Traditional Indonesian garments have a special spot at Jakarta Fashion Week (JFW) 2021 as designers and artisans sustain their ancestral heritage amid the global pandemic. One of these is Iwan Tirta Private Collection, which is presenting its latest “Next Level Batik” collection of casual menswear and womenswear. Rindu Melati Pradnyasmita of the renowned batik fashion house said the collection was a follow-up to their “Outfit of the Day” (OOTD) campaign during the health crisis, encouraging people to don batik clothing and masks and post their selfies on social media platforms. “We joined JFW this year to spread hope that batik, a pride in Indonesian art, will prevail despite the pandemic,” Rindu said at a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “We also took on the challenge to change the [general] perception that batik is only for fo...