Most fashion businesses begin with a gap in the market. Kayla Batik Design began with a mother who couldn't find colourful batik clothing for her one-year-old daughter. So she decided to make it herself.

What started as designing a single dress for her toddler, has become a fully bootstrapped, profitable modern batik brand stocked in boutiques and department stores across Malaysia and as far as George Town, Penang.

Kayla Batik Design makes contemporary batik clothing and lifestyle accessories for all ages: from baby bibs and kimonos to adult shirts and dresses, scarves, bags, and coasters. All designed by founder Jaime Sya, made by local tailors, using hand-stamped cotton batik. 

Jaime joins us to talk about what it takes to build a design-led brand when you're learning as you go — the inventory gambles, the quality control nightmares, and why she believes consistency and customer listening are the only strategy that actually works.