Piumi Perera, owner and designer at Wikitoria
Life has gone full circle for Auckland label founder, Piumi Perera. Her New Zealand-based label Wikitoria is a successful hybrid of modern design and traditionally handcrafted batik, with the distinctive dyeing method carried out by skilled artisans near the same small Sri Lankan village where she grew up.
The technique of wax-resistant dyeing, widely known as batik, is a traditional method handed down through generations, and it is this unique skill that strikes a particularly nostalgic chord with Piumi. Some of her most vivid childhood memories growing up in Sri Lanka are of watching the mesmerising traditional skill of handmade batik being created.
So, it is with a sense of life having gone full circle that Piumi has taken that love and appreciation of this historic technique and infused it with a modern palette of design, with influences drawn from New Zealand harakeke and native plants.
The former biology teacher has always had a connection to nature and to her Sri Lankan heritage, and Wikitoria is a seamless fusion of both of these loves.
“My appreciation of batik has remained through the years since seeing it first-hand growing up, witnessing the dexterity of the women creating the batik and their creativity and imagination in terms of the patterns and designs. When I migrated to New Zealand, I started bringing a selection of batik clothing from Sri Lanka and selling it here.
“While those pieces chosen were special in their own right, I felt there was a layer of connection missing specific to the New Zealand fashion market and wanted to elevate the designs and colours to align better with New Zealand’s own style and culture.”
The decision to team up with fashion consultant and designer Cleyara Fernando resulted in a clear vision for Wikitoria and the duo have since successfully created a desirable collection of designer batik resort wear, with a focus on quality fabrics and fabrication, professional batik artists, and a dedication to sustainability.
Zero waste produce has always been a goal – leftover fabric is used to make scrunchies, etc.
“We have been conscious from the start of minimising waste, and carefully evaluate how to utilise fabric scraps to make small accessories that can give added value through the website.”
Also part of the sustainable commitment is a strong awareness on the local community of the batik artisans in Sri Lanka. Wikitoria is dedicated to providing employment and training local youth on design processing and retail drive, with the aim of building upskilled youth, improving their employability and offering future livelihood opportunities.
“Batik has always been something that has truly inspired me, and part of this I think is because I have such a clear understanding of the tradition and skill involved.”
The timelessness of batik is reflected in Wikitoria’s resort-style collections – a fusion of fresh design, relaxed tailoring, and comfortable elegance for everywhere from poolside to evening.
FashioNZ finds out more.
What started your original passion for Batik?
Sri Lanka batik has become the realm of village-based women, who create beautiful designs on clothes with just dexterity of their hands and pure imagination. Therefore, I wanted to bring the creativity of one woman in a country to another woman’s wardrobe.
What is special about Batik and why do you want to share it?
Every piece of Wikitoria clothing is made with the utmost care. It is a thoughtful and considerate approach from beginning to end. A design is drawn on a piece of fabric, with the primary influence taken from New Zealand flora and fauna. Wax is applied to the parts of the fabric that are not to be dyed. This is a slow and time-consuming process. After the fabric is dyed in the desired colour and dried, the wax is removed with boiling water. The process can be repeated to dye other areas of the fabric. The whole process takes a few days to complete.
What is unique about Wikitora?
Wikitoria uses organic references from nature, using nature’s art as its timeless inspiration. The detailed shape of native plants and the batik process used creates a link and modern transition of traditional aesthetics and cross-cultural understanding of two countries – New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Some information about the Wikitoria team?
All of our batik artwork is done in a Sri Lankan village, in small-scale batik workshops primarily under women’s guidance. Our main production is done in an international-level production plant in Sri Lanka. Our fashion designer is also of Sri Lankan heritage, with Cleyara qualified in fashion designing in the UK and unafraid to try something fresh and original. As the founder of Wikitoria, I’m deeply passionate about both cultures and bringing together a unique piece of each through fashion.
Some information about the fabric you work with?
We use environmentally friendly materials, mainly linen, which is best suited to providing comfort and style for all seasons, particularly the heat of summer.
Describe how native NZ plants influence your design?
Textile design inspiration mostly comes from the native flax harakeke, taking the earthly rustic repetition of the elements and giving a softer focus on the print. The shapes of the leaves and flowers speak of the journey and story of the Māori culture, which was part of the inspiration for Wikitoria. Using a healing colour palette of shades of green and pastels, this season’s collection is focused around six key pieces, focusing around one key style in a summer dress, romper, midi skirt, short dress, ruffled sleeve top, and cami top. Our sustainable focus keeps us focused on core pieces with longevity across the seasons.
What gives you the greatest sense of pride about Wikitoria?
I think helping grow awareness in New Zealand about batik and acknowledging the value of the time and effort that goes into creating each item, and, in turn, supporting the traditional art of batik.
How did you and Cleyara meet and come to work together?
Cleyara is my school friend who went on to study fashion design in the UK. She has so many original ideas around fabric, designs, and colour, particularly in terms of suiting New Zealand weather and culture.
Like most businesses, there were many sleepless nights as we discussed our ideas around designs and elements for our first collection. A key advantage, thanks to our friendship as well as our business relationship is that communication has always been and continues to be easy and straightforward between us.
Also, my husband Devan offers continuous support throughout this journey and helps balance our work-family life. We always face challenges together.
How would you describe your personal style?
The sustainability of clothing is really important to me and always part of my buying decisions. The clothing I’m going to buy should maximise benefits to people and minimise the impact on the environment.
Images supplied