Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) has announced a collaboration with the Faculty of Art and Design at Maranatha Christian University, in Bandung, Indonesia, and the Batik Lasem community of designers to produce a sustainably manufactured, fashionable batik scarf that will be provided as a souvenir to delegates at tourism meetings linked to the upcoming G20 international summit in Bali.
Under the terms of the partnership, APR, which produces renewable, biodegradable and traceable viscose fibre, will provide viscose fabric to the artisan designers of the Batik Lasem community, who will add batik designs to the cloth. The University will provide training and support to designers on both the manufacturing process and on the subsequent distribution of the product as well as helping at the batik research that funded by Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
Speaking at a ceremony in Jakarta to formally launch the collaboration, Basrie Kamba, Director, Asia Pacific Rayon, symbolically handed a designed scarf to Nur Asia Uno, Advisor to the Dharma Wanita Union of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Republic of Indonesia. The ceremonial gesture was witnessed by Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, and Dr. Seriwati Ginting, Maranatha University.
“This collaboration is evidence of our commitment to supporting the empowerment of wastra – the traditional fabric – in Indonesia. It’s also aligned with our ongoing focus on promoting sustainable fashion in Indonesia. On a wider level, this will also support the recovery of the national textile industry, following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two years,” said Basrie. Minister Uno said he welcomed the collaboration, as it was in line with the theme of this year’s G20 summit – ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’.
The finished scarves will be among the official souvenirs provided to the Ministers of Tourism attending the Tourism Working Group, a series of events linked to the G20 summit in Bali. The scarves will be designed by the Batik Lasem artisans, who are famed for their distinctive hand drawn style and their blending of Peranakan and Javanese cultural references, using APR viscose fabric and natural dyes from the indigofera plant. The scarf has a peony flower pattern, symbolising hope, happiness and health, while the butterfly accents on the flowers signify mutually supportive symbiotic relationships.
APR’s engagement with Maranatha Christian University was inaugurated through the signing of a memorandum of understanding earlier this year at the Jakarta Fashion Hub, together with six other fashion and textile design education institutions. This agreement was followed by a study visit to Jakarta Fashion Hub by a group of students, community service workers and researchers.
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