span style="line-height: 1.6em;">With the aim of preserving batik as a cultural heritage, the Indonesian Batik Foundation in collaboration with the Industry Ministry hosted Batik Fashion Week 2016 at Plaza Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta from Sept. 3 to Oct. 2.
Held in conjunction with National Batik Day, the event opened with a fashion show titled "Reimagining the Past through the Eyes of the Future”, featuring collections from 12 local designers.
(Read also: Fashion Flair: Reinventing Indonesian fabrics for today)
Divided into three different themes, the New-Generation show presented collections from up-and-coming designers, including Sejauh Mata Memandang, Kulo by Sekar Larasati, Nes and Rama Dauhan. The second show, dubbed Young Souls, featured collections from seasoned designers with a youth concept, such as Rinda Salmun, Populo Batik, Galeri Batik Jawa x Jeffry Tan, [bi] and Ghea Fashion Studio. Meanwhile, The Roots was dedicated to local designers that have been around for decades, which are Danar Hadi x Saptodjojokartiko, Parang Kencana and Irwan Tirta Private Collection.
Sejauh Mata Memandang founder Chitra Subiyakto said as batik was rooted in Indonesian culture, it would be shame to see it gone. "Young people can [actually] stand out by combining contemporary design with cultural roots.” (kes)
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