Pedan's fabrics attract foreign buyers

Pedan's fabrics attract foreign buyers

By Kartika Bagus C.

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): While machine-made fabrics
dominate the garment industry, traditionally made woven fabric
from Pedan in Klaten, Central Java, is still treasured by both
local and foreign consumers.

For a long time, Pedan, which is located 1.5 hours drive west
of Surakarta, has long been known as the center of Java's woven
fabric industry.

The economic crisis, which forced some businesses to close
down, did not affect Pedan's woven textile industry.

One businessman, Rachmad, 68, said the crisis did not reduce
demands for his products since almost all of his buyers were from
abroad. And his buyers did not bother to bargain, he added.

"So if the prices of materials increase, we simply hike the
fabric price," said the man who has been in the business for 40
years.

Thanks to his flourishing business, the man now has three
similar businesses and employs 150 workers. He also has two
showrooms to display his finished products -- one in Pedan and
the other in Bali. In November this year, he is planning to open
a showroom in Jakarta.

The history of Pedan's industry began during the era of Dutch
colonization. Then, the industry was controlled by three
brothers, Suhadi, Wiryo Sudiro and Sumarno. The most famous
fabric at that time was Kapas and this was mostly sold in
traditional markets.

However, during the war in 1940, Pedan's industries went
bankrupt and all of the workers, who had to earn a living for
their families, set up business of their own.

Only in 1950 did Pedan's industry start to grow again. Then,
hundreds of businessmen enjoyed a glorious business climate as
fabric for clothing was the most sought-after basic need.
Unfortunately, with the high demand, many weavers neglected the
quality of the woven fabrics they created.

The most desired motifs then were Kijing Miring, Riding
Putung, Mbang Sembukan, Sodho Sak Ler, Tumbar Pecah, Ketan Ireng
and Dom Lecer. But in line with market demand, those motifs were
rarely produced by the weavers but were replaced by new motifs
which were dominated by either horizontal or vertical lines.

The glory days of this traditional industry only lasted for
eight years.

"Many companies collapsed because they could not compete with
machinery," Rachmad recalled.

It was not until the 1980s that the traditional woven industry
in Pedan started to develop again amid the presence of machine-
made woven fabrics.

Rachmad insisted that the handmade woven fabric was superior
in quality compared to that produced by machine.

He admitted that the handmade process made it impossible to
produce large quantities of the product since it took a long time
to finish one hand-woven fabric. However, the result is
exclusive, and most of his clients keep on coming back to the
village, he added.

"They keep coming because they cannot find products such as
those produced by Pendan's weavers in textile shops," said the
father of three.

Despite its simplicity, some 9,000 meters of woven fabric can
be produced in a month through the handmade process.

Raw materials needed to produce woven fabric are cotton, or
linen and natural fibers. Some 181 kg of materials are required
monthly, which is worth around Rp 160 million, while the monthly
turnover is more than Rp 90 million.

There are three kinds of products created: fabrics for
garments, interior and exterior decorations, such as various
sizes of pillow cases, shawls, lace curtains and table cloths. It
is the fabric for garments that makes up the bulk of the material
produced.

Prices for the products are varied. For instance, a shawl
might cost between Rp 10,000 and Rp 50,000 each. Other products
can cost hundreds of thousands rupiah each.

In producing woven fabrics, Rachmad also experimented with the
use of assorted natural fibers, such as fragrant grass, water
hyacinth and pineapple fiber, to satisfy his customers. He also
introduced natural dyes instead of chemical ones.

Rachmad said that his foreign buyers prefer the natural dying
process. To create the natural coloring, he experiments with such
things as mahogany bark for brown colors and papaya leaves for
green.

His products are sold across the country while his foreign
buyers come from Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, New
Zealand, Singapore and the United States.

In marketing his products, Rachmad mostly relies on word of
mouth. However, he also provides his products to big hotels.

Although his products have gained popularity here and abroad,
Rachmad has restrained from exporting his products on a big scale
simply to rake in more profit. "I will not do it (export on a big
scale) to maintain the products' exclusivity and assure client
satisfaction."