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span class="inline inline-left">Models showcase modern batik collection from designer Edward Hutabarat.At the peak of its popularity, batik drifts away from its values.

Rudi Hartono, 25, used to think that batik was old-fashioned attire worn by people in the village for certain occasions such as weddings and ceremonial events. His mind changed two years ago when his office in West Jakarta applied a new rule requiring the wearing batik every Friday.

“I came to realize that batik is a nice outfit. I like short-sleeved batik shirts with simple and elegant patterns and colors. Sometimes I even wear batik to the office twice a week,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Rudi may share the feelings of many other youngsters toward batik. During recent years, love for batik has flourished everywhere, influencing the fashion industry like never before.

The storm of batik blows almost everyone away. People from all walks of life adore it, wearing it at various occasions and mixing and matching it with fashion products from international brands. We can spot it everywhere, from posh shopping malls and fancy boutiques to the corner of traditional markets.  From businessman such as Sandiaga Uno, singer Widi of Vierra to Hollywood actress Jessica Alba who paired her short batik dress with sexy long boots, batik has become a must-have item in any wardrobe.

Prominent leaders who wear batik in important events have also inspired people to make replica batik. Batik SBY, for example, is inspired by the batik patterns worn by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a number of occasions. His red batik gained popularity in Bandung, West Java, after he wore it during an event at Gedung Sate before he was elected president in 2009.

The batik’s hype does not stop with outfits. It spills over to other items and decorations such as bed accessories, bags, shoes and tableware. From an affordable tea set with batik prints to exclusive gold-plated dinnerware are available in department stores.

This trend has not just happened spontaneously. Renowned designers such as Iwan Tirta, Edward Hutabarat and Josephine “Obin” W. Komara have been passionately promoting batik through their work.

Edward, who is called Edo by his friends, embarked on his journey with batik in 1992 when he first explored batik from Jambi in Sumatra. He said batik was traditionally used as jarit (long cloth) that was paired with a kebaya. At that time, making batik the main star of an outfit was his goal.  

He still vividly remembered fashion journalists’ skeptical comments when he launched Part One Edward Hutabarat, a label that focused on fine batik tulis (hand-painted batik), in 2006.

“Many journalists said it was a suicide decision because I made batik when other designers made long dresses with sequins. I want batik to go international, so it could be paired with anything from Hermes, Dior and Celine,” the man who just received the Anugerah Bintang Luminar 2012 award as the best fashion designer told the Post.

The first collection from the clothing line was a modern interpretation of batik in the form of hot pants, long jackets and kimono style dresses. Edo’s attempt was successful. Batik, once considered a formal outfit, started flooding the streets in casual and chic designs.

Efforts to foster a love for batik have actually been underway since the country claimed its independence under the leadership of first president Sukarno in 1945, writer Inger McCabe Elliott claims in her book, Batik: Fabled Cloth of Java.

She said Sukarno emerged as the leader of the anti-Dutch and pro-nationalist movement after being exiled to the island of Flores and later to Sumatra where he sold batik to make a living.

“It was Sukarno who would be instrumental in making batik a symbol of a free and united Indonesia,” she wrote.

Batik aficionado Srikandi Hakim said in 1955, people developed a penchant for a type of batik called batik Sukarno — a single piece of cloth that consists of various motifs. Usually, a long cloth only consists of the same repeating motif.

The 67-year-old founder of Indo PR company said the application of batik in modern outfits had been around since she was a teenager.

“In the 1960s, girls loved wearing batik sack dresses when they went to a party. Usually, they picked colorful batik from pesisiran [the north coast],” she said.

She said only after late designer Iwan Tirta profoundly explored the use of batik did Western batik outfits really become a hit. Iwan created ancient batik motifs and enlarged them in his gowns. The first designer to use batik on silk and chiffon also cooperated with a ceramic company to produce dinnerware with batik motifs.

Srikandi said Iwan’s work stole the attention of international audiences in New York when he held a fashion show during the opening of Indonesia House in the 1980s, where she became a consultant.

“Foreign models showed off his modern batik outfits. His signature shawl was wide and long because it was presented by foreign models,” she said.

Traditionally, batik was favored by Javanese aristocrats and rich people who preferred their batik to be made by their own servants. They loved traditional patterns that consisted of symbols that were philosophically rich. The parang motif, which looks like the letter “S“, for example, is one of the ancient patterns that symbolizes an undying spirit.

In the past, the motif was only used by the king, warriors or aristocrats. To date, Javanese people still avoid wearing this pattern at weddings because they believe that it can invite arguments in their marriage.

Indonesia’s independence later opened opportunities for batik workers whose skills became a major selling point. After the end of feudalism, motifs that were once reserved for certain classes of people became more popular in society at large.

Srikandi said batik had become a dowry in wedding ceremonies and was even a family heirloom. She said she learned about fine batik and classic motifs from her father, who taught her that the quality of a piece of batik can be seen in the intricate isen-isen (fillings).

Isen-isen are patterns of dots, lines, waves and curves that fill in flowers, leaves, butterflies or other shapes in the pattern. They often reflect the arduous work of a batik tulis artist who works for eight hours a day for almost a year to produce a fine long cloth.

Apart from the tedious work of hand-drawn designs, batik cap (stamped batik) has also gained popularity. Nur Cahyo, the owner of batik workshop Cahyo in Pekalongan, Central Java, said over 50 percent of his artists were young people between 18 and 30 years old, thanks to the rising trend of batik.

“A Japanese customer told me that he was worried he could not get fine batik in the future after seeing that the majority of artists who worked in some workshops in Yogyakarta were already old. He was relieved and proud to see young artists in my workshop,” he told the Post over the telephone.    

However, the booming batik trend has also encouraged mass production by screen-printing batik, which is more efficient. Textile machines that have replaced the long process of making batik have been criticized as a technology that has halted the development of batik itself.

Edo strictly says that printed batik is not genuine batik. It is simply a textile cloth that uses batik motifs.

“I encourage rich traders to stop printing batik motifs and to start empowering their employees to make batik cap. This printing is a mean practice that is killing the development of our heritage,” he said.

He said the development of batik cap was necessary because it required shorter periods of training than batik tulis and provided more affordable prices for batik enthusiasts from lower classes.

“Preserving batik is a responsibility that is more important than money. Do not just pile up money through screen printing, which taints the river with chemical substances,” Edo said.

What will happen if people in the country fail to preserve batik tulis and cap? We may see a return of the feudalism period when batik could only be accessed by a handful of tycoons.

— Photos by P.J. Leo