Collection Notes

The Courage to be Yourself

This collection came during a small hiatus, while I was reflecting on what I wanted BATIK BOUTIK to look like moving forward. I did surveys and polls with my customers to get an idea of what they loved and what they didn’t. I was inspired by their proclamations that they felt more creative, bold, and able to express themselves in my clothing. They spoke about how much they loved our unisex fits and the comfort we’ve always paid attention to. In many ways, they reminded me of parts of the brand I had forgotten and allowed me to come full circle again.

This time, I designed more intentionally, testing across different body sizes and shapes, choosing prints you actually wanted, and developing silhouettes that were versatile, trans-seasonal, gender-neutral, and comfortable. I was also deeply inspired by my surroundings in Egypt, a new homeland for me and my mother and brother, the birthplace of my mother, and a country she only reconnected with last year after 40 years. The bright and bold flavours, colours, chaos, and joy motivated me to keep going, and I spent the last few months deep in study, developing the designs that eventually became this collection.

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I spent much of this time alone, moving between Cairo and Giza, and the experience began to feel almost like an art residency. In Giza, by the pyramids, I found Egyptian hosts who showed me incredible hospitality and helped guide my vision to film within the small streets and on the rooftops of the hotel, capturing everyday life beside the pyramids. I fell even more in love with photography and began dabbling in film, with interviews following the lives of creatives soon to be released. Journalism has always been a strong passion of mine, so it only made sense to begin blending these worlds.

The Courage to Be Yourself is also deeply personal, drawing from my own struggles and triumphs with authentic self-expression, mobility, and living between worlds and learning to find belonging and build a sense of home in new and unexpected places. These ideas extend beyond my own experience, which led me to begin interviewing people carrying similar stories of migration, identity, creativity, and belonging. Their voices have become part of this evolving body of work, exploring the courage it takes to move through the world while remaining fully yourself.

Thanks for being here.

Love, Maya