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View all search resultsCover Story: The Origins of Creation
BATIK IS MORE THAN JUST A FASHION PIECe, says IWAN TIRTA DESIGNER ERA SOEKAMTOâWhen we reach deep down into our being, and get to the zero point, thatâs where the âmicrocosmosâ, or our âsmallâ spirit, merges with the âmacrocosmosâ, or the grand spirit of the outer worldâand thatâs where creativity starts,â fashion designer Era Soekamto said during a recent workshop titled âMeditation in Making Batikâ
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BATIK IS MORE THAN JUST A FASHION PIECe, says IWAN TIRTA DESIGNER ERA SOEKAMTO
'When we reach deep down into our being, and get to the zero point, that's where the 'microcosmos', or our 'small' spirit, merges with the 'macrocosmos', or the grand spirit of the outer world'and that's where creativity starts,' fashion designer Era Soekamto said during a recent workshop titled 'Meditation in Making Batik'.
A dozen or so participants had just finished about an hour of meditation followed by a few hours of making batik while sitting on the floor at the Coworkinc space in Kemang, South Jakarta.
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" Our ancestors transmitted knowledge from one generation to the next not through writing, but through the sacred art embodied in temple reliefs and batik.
'This workshop taught me that making batik is a complicated process'and of the philosophical meaning behind the symbols embodied by the fabric,' one participant named Sofina told the class. 'With this in mind, I'll never negotiate again when I buy batik.'
Positioning batik as a defining part of Indonesian culture and history has been the struggle of Era, a defender of the fabric.
She is the fashion designer and creative director behind the legendary batik house Iwan Tirta, as well as her own brand, Era Soekamto Indonesia.
'Our ancestors transmitted knowledge from one generation to the next not through writing, but through the sacred art embodied in temple reliefs and batik,' she told JPlus on the sidelines of the workshop. 'By preserving batik, we preserve a civilization.'
ROMANCE WITH 'BATIK'
While batik has long been part of Era's creative life, her involvement with the fabric has taken several detours.
'I made it into the fashion world when I became the runner up for the Indonesian Design Contest around 1997 or 1998 with my batik design featuring the mythical jatayu bird,' Era, who was born in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, in 1976, said when interviewed at the Iwan Tirta Private Collection boutique in the Grand Hyatt Jakarta shopping arcade.
'I learned how to use a canting [wax pen] from designer Carmanita,' Era said, referring to the famed batik maker.
'When I studied at the LaSalle International Fashion College in Singapore, however, I was taught to capitalize on a market segment that has been untapped,' she says. 'At that time, there was almost no brand that really tapped the young adult market niche, so I choose to create the Urban Crew label, which was very rebellious, naughty and independent, to suit to the young spirit.'
When Era started teaching at the Jakarta outpost of LaSalle nine years ago, her life took a turn when she realized that she didn't know how to answer students who asked her about the connection between Java's ancient kingdoms and batik.
'That propelled me to go and learn. I started by reading lots of books and clippings about Indonesian history and culture,' Era said. 'I started visiting sites like Trowulan, East Java, and a number of temples in Yogyakarta. I started meeting people who had similar interests and got myself involved in activities like batik workshops and traditional dance performances.'
In 2010, a friend working for the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) introduced her an acquaintance from the Iwan Tirta label.
When Iwan Titra fell ill before his death in 2010, Era was asked to come on board as the label's designer due to her breadth of knowledge of batik and Javanese culture.
'At the time, I said no,' Era said. She was too busy running Urban Crew and hoped to sell it to an investor.
In 2012, two years after Iwan Tirta's death, the label made her another offer.
Urban Crew had been sold off and Era's designs were available at department stores and boutiques across Indonesia.
This time, Era said yes. 'I thought maybe this was my opportunity to put all my knowledge about Javanese culture and history into play.'
Picking up the mantle of Iwan Tirta would be daunting for any designer, however. Iwan, who died in 2010, incorporated batik into the pieces made by his label.
A graduate of the University of Indonesia's law school, where he later taught, Iwan launched his eponymous label in 1973.
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" I thought maybe this was my opportunity to put all my knowledge about Javanese culture and history into play."
Most will recognize Iwan's work from the batik shirts worn by the presidents and prime ministers during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Jakarta in 1994.
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo posthumously awarded Iwan the Bintang Budaya Parama Dharma, the nation's highest decoration for cultural figures.
The boutique where Era was interviewed features a wall of photographs of Iwan, appearing swank in batik and flared pants in one photo, posing with then-UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher in another.
There's also a quote from Iwan on one of the boutique's windows that underscores the affinity shared by the pair: 'To me, the art of batik is a form of mediation, a means of emotional expression.'
Era is steeped in his legacy. 'Iwan Tirta took batik to a whole different level by adding a modern touch to it. Take this terang bulan [moonlight] cloth, as an example,' Era says, pointing to one pale-green piece of fabric.
'Usually gurda (batik depicting the patterns of the mythical garuda) embodies small motifs, but he made the motifs 'macroscopic' by enlarging them. He also minimized the border composition of the cloth. This is how he modernized it without losing its traditional touch.'
Era said that international designers like Balenciaga and Chanel did similar things when rejuvenating traditional fashions. 'The only difference is that batik designs are made by hand.'
'I met pak Iwan once but never really spoke to him. Although I admire him and his works, I've never imagined that I would work on his legacy,' Era says. 'Maybe this is what you call law of attraction. The universe already sets everything out for you. You just need to work hard and refine your skills. No need to worry about your career milestones. Just leave it to God.'
OF FASHION AND SPIRITUALITY
Talk with Era briefly and her strong spiritual convictions become evident.
She said that she had long been influenced by traditional Javanese spiritual beliefs as well as the works of Persian poet Jalaluddin Rumi.
'The Koran, and basically the religious teachings of Christianity and Buddhism, essentially says that God is closer than your jugular vein,' Era says. 'In order to access His energy of love and compassion, however, you have to have consciousness where your soul is opened up.'
She continues. 'It's hard to explain what consciousness is. It's almost like explaining the flavor of durian to somebody who has never eaten the fruit his whole life. You have to experience it by yourself in order to know how consciousness manifests itself within you,' she said, suggesting that meditation was a good practice to achieve this consciousness.
Consciousness is the theme of Era's next show, titled 'Mahayana', as part of Plaza Indonesia Fashion Week, on March 14. 'This fashion show speaks about full consciousness and awakening. It comprises around 24 pieces and is inspired by the journey of Buddhism in Jambi, Sumatra and Java in the ninth century.'
Era said that the show took two years to prepare. 'A year for research, another to create the designs. In researching this, I went to many different sites in Jambi and Java, as well as read a lot of books.'
For the designs, she plays with the bright colors that are synonymous with Jambi's fabric tradition. 'I attempt to depict the glory of ancient Buddhist kingdoms at the ninth century through loose, tent-like silhouettes, which were inspired by India, where Buddhism comes from.'
For her next project, Era says she wants to design batik based on the Fibonacci sequence'the so-called 'Golden Ratio'
'But I'm not going to talk about it now, so you will have a new topic to write about next time,' Era says, smiling.
