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Bogor museum to showcase personal attire of Fatmawati, Iriana
Festival Wastra Nusantara is set to showcase around 150 attires made from wastra – Indonesian traditional fabrics – at the Balai Kirti Museum in the Bogor Palace in West Java from April 8 to 14.
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Tenun ikat fabrics often features traditional patterns while embracing modern motifs. (JP/Nedi Putra AW)
T
he government plans to hold a traditional fabric exhibition showcasing attires and fashion items owned by national female icons and historical figures.
The exhibition, dubbed Festival Wastra Nusantara (Wastra Archipelago Festival), is set to showcase around 150 attires made from wastra – Indonesian traditional fabrics – at the Balai Kirti Museum in the Bogor Palace in West Java from April 8 to 14.
The Education and Culture Ministry’s Director General Hilmar Farid said he expected the festival to raise awareness about wastra fabrics among the general public.
“We invite the country’s female leaders to share their exquisite fabrics with the public,” Hilmar told a press conference on Monday as quoted by Antara.
Read also: Telling stories of Indonesian fabrics for internet-savvy generation
Head of Balai Kirti Museum Amurwani Swi Lestari Ningsih said the 150 fabrics set to appear at the festival included those owned by Fatmawati – the wife of the country’s first president Sukarno – and Iriana – the wife of the country’s seventh and current president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
“Every attire in the exhibition has an interesting backstory,” Amurwani said.
Festival coordinator Samuel Wattimena said the 150 fabrics only represented a fraction of wastra in cultures across the archipelago.
“In addition to renowned designers, we also hope to collaborate with students from fashion schools to transform wastra into an appealing fashion medium in a modern age,” Samuel said.
Balai Kirti Museum opens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors are prohibited from wearing t-shirts, jeans or flip-flops. (rfa/kes)
