In line with the mission of bringing values for the betterment of lives, Kawan Lama Group through Pendopo, house for local MSMEs (UMKM) that cooperates with over 200 MSMEs all over Indonesia, undertakes community empowerment through assistance for weavers in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara since September 2021 to September 2022. The peak of the program is an event called Sikka Fasion Show, held at Pendopo, Living World Alam Sutera, 23 November 2022, showcasing up to 58 collection made of Sikka ikat woven fabric, in collaboration with Iyonono, young fashion designer who is focused on housewives empowerment, and Didiet Maulana, famous fashion designer and wastra (cultural fabric) enthusiast.
Tasya Widya Krisnadi, Director of Pendopo stated, “In line with Pendopo’s mission to preserve Indonesia’s cultural wealth, we realize it through three main pillars of Pendopo, which are product development, collaborations with local craftsmen, then introducing the crafts to public through our retail experience. One of the examples is today’s fashion show, that is held to introduce the beauty of Sikka ikat woven fabric to people in Indonesia. Not merely through traditional way by wrapping the fabric to body, we also invited Iyonono the young designer and Didiet Maulana to make creations from the woven fabric, based on latest style. Hopefully, public not just know but can also wear the beautiful fabric for daily use.”
In Sikka Fashion Show, Pendopo divides the fabric into four categories, starting from Collection of Senandung Sikka Lilit by Pendopo, which are fabric without cutting - regarding the standard of wastra that is seamless. Then there are Collection of Senandung Sikka Ready to Wear by Pendopo, creations of clothes designed by in-house designers of Pendopo.
Collection of “Benang Merah Sikka” by Iyonono, which are a series of ready to wear clothes with dimensional textures using pieces of patchwork, typical of Iyonono. All of Sikka collections by Iyonono are made by housewives under his assistance in Cirebon and Kuningan.
Iyonono said, “I feel excited to do this collaboration, because we may say that through these creations, we can connect the dressmaker women from Cirebon and Kuningan, also the weaver women in Sikka. Today we’re showcasing 18 collections that use the patchwork of Sikka ikat woven fabric made by the women as dimensional accents.”
As the closing, Pendopo shows Collection of "Surya di Maumere” by IKAT Indonesia, by Didiet Maulana. IKAT Indonesia is a fashion brand of Didiet Maulana - that reinterprets woven fabric as local product, the pride of Indonesia, from young generation’s point of view.
Didiet Maulana said, “Together with Pendopo, IKAT Indonesia by Didiet Maulana wants to introduce Indonesia’s wastra by showcasing ready to wear clothes collection with resort nuance that use Sikka ikat woven fabric combined with modern lurik (line motives) and siluet (silhouettes) to bring the nuance of diversity.”
Many of Sikka ikat woven fabric which come to Sikka Fashion Show are results of community assistance program undertaken by Pendopo since September 2021 to September 2022. In line with Kawan Lama Group’s mission of bringing values for the betterment of lives, Pendopo in collaboration with Didiet Maulana undertook assistance and training programs for communities of ikat fabric weavers in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The activities that were done ranging from quality enhancement not only to products but also quality management of the Sikka weavers, collaborated the weavers with Didiet Maulana and Iyonono to result products with latest style, and preservation of cultural products through publications and the opening of modern market access through Pendopo.
Fransiskus Roberto Diogo, Regent of Sikka said, “Me and people of Sikka give our highest appreciation and support to Pendopo and Kawan Lama Group for undertaking Sikka Fashion Show, also the launching of products made by Sikka weavers under Pendopo’s assistance. We are proud that our products can be well presented, so our woven fabric heritage can be introduced to the public more broadly through Pendopo.”
Regarding this matter, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Indonesia Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, represented by Yuke Sri Rahayu, Director of Culinary, Crafts, Design, and Fashion of the ministry stated, “Our ministry very appreciates and supports Pendopo’s initiatives. Because, besides preserving cultural heritage, this event also boosts collaborations and creative synergy that involve cultural people and young designers, resulting the potentials of new job openings to enhance economic wealth in Sikka.”
