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Fashion designer highlights plight of Indonesian workers
Shedding light on the damaging effects of fast fashion on both the environment and human beings, a theatrical performance has put Indonesian workers upfront.
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Camera subjects: Aan Aminah (front) and Diandra Aprillian act as photoshoot models in Widi Asari's performance. (Courtesy of Widi Asari) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Widi Asari)
Shedding light on the damaging effects of fast fashion on both the environment and human beings, a theatrical performance put Indonesian workers upfront.
“I am Aan Aminah. I started working in the textile industry during the Suharto era with a salary of Rp 1,600 (US$ 0.11) for 12 hours of work.”
The sound echoed loudly as the story of Bu Aan was being narrated. But she was not the one saying it. She was modeling, walking around the photography room at the Bandung Creative Hub and trying on different clothes.
Suddenly, another performer gave Aan a prayer mat. She began praying in the center of the room.
“I have been tortured twice for doing my prayers in the factory. I was pushed into a corner and strangled by the factory owner’s brother,” the voice-over said.
Aan’s devastating case is widely known by the labor association in Bandung. She and other workers protested their poor labor situation at a textile factory, with long hours and poor pay, in 2020, only to get laid off and countersued instead.
Two other performers followed her moves, treating the room like a catwalk while their life stories were narrated.
