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Batik frenzy not strictly traditional
“Ethnic” is the new black in Jakarta, and for some people this means business opportunities
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“Ethnic” is the new black in Jakarta, and for some people this means business opportunities.
The demand for batik has been increasing in Jakarta since it was recognized as an intangible element of Indonesia’s cultural heritage by Unesco in October 2009.
And with Jakarta’s growing love of batik, on every corner of the city — in malls, on sidewalks and in bus stations — it seems there are people selling clothes with traditional printed motifs.
The policy of government and several private companies obliging employees to wear batik every Friday has contributed to the increase in demand.
“Since this batik craze began my business has continued to grow,” said Lala Gozali, the owner of Gianti Creation, which produces clothes combining modern designs and traditional motifs.
Lala said she collected woven fabrics and batik from across Indonesia and made clothes from them, earning profits of up to Rp 40 million (US$4,400) a month — a big increase compared to what she had earned in 2003, when she first started out.
But Lala is not alone in her venture. Her goal to capitalize on the richness of Indonesian culture is shared among many, albeit in simpler and cheaper ways.
Most of her competitors sell mass-produced batik not made using traditional processes. Such items have been highly successful in the market because of their lower prices, and are easy to find in most malls at prices starting at around Rp 20,000.
But instead of considering these instant batik entrepreneurs a threat, Wignyo Rahadi, another traditional woven fabrics entrepreneur, sees them as step closer to the community loving batik.
“Let people start their fondness for batik with cheaper products, and when they eventually discover its beauty they will not mind buying more expensive items,” Wignyo said.
Wignyo’s products, under the brand Tenun Gaya, have price tags ranging between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1 million.
The gap between cheap batik prints and high quality and expensive clothes means business is not likely to overlap because every product has its own market segment, said Wignyo, whose clients have included President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
