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Our Story
Gypsied is a conscious label from Singapore transforming heritage textiles into beautiful products for a conscious lifestyle. We explore the intersection of culture and identity in modern times, breathing new life into batik and handwoven textiles in our designs.
Each product we make embodies a positive new narrative for today’s women — conscious, thoughtful and open to new experiences.
Since 2013, we have discovered and worked with communities in Southeast Asia where textiles continue to be a vital form of expression and textile-making a way of life. These are guardians of tradition who support the region's collective heritage.
Together with our values of ethical production, we hope to change the portrayal of artisanship and craftsmanship from preservation to one of prominence.
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Our Founder
I'm Aqilah Zailan. I stumbled upon my present path by pure accident at age 23. Born in Singapore, I come from a confusing line of ancestors of Javanese-Malay-Siamese origin. Starting with a great grandmother from South Thailand and her husband who hailed from Central Java, there is little to no family tree and limited ways of tracing it. After hearing anecdotes of my grandmother's insistence on wearing batik and kebaya daily in a Singapore that (at that time) was increasingly modernising, I reached out to traditional textiles to find the answers I seek, a process that has seen me wearing batik since the age of 14. The answers always seem just out of reach.
Discovering heritage textiles, telling their stories, and meeting the women who make them are the biggest components of what we do. The best part about this journey has been the artisans we meet, and creating for you. I believe in designing timeless pieces that honour the messages contained in these textiles.
Together with high quality workmanship, I hope what you acquire may be enjoyed for many years to come. Beyond just you, I hope your children, nieces, nephews, god-daughters and sons will someday inherit them and carry your stories close to their hearts.
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House by Liberty
Ethical production, safe spaces
House by Liberty is a community center and ethical production house in Indonesia that empowers marginalised women, most of whom are refugees. Through their training to employment model, workers are supported through personal and professional upskilling, giving them hope and an opportunity to break out of the poverty cycle.
We are honoured to partner with House by Liberty for 20% of our production needs. As a small and slow fashion studio, this is a significant amount of our inventory. We aim to have 50% of our production needs fulfilled by House of Liberty by end 2022.
Tradisi Textiles
Weaving generations, culture and beauty
Based out of Ubud, Tradisi has an eye for the best textiles in Indonesia. They aim to promote Indonesia’s craft and improve lives with various social projects, sponsoring weaving looms and offering free health examinations for indigenous textile communities living below the poverty line.
Kebon Indah
Naturally dyed & hand drawn batik
Women have been the backbone of Indonesia’s batik industry. Kebon Indah is an all-women cooperative focusing on the art of hand drawn batik using natural dyes. While the cooperative is newly established, its artisans have years of experience behind them, having come from generations of batik makers.