The Story of Hawien Wilopo: Success in Lasem Batik Business with Hundreds of Millions in Turnover
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Starting from a hobby of drawing since primary school, Hawien Wilopo has successfully built a hand-drawn Lasem batik business with the Gunung Kendil brand in Rembang, Central Java.
Her skill in applying ink from the canting to form modern motifs while preserving the traditional essence of batik has won the hearts of local communities and those abroad.
At least 150 batik works in the form of fabric and ready-to-wear clothing sell out every month, generating a turnover of Rp20 million or around Rp150 million per year. Her success is attributed to the support from the Rumah BUMN of PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG) in Rembang, managed by its subsidiary, PT Semen Gresik.
“I had no background in batik making. It started in 2010 when a friend asked me to help design for their batik business. I noticed the designs always sold out. In 2012, I joined a batik-making training and decided to start my own business. The business was bustling then, until the Covid-19 pandemic caused sales to decline. Alhamdulillah, I got information about RB Rembang and joined in 2021,” recalled Hawien in a written statement on Thursday (7/5/2026).
Her works have also frequently appeared in fashion shows, making the Gunung Kendil hand-drawn Lasem batik brand more widely known.
Several prestigious exhibitions she has participated in include the Tong Tong Festival in The Hague, Netherlands in 2022, the Future SMEs Village Side Event G20 in Bali in 2022, the UMKM Bazaar at Sarinah in Jakarta in 2023, and Inacraft in Jakarta in 2024.
Being able to join national and international exhibitions has been a proud experience that Hawien never imagined. This has also propelled her business further.
Hawien explained that her decision to join as a mentee of RB Rembang marked the revival point for her business post-pandemic.
Gradually, her business recovered. Optimising digital platforms has brought customers not only from Java but from across the archipelago, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Bali.
Even more impressively, enthusiasts of her works come from abroad, such as Germany, Belgium, Italy, Korea, and Japan.
To meet customer orders, Hawien now employs seven workers to assist her. Even when orders are busy, she empowers the surrounding community.
“Thank you to SIG and Semen Gresik for bringing RB Rembang as a platform for us SMEs. I am very pleased to join RB Rembang. The presence of RB Rembang has greatly helped SMEs to develop. May RB Rembang continue to exist so it can accompany us SME actors,” said Hawien.
Corporate Secretary of Semen Indonesia (SIG), Vita Mahreyni, stated that they appreciate the achievements of Gunung Kendil hand-drawn Lasem batik. In addition to promoting batik as one of Indonesia’s cultural treasures to abroad, this RB Rembang mentee SME also opens job opportunities for the community.
“We hope that in the future there will be more SMEs that successfully develop their businesses so they can contribute more to regional economic growth. SIG through RB Rembang is committed to always accompanying SMEs so they can run their businesses professionally and utilise digital platforms, allowing their products to be reached nationally and internationally,” Vita concluded.