Malaysian Batik Makes Appearance On Runway At Modest Fashion Day, KazanForum 2026

From Nor Baizura Basri

KAZAN (Russia), May 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysian batik made an appearance during Modest Fashion Day at KazanForum 2026 held here, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, on Wednesday, signalling a continuous effort to strengthen Malaysia’s fashion ecosystem through international positioning while providing opportunities to local entrepreneurs.

Jay Ishak, founder and chief executive officer of MyFashionChamber, the International Fashion Chamber Malaysia, said this was also in line with the chamber's effort to provide meaningful pathways for designers, brands, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs to grow beyond local borders.

“Through its involvement, MyFashionChamber positioned Malaysia not only within the international modest fashion conversation, but also within a broader platform where business, heritage, creativity, and global collaboration intersect,” she told Bernama on the sidelines of KazanForum 2026.

As part of the Modest Fashion Day show on May 13, 2026, MyFashionChamber brought Yani Bakhtiar to represent Malaysia on the runway, presenting a collection inspired by the richness of traditional batik sarung through a contemporary modest fashion interpretation. 

Modest Fashion Day brought together designers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, as well as several Russian cities, reflecting the growing international relevance of modest fashion as both a cultural and professional platform.

Jay, who also spoke during the women’s session at the forum on career trajectories, opportunities, challenges, and development prospects, addressed the realities many women continue to face in career advancement and entrepreneurship, including unequal access, slow recognition, limited progression pathways and the need for stronger systems that support women’s growth and leadership.

She said MyFashionChamber’s participation in Kazan reflected the chamber’s wider mission to ensure Malaysia is represented internationally with greater purpose, visibility, and industry relevance.

She added that Yani’s participation carried important value for Malaysia because it brought local textile identity and craftsmanship into a wider international spotlight.

“Yani’s collection brought Malaysian batik sarung to the runway in a way that felt elegant, current, and globally relevant. That matters because our designers are not only showing clothing. They are carrying Malaysia’s heritage, creativity, and cultural confidence to the world,” she said.

The 17th International Economic Forum “Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum”, being held from May 12-17, is a platform for strengthening trade, economic, scientific, technical, social, and cultural ties between Russia and the countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

-- BERNAMA