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Danar Hadi thrives with batik legacy amid tough textile competition
Danar Hadi managing director Diana Santosa talks to The Jakarta Post’s Yohana Belinda about how she, as the second generation in her family, runs one of the country’s most prominent batik houses, which has existed for almost six decades.
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Danar Hadi managing director Diana Santosa reveals what it means to continue the legacy of her family within the batik industry and the importance of engaging with the younger generation. (Danar Hadi/Courtesy of Danar Hadi )
I
ndonesia has long been recognized for the ingenuity and inventiveness of its batik, attributable to its rich cultural heritage. As one of the country’s oldest industries, batik has become a national identity and provides a livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people.
Danar Hadi managing director Diana Santosa talked to The Jakarta Post’s Yohana Belinda about how she, as the second generation in her family, runs one of the country’s most prominent batik houses, which has existed for almost six decades.
Question: What prompted your initial engagement in the batik industry?
Answer: I have had the privilege of growing up in a batik-loving family, which has always been a significant part of my life. My parents were batik entrepreneurs and established Danar Hadi in Solo [also known as Surakarta in Central Java]. They did not clearly separate the areas where we lived and their batik workshop. So I have been with batik all my life.
Fashion is my greatest passion, but I wasn’t interested in textiles, so I did not directly join my [late] father [Santosa Doellah]. Upon completion of my studies at Trisakti University [in Jakarta], I started my own garment company, but it was a struggle to build a brand. In 1996, I was invited to join the group. When my younger brother was in a car accident and went into a coma, my father stayed with him in Singapore for days, I had to help him run the company.
