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Arts & Culture
Batik & Tenun
as Heritage Haute Couture?
Fashion show organised by the Indonesian Embassy showcases the beauty
of batik and tenun (woven) as well as the rich cultural heritage behind the fabrics’
traditional patterns and designs, reports Priya Ramakrishnan
Photos by Priya Ramakrishnan
Mrs Ferial Saad Hadi (second from right) with Guest
of Honour Dr Seetha Shanmugam (middle)
Dharma Wanita Persatuan KBRI Singapura organised a
diplomatic afternoon tea event with the theme ‘The beauty
of Indonesian heritage in batik and woven culture’ at the
Indonesian Embassy. It was a unique effort to introduce
traditional batik and songket fabrics as high fashion and to promote the rich
heritage of Indonesian cloth, handicrafts and design, according to Mrs Ferial
Saad Hadi, wife of the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency
Andri Hadi, who hosted the Batik Fashion Show and Weaving Workshop at
the Ambassador’s residence on 16 May.
She said, “Batik and traditional Indonesian weaving products do not
just possess a high level artistic value, they also have a high economic
value for our economy, as Indonesia’s batik and weaving industries employ
many workers and the majority of them are women. Thus, these industries
indirectly help in the development of Indonesia’s economy.”
The Guest of Honour for the event was Dr Seetha Shanmugam, wife of
Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr K Shanmugam, along with about
100 members of Singapore’s diplomatic community including many spouses
of the ambassadors from various countries. Apart from the fashion show,
there was a demonstration of traditional weaving practices.
“Indonesia has over 300 ethnic indigenous groups which are culturally very
rich. The culture is also influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Arabic, Malay
and Chinese which is reflected in the handmade cloths, patterns, designs and
cut of Indonesian fashion,” said Mrs Ferial.
Meanings of Patterns
Underscoring the vibrancy of various patterns found in Indonesian design,
Mrs Ferial said, “Javanese traditional batik always has notable meanings
rooted to the Javanese concepts of the trinity of Gods which represent the
three major Hindu Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The depiction of the three
Gods can be found in the designs of the cloth dyed and woven in the area.”
Songket, which is a fabric hand-woven in silk or cotton with gold and
silver threads, was also showcased. One other unique feature of the fashion
show was the participation of the embassy staff as models wearing beautiful
traditional kebaya as well as modern cocktail dresses.
Apart from batik, other dyeing techniques such as Ikat and Hinggi were
showcased. A special workshop was also conducted with weavers from
Lombok and batik makers from Pekalongan. Breathtaking in their beauty,
these fabrics which had gold and silver threads were often flaunted by
Indonesian royalty and some are quite exclusive. For example, the double
Ikat royal songket, which is also known as Geringsing, is only woven in a tiny
village of Bali Aga called Tengenan.
The show and workshop left a deep impact on the visitors, who queued up
to purchase various fabrics and brocades exhibited at the mini bazaar at the
Ambassador’s residence.
20 IndoConnect VOL. 1 No. 4 2013