Dried fruits and tree barks used as source of natural dye. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)" border="0" height="348" width="511">Dried fruits and tree barks used as source of natural dye. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)
The fabrics are worn around the waist to cover their lower torso, around the body, on their shoulders and on their heads. Ulos worn by former traditional royal families would boast sacred motifs and some were adorned by precious or semi-precious stones.

Valuable ulos are passed down to generations as significant family heirlooms, to be worn at important events, such as funerals and weddings. They are measured by the quality of material, extensive decoration and also the symbolism of the patterns woven into them.

Born from a Batak father and a Dutch-Ambonese mother, Merdi has Batak in his veins.

The fashion designer got into exploring his native legacy after previously venturing into lingerie, kebaya (traditional women’s blouses) and the clothing styles of Badui – an isolated tribe in the remote areas of Banten.

“Many ancient Batak artifacts have been lost due to obliteration by colonists and missionaries. Some of them were taken abroad and placed in museums. If we want to look for our cultural assets we have to go abroad.

“The ulos that I show here are not ancient cloths, but the fabrics of today and the future. I intend to make ulos anew and make foreigners come to us, instead of the other way around,” Merdi said.

One of Merdi’s new ulos was a renewed simarinjam sisi, which was worn by Batak king Sisingamaraja, featuring a double songket – a brocade-weaving technique utilizing mostly metallic threads. Double songket means the use of supplementary decorative threads in both the warp (threads running lengthwise) and the weft (threads running widthwise).

“Traditionally it is made of cotton and worn around the waist, but I’ve made it into a silk shawl and colored it using natural dyes. I want it to become a modern cosmopolitan item that can be worn by anyone,” he said.

Another remade ulos is the naninondang, which was worn on the shoulders by princesses during their weddings or queens when receiving members of other royal families.

“Woven into them are precious stones traded at the famous ancient port of Barus. Now I make them with crystals and pearls,” Merdi said.

Besides giving new life to traditional ulos, Merdi has also created numerous songket-style ulos and a type of ulos of his own. This unique ulos is made of a mix of bamboo fibers and cotton, and displays patterns inspired by the sections of bamboo stalks.

“This is what you can call ulos merdi. I will register it for a patent, consulting with the  World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),” he said.

Merdi Sihombing. (JP Andreas D. Arditya)
For his ulos, Merdi uses mostly natural dyes, emphasizing the color blue from indigo. Indigo is a natural dye extracted from plants of the genus Indigofera.

Merdi extracted and fermented indigo from the local itom plant (Indigofera tinctoria, also known as Indigofera sumatrana).

Other natural colors were also used, such as, brown from jengkol (dogfruit), brownish red from the bark of mahogany, yellow from the bark of jackfruit trees, and pink from jabi-jabi, the cannonball mangrove.

Merdi said that the exhibition would be a milestone, marking his entrance to a new level of expertise.

“I would also like to inspire other Indonesians to explore our roots and revitalize them,“ he said.

Business-wise, Merdi hopes that the exhibition will allow him to earn enough income and funding to sustain new ulos-making, existing and future ulos weavers’ livelihoods and a plan to set up a comprehensive ulos weaving center and natural-dye plantation in Samosir in North Sumatra.

'Batak people wear ulos at every stage of life: from their time in the womb, birth, teenage years, death; in every ritual, they have to wear ulos,' Merdi said on the sidelines of the 'Partonun Ulos: Travels in Clothes' exhibition at the National Gallery in Central Jakarta.

The exhibition, which lasts until Aug. 16, displays numerous works on ulos that he has designed and crafted during his research.

These include fashion photos, video documentaries, wooden sculptures and the main attraction: ulos fabrics themselves.

Ulos are rectangular cloths traditionally hand-woven from cotton thread. Before being replaced by modern clothing, ulos are worn by all the Batak people of North Sumatra.

Dried fruits and tree barks used as source of natural dye. (JP/Andreas D. Arditya)
The fabrics are worn around the waist to cover their lower torso, around the body, on their shoulders and on their heads. Ulos worn by former traditional royal families would boast sacred motifs and some were adorned by precious or semi-precious stones.

Valuable ulos are passed down to generations as significant family heirlooms, to be worn at important events, such as funerals and weddings. They are measured by the quality of material, extensive decoration and also the symbolism of the patterns woven into them.

Born from a Batak father and a Dutch-Ambonese mother, Merdi has Batak in his veins.

The fashion designer got into exploring his native legacy after previously venturing into lingerie, kebaya (traditional women's blouses) and the clothing styles of Badui ' an isolated tribe in the remote areas of Banten.

'Many ancient Batak artifacts have been lost due to obliteration by colonists and missionaries. Some of them were taken abroad and placed in museums. If we want to look for our cultural assets we have to go abroad.

'The ulos that I show here are not ancient cloths, but the fabrics of today and the future. I intend to make ulos anew and make foreigners come to us, instead of the other way around,' Merdi said.

One of Merdi's new ulos was a renewed simarinjam sisi, which was worn by Batak king Sisingamaraja, featuring a double songket ' a brocade-weaving technique utilizing mostly metallic threads. Double songket means the use of supplementary decorative threads in both the warp (threads running lengthwise) and the weft (threads running widthwise).

'Traditionally it is made of cotton and worn around the waist, but I've made it into a silk shawl and colored it using natural dyes. I want it to become a modern cosmopolitan item that can be worn by anyone,' he said.

Another remade ulos is the naninondang, which was worn on the shoulders by princesses during their weddings or queens when receiving members of other royal families.

'Woven into them are precious stones traded at the famous ancient port of Barus. Now I make them with crystals and pearls,' Merdi said.

Besides giving new life to traditional ulos, Merdi has also created numerous songket-style ulos and a type of ulos of his own. This unique ulos is made of a mix of bamboo fibers and cotton, and displays patterns inspired by the sections of bamboo stalks.

'This is what you can call ulos merdi. I will register it for a patent, consulting with the  World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),' he said.

Merdi Sihombing. (JP Andreas D. Arditya)
For his ulos, Merdi uses mostly natural dyes, emphasizing the color blue from indigo. Indigo is a natural dye extracted from plants of the genus Indigofera.

Merdi extracted and fermented indigo from the local itom plant (Indigofera tinctoria, also known as Indigofera sumatrana).

Other natural colors were also used, such as, brown from jengkol (dogfruit), brownish red from the bark of mahogany, yellow from the bark of jackfruit trees, and pink from jabi-jabi, the cannonball mangrove.

Merdi said that the exhibition would be a milestone, marking his entrance to a new level of expertise.

'I would also like to inspire other Indonesians to explore our roots and revitalize them,' he said.

Business-wise, Merdi hopes that the exhibition will allow him to earn enough income and funding to sustain new ulos-making, existing and future ulos weavers' livelihoods and a plan to set up a comprehensive ulos weaving center and natural-dye plantation in Samosir in North Sumatra.

Details on various naninondang ulos. (JP Andreas D. Arditya)