IKAT Indonesia creative director Didiet Maulana said during a virtual press conference on Thursday that the collaboration was borne out of a chance meeting with Lasouk cofounder Nadja Felgenheier, whom he met at a Muslim fashion event in 2019.

“I fell in love with the quality and the modern perspective the brand has,” he said, adding that he ended up running late for the fashion show but it was worth it.

Meanwhile, Felgenheier said she had heard of Didiet beforehand and was interested in his traditional designs, but she only realized after he had left that she was talking to the man himself.

The limited-edition line offers three designs inspired by traditional Indonesian textiles: the Andjani, Ghalia and Shabira.

Compact: The prayer mats can be folded to become smaller than an A4 paper for storage. (Courtesy of IKAT Indonesia./-)

The Andjani prayer mat comes in a warm terracotta color to symbolize the fertility of Indonesian soil. Inspired by ikat cloth, the interconnected patterns it features symbolize unity.

The Ghalia offers a softer hue through a desaturated teal color scheme, contrasted with earth tones that are soft enough to limit clashing. The color combination is meant to suggest a more nautical feel, representing Indonesia’s vast ocean, while the ikat pattern symbolizes trust.

The Shabira provides a darker yet bold color scheme, with its deep blue and red combination inspired by sunsets over the horizon. Intertwining accents liven up the mat, which is said to symbolize harmony and unity.

All three designs retail for Rp 529,000 (US$37.15) on IKAT Indonesia’s website as well as e-commerce sites such as Tokopedia and Shopee, with Lasouk also stocking the mats on its website for S$59.

Felgenheier explained the mats were made from 100 percent natural ingredients, using water-based ink to print the patterns. The mats are also equipped with anti-slip material, while also being machine-washable.

“Another very good feature is that our mats are very handy: You can fold them and they’re actually smaller than an A4 paper when you do," she said.

“It’s very interesting also that, during this situation, we have a lot of advertisement of bringing our own stuff, like our own prayer mats, and ever since then we’ve also seen an increase in sales for our musholla (prayer room) version, which is designed to be used outside.”

Shared values: Designer Didiet Maulana collaborated with Singapore's brand Lasouk in creating the line of prayer mats. (Courtesy of IKAT Indonesia./-)

Didiet said the collaboration went ahead because both brands shared the same values, noting that IKAT Indonesia was “very picky” when it came to collaborations.

“It’s one of the important collaborations that we’ve done because we are producing something that we’ve never produced before. I was surprised looking at the sales figures for the first time – without going heavy on the promotion yet, it has captured [the hearts of] so many people who love it and are buying it not just for themselves, but also as gifts for their friends and family.

“A lot of them are sharing through [these] prayer mats. This is something that is our vision. We’re trying to send some positivity, optimism through Indonesian-inspired patterns.” (ste)