouldn't restrict myself on pairing combinations though. The scarf works with separates, dresses or jumpsuits, and the colours are easy to match with any colours or even over something printed. I’m a print on print person.

Anything else you'll like to say to everyone!

Be bold, be batikful, be yeoself! Come explore the world of batik and be WOWWWed by the many different varieties this traditional art and craft can mould into.