Maya Amoah, owner and founder of BATIK BOUTIK.
BATIK BOUTIK is a creative project by Maya Amoah. It is a showcase of fashion, accessories, and decor artisans from Africa with sustainability and culture at the forefront. BATIK BOUTIK offers a collection of apparel, accessories and decor reflective of the eclectic cultures in West Africa. Maya began selling her individualistic pieces at festivals and markets but BATIK BOUTIK has operated online since the pandemic.
The idea for BATIK BOUTIK came to Maya on a trip to visit family in Ghana. She was inspired by the prints and textiles she saw there. Maya wants to stand among the leaders of ethical trading and sustainability in fashion, and help contribute toward a push for this to be the industry norm. It starts with BATIK BOUTIK’s zero waste policy.
“Nothing goes to waste. All the fabric is kept and then we use it to make things like masks, scrunchies, and patchwork clothing. There is a line within our brand where everything is recycled fabrics that are sorted together and made into t-shirts and pants and things like that. We want to counter the practice of textile waste that is so common in the fashion industry,” said Maya.
A model helps showcase BATIK BOUTIK products.
As a celebration of artistry and West-African heritage, Maya’s items offer meaningful alternatives to fast fashion. In the world of fast fashion, too often clothing items or apparel that still work in a utilitarian sense are discarded to make way for the latest trend causing unnecessary waste. BATIK BOUTIK textiles tell a story about ancestry and individuality that infuse them with the kind of intrinsic value immune to changing trends. Maya creates items people wish to hold onto and not discard wantonly as they may with a fast fashion alternative.
“People have a homogenous narrative of Africa that is often negative. Issues like famine and violence exist but there is no positive storytelling or recognition of Africa’s diversity. The brand was created out of love and is an ode to Ghana and Africa as a whole to celebrate what exists there. We showcase traditional practices and how they differ from country to country. It’s about recognizing the magic that exists there,” said Maya.
The future of BATIK BOUTIK holds more sustainability efforts, including expanded recycled lines. As an environmentally and ethically conscious business owner, Maya is always thinking about what more she can do.
“Managing textile waste is only the first step. We’re moving toward more recycled options. For instance, shirts made out of flour bags. Those big flour sacks you see are made out of cotton so we redesign them and you see Ghana on it and stuff. And they look really cool. But I’m always trying to think of new ways for our practices to be more sustainable,” said Maya.
August is Black Business Month. Throughout the month we are spotlighting business owners of colour who run their operations with environmental sensibilities and sustainability in mind.
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