Designer hopes 'made-in-Indonesia' becoming trend

Designer hopes 'made-in-Indonesia' becoming trend

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It's not magic, but in the talented hands of designer Warwick
Purser, humble materials like pandanus leaves, unused newspaper,
natural stones and even grains of millet are molded into
beautiful ornaments to decorate modern homes.

Purser's philosophy for design and the presentation of
materials is "least is best", and he believes that design must
pay homage to the materials and be presented in the simplest
manner possible.

"Design in Asia is often exaggerated so that the essence and
beauty of the materials are lost in a complicated presentation,"
he said.

The reason why he uses humble materials in his creative
efforts is that they are easy to obtain and are available
everywhere here.

"Basically, products made from cheap materials are
functional," Warwick added.

The designer recently opened a new store, called Warwick
Purser's Lifestyle on the 4th floor of Sogo in Plaza Senayan,
Central Jakarta.

The store, although displaying locally made items, is designed
to satisfy international tastes and quality standards. The design
reflects Purser's creativity and his good taste.

Purser has around 200 items on display, including terracotta
vases and multipurpose bowls, all adorned with thumb prints and
sprayed with tamarind juice to give them a reddish-brown color.

Simple banana bark has been transformed into artistic plaited
mats, candle holders and multipurpose containers, while unused
newspaper is finely rolled and arranged into plaited mats and
frames. In addition there are boxes, frames and rice/ice
containers, all wrapped in woven, dried pandanus leaves.

Purser has also created beautiful cushion covers from dried,
woven agal (the leaves of a type of palm tree). He also uses this
material to wrap box containers.

From the same material, the Australian designer has created
his modern, checkered motive collection, which includes sandals,
box containers, cushions and frames.

His beautiful marble collection, including slim and
rectangular vases, margarine/butter containers, salad bowls, and
salt and pepper containers, is a treasure to behold.

There are also multipurpose baskets made of dried, woven water
hyacinth, small vases and jewelry/potpourri cases made from
jewawut (millet grains), as well as beautiful candleholders made
from stone fragments, among other things.

The handmade items are produced in villages in Java, Bali and
Lombok, and are designed for export to leading international
stores such as Habitat, The Body Shop, Harrods, Liberty of
London, Polo Ralph Laurent, Pottery Barn, Nieman Marcus and Saks.

Purser, who set up Pacto Travel in 1968 and his export company
Out of Asia in 1995, also plans to soon open another shop in
Sogo, Plaza Indonesia, as well as a flagship store to be opened
in the middle of this year in Wisma Diners on Jl. Jend. Sudirman,
Central Jakarta.

"With the current economic situation, Indonesians should
enthusiastically support a made-in-Indonesia campaign to support
the local economy and create employment," said Purser, who
employs around 3,000 locals in various parts of Central Java and
Yogyakarta.

Purser, together with his film-star friends Rima Melati and
Frans Tumbuan, and fashion designer Iwan Tirta, has also restored
many of the old village houses in Tembi, Yogyakarta, since, he
claims, buildings are part of the country's heritage.

For his efforts, Purser was named the Cambridge Award
International Man of the Year, and been presented with the
Cultural Heritage Award and Kala Award from the sultan of
Yogyakarta for cultural preservation and his contribution to
tourism development in Yogyakarta and Central Java respectively.

Many Indonesians, Purser explained, shun locally made products
in favor of items bearing "made in France" or "made in Italy"
labels.

"I know a number of people who have bought my products
overseas thinking they were made in France or Italy, and then
come home and to their surprise, they find that the products were
actually made in Indonesia," Purser recounted.

The abundant natural materials and handicraft skills here, he
explained, are huge national assets that, if properly managed,
could help develop small villages across the country in this time
of crisis.

"I've seen how the handicraft business has completely revived
the economy of Tembi village and others where we work. Think of
the multiplier effect this would have if everyone seriously
supported made-in-Indonesia products," Purser suggested.