O

ver the past few years, tenun (woven cloths) have become a hot new item for fashion designers who creatively play with their imaginations to explore the traditional textile.

In the hands of the designers, tenun, used to be considered as heavy, starts to gain popularity among fashion enthusiasts as the fabric appears to be more wearable and suitable for people in big cities.

Celebrated veteran Stephanus Hamy is one of the people who are strongly committed to developing and preserving tenun from all over Indonesia and creating ready-to-wear pieces from the fabric.

Through his book titled Chic Mengolah Wastra Indonesia: Tenun NTT (A chic way to work on Indonesian textiles: East Nusa Tenggara Tenun), which he co-wrote with fashion stylist Debbi Suryawan, Hamy explains the A-to-Z of NTT’s tenun, including on how to wear and style it.

What to wear

• Casual wear

Choose brighter color hues such as red and yellow.

If you are petite, you can opt for tenun with small motifs, such as the ones from Lio, Sikka and Alor.

Choose cloths with light texture.

You can combine a plain fabric with ones with different motifs to add a modern touch.

• At work

Choose a dark-colored tenun with a geometric combination pattern to give a formal look.

For outerwear such as jackets or blazers, go for a thick-textured tenun.

• Evening events

Lightweight tenun can be turned into pleated skirts, dresses or pants.

Short-length tenun looks good for a pretty mini skirt or obi. If you are not keen on cutting the cloth, you can style it into a draping accent into your outfit.

 Mix and match

• For a modern look, pair your tenun with other items, such as denim.

• You can use tenun as an accent by putting it on the collars and cuffs, for instance.

• Soften the appearance of tenun, which tends to look stiff, by combining it with feminine touches like bows, pleats or fancy cord on the waistline.

• If you dare, try to crisscross one motif with another. Combine flora or fauna motifs, for instance, with geometrics.

Take good care

Since tenun is produced through a dying process, it takes extra care to maintain the fabric and the color.

• Avoid washing tenun in the washing machine since it might wipe away the hues. Hand washing and dry cleaning are the best options. Make sure you use mild detergent.

• Brushing your tenun is not recommended.

• Avoid drying the fabric under direct sunlight as you might lose the colors. Dry your tenun instead of under the shade.

• Even though tenun tends to be thick and heavy, you should avoid high temperatures while ironing because it is handmade and produced from natural materials, which might be damaged due to the heat.

• The best way to store your tenun-based cloth is to hang it in your closet. For extra large cloth, you can simply roll it.

— Triwik Kurniasari