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The Traditional Process
With fast-fashion creating shifts in consumer behavior and demand, the batik industry is increasingly gearing towards machine-printed fabrics, which oftentime correlates with using synthetic dyes. While batiks are being mass produced faster, this also means less natural, intricate batik designs, and fewer artisans learning the natural process. The art form is dying.
There's a reason why time consuming batik production hasn't caught on for mass consumption. But we believe cloth should be special pieces that hold meaning and memories. We believe the people who make them also tell their own stories.
The Reality
Taking a closer look at the endangered art form.
What is Batik?
We admit, we didn't know what we were in for while searching for batik, the ancient art form of wax-resistant dyeing. You've seen its lovechild in the Madiba shirts Nelson Mandela donned in South Africa, and its predecessor in 'crackled' Indian sarees. Perhaps, the craft is most highly developed in the country of Indonesia.
Wax is meticulously hand-drawn onto fabric, then dipped in natural dyes found around the vicinity. The fabric is then boiled to remove the wax, exposing the pattern underneath. Each motif has a different story, some stemming from ancient mythology, ascribing a specific set of luck to whoever wears it. The more complex the pattern and coloring, the more time it takes to create by hand, with some designs taking up to 4 months to curate.
Partnerships
We've traveled to numerous textile hubs across four islands in Java, Indonesia to find and support artisan partners who aim to preserve this heritage craft. By ensuring a fair wage and creating long-lasting partnerships, we think they can. In supporting us, you are also supporting all the painters, dyers, and seamstresses who keep this tradition alive.
Our mission with fabric is simple: to find timeless, earth-friendly pieces that you'll love, made with love. We hope you get to carry these pieces during your journey around the sun. One day, maybe even pass it down :)
-Melani and Teresa
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