Collective efforts to popularize tenun ikat (handwoven fabric) have gained momentum as slow fashion is on-trend, riding on the back of the global movement of sustainable development.

There were challenges that still needed to be tackled, according to the speakers at the World Ikat Textiles Symposium (WITS) recently in Jakarta, but there is already rising attention for the product.

Indian textile designer and researcher Gunjan Jain said some changes had been made to make ikat textiles more accessible and affordable to counter the mass production of stamp print fabric with ikat motifs despite the prevailing 1985 Handloom Preservation Act.

She also shared how textile artisans still preserved the unique calligraphic Odisha ikat technique while at the same time made the design more appealing to the younger generation.

“It will be better for ikat artisans to apply new motifs to attract young people rather than remain stuck in the traditional motifs which in the end only become a relics in a museum,” she said.

Mexican artisan Arturo Estrada Hernandez, who revived the traditional ikat rebozo, shared his experience of being accused by the people of trying to diminish the old traditions.

“I improved the techniques as well as the designs to let ikat Rebozo be out there,” he said. “It was a misunderstanding which was later resolved as they witnessed how the ikat promoted the tradition.”

His quality ikat has become a must item for textile aficionados and collectors worldwide, a smooth and light fabric despite its intricate motifs and varied colors.

Meechai Taesujariya, a celebrated weaver and designer from Thailand, also took the liberty of creating contemporary motifs for the fabric and the clothes he designed, some are developed from the traditional Thai ikat Mud Mee, of which each motif, he said, had its own meaning.

“We are trying to preserve ikat Mud Mee and at the same time make it more modern,” he said.

Organized by the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region, for the Jakarta event it involves the ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association, Jakarta Textile Museum, Noesa, Indonesia for Natural Dye (Warlami), Indonesia Traditional Fabric Association (Perkumpulan Wastra Indonesia) and the Indonesia Handicraft Exporters and Producers Association.

WITS had visited the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia and Thailand before Indonesia, one of the important centers for the woven fabric.

In the two-day symposium at Hotel Santika Premiere in Slipi, West Jakarta, experts, artisans and activists covered issues from the efforts to protect the authenticity of ikat to the innovation to make ikat more appealing to younger generations.

Timor Aid executive Rosalia Madeira Soares, also a speaker at the symposium, said the Timor-Leste-based non-profit organization was currently collecting the scattered knowledge about Timorese ikat, known locally as tais.

“Long years of conflicts, wars and displacement had affected the traditional weaving, the tais, which remains an element of artistic cultural identity that is highly influential in Timorese society, culture and economy,” she said.

Tying the tradition: Skill and time are required to produce quality ikat.

She further explained that the knowledge was held by the elder weavers and that the ancient tradition was endangered because it was difficult for young women to continue such an intricate art without the required skills and time to produce.

“According to the United Nations Women report in 2010, there were 13,810 weavers active in groups. A recent survey in 2015 has indicated a drop to 4,965 weavers,” she said.

The organization collected information and documented tais from different regions in Timor-Leste as well as documentation from museums in other countries.

“This preservation effort is a lonely road for us. We hope this networking can help us to safeguard the tradition,” added Soares.

Market demand for sustainable products has also encouraged weaver communities to return to organic materials and natural dyes.

Chandra Kirana Prijosusilo, the founder of Sekar Kawung, said the NGO had taken a further step while helping the weaver communities in East Sumba to improve their welfare through ikat production.

After identifying the vicious cycle of ecological degradation, cultural erosion and impoverishment, the organization built a regenerative economy cycle — the Green Economy — through integrated small units from mid-2016 to March 2018.

With Paluanda Lama Hamu at the center, an ikat artisan collective of Mauliru and Lambanapu villages in East Sumba, they developed an ecosystem of stakeholders in ikat production that included cotton growers, yarn makers, dye makers, weavers, designers and even the tourist market.

The project even covered the protection and planting of natural dye trees and plants on degraded land — which in turn is restoring the environment.

It also encouraged the local government to include ikat weaving in the curriculum for school students starting as young as fourth graders.

However, not all the measures taken ended up being successful.

“We’ve learned that local culture can contribute to economic development significantly but it needs more attention from policymakers,” said Chandra.

She added that while new ideas usually took more time to find root in the community, local people tended to reject ideas they perceived as financially risky or unable to deliver an economic return in a short time.

“When the spirit of the local community is strong, the creativity in the community blooms with beauty and this is good for the economy. This is an important aspect of sustainable development that is often overlooked,” she concluded.

The richness of ikat in color, motifs, designs and type of fabrics has become a stream of inspiration for fashion designers.

Indonesian designers Didi Budiardjo, Torajamelo, Noesa, Ofie Laim and the LaSalle College students shared the stage with Indian designer Gunjan Jain, Lucia Catanes from the Philippines, Malaysian Melinda Oemar, Umarova Markhamatkon from Uzbekistan and Thais Meechai Taesujariya and Siam Crafts in promoting the world heritage. (ste)

World heritage: Ikat rebozo of Mexico by artisan Arturo Estrada Hernandez has intricate details and rich colors.

— Photos by JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak