Parang Kencana pretty and chic designs, motifs

Parang Kencana pretty and chic designs, motifs

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is exhilarating to see how batik has become more and more
socialized.

Previously seen as a traditional fabric worn mostly by older
people on formal occasions, batik has shifted into a more modern
style that even young people like to wear.

"Our consumers used to be dominated by foreigners, at about 60
percent. But now, 90 percent of people who buy our products are
local customers," Mariana Sutandi, owner of batik producer Parang
Kencana, revealed recently.

The awareness of batik has increased among Indonesians, she
added.

"The key is how to manage adapting to the latest (fashion)
trends. Most customers prefer a more modern touch that is still
batik, but isn't too heavy," Mariana said.

With this in mind, Parang Kencana unveiled the latest
collections last week at its gallery in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Established in 1993, the batik producer is known for its
wearable and modern silhouettes. They produce not only batik
cloths, but also different kinds of blouses for women and shirts
for men. The brand also produces home decorations like cushions,
bed sheets and pillowcases.

All of Parang Kencana's products are hand-made, and are
classified under five different lines, namely Parang Kencana,
Parang Ayu, Soga, Tjindae and De Witte.

Except for its signature line, which derives from traditional
batik designs with vertical motifs, the rest of the lines are
categorized according to color: Parang Ayu focuses on blue and
white, Soga on browns, and Tjindae is for striking colors, while
De Witte is white with touches of pale colors.

"There are about 1,001 different colors, so people can get
easily confused; so we categorize the batik to be more focused
and to make production easier," said Mariana, adding that they
have around 25 outlets spread throughout the capital, Bandung,
Surabaya and Bali.

The latest line, De Witte, was launched only last month led by
designer Susan Budihardjo. Aimed at a younger age group, the line
has a more casual style.

Parang Kencana's products are priced according to the
painstaking, detailed process it takes for their creation: by
hand. Garments start from Rp 350,000, while a batik cloth may be
worth up to Rp 6 million.

"There could be a batik cloth around the Rp 350,000 mark, but
it would be a teeny, tiny scarf," Mariana said, laughing.

The main production center is located in the capital, but the
company also owns factories in Pekalongan, Central Java, and
Cirebon, West Java. The workers at the latter factory are
apparently so skillful that they can produce very delicate batik
products.

The fashion show last week presented a pretty and chic
collection of batik, focusing on material produced with an
airbrush technique. The batik also incorporated tie-dyes, as well
as embroidery.

"The blue and white motif was inspired by Chinese porcelain.
We also used extremely high temperatures to yield a raised
texture," Mariana said.

Batik motifs derive from ancient, traditional motifs which
have been reproduced on silk, organza and other fabrics.

While shirts for men only come in one style, the common long-
sleeved type, the blouses for women come in a variety of styles.
There are different modifications of kebaya (a traditional
Indonesian blouse for women), and also kimono-like tops.

De Witte's products are simpler and more trendy, with ruffles
and frills, and long dresses painted with gradations of color and
raised textures.

"We still produce only ready-to-wear collections, and haven't
yet gone into haute couture. We only aim at re-socializing batik
to the Indonesian people, so that everyone will love it and wear
it every day," Mariana said.