A stack of monochromatic batik cloths that become the centre of Dewi’s collection (Source: Dewi)

Lara Dewi Braun is the owner of DEWI. Lara is a mixed German and Indonesian who works with traditional Indonesian textiles, mainly batik. Her label DEWI combines traditional craftsmanship with modern design and she creates accessories out of authentic batik cap, mainly bags, headbands, scrunchies, face masks etc. Named after herself, the brand represents her – her curation, her ideas and her style.

In this episode of aNERDspective (our NERD talk show where we converse with amazing friends about their textile adventure and perspectives), we talked to Lara about the creation of DEWI and her products and her experience learning Javanese dance.

Note: Full chat is available on IG TV and this transcript has been edited for reading format.

 

Tony Sugiarta: Thank you, Lara, for dropping by aNERDspective today. Let’s get the question of the past few months out of the way: how are you and how is COVID affect you?

Lara Dewi Braun: I am fine actually, I am doing well at the moment. To be honest, COVID did not have that much of an influence on me, personally. I feel that, of course, the markets and exhibitions that would usually take place, did not take place this year. But apart from that, I think I am still quite lucky that I still have a job.

Where are you based right now?

Right now I am in Vienna, Austria.

How is the overall situation over there?

Right now is, just before Christmas, (Editor’s note: the interview took place in December 2020) the shops are still open but it is sort of a lockdown. So, we were on a lockdown for few weeks last month but, now, you can go Christmas shopping. Apart from that, there is no exhibition, everything slows down.

That sounds not too bad. Hopefully it gets better as time goes by.

I think that depends. There are still a lot of people who struggle a lot. It depends on the situation actually.

Probably we can start with a little introduction about who Lara is and your journey in starting up a batik business ‘DEWI

As I said before, my family is from Germany. I am half German, half Indonesian. Therefore, I spend a lot of time in Indonesia. Especially since 2013, I go there every year. I really love it. I moved around a lot, I lived in Yogya for quite a while and I did my exchange study there. I think quite almost 8 years is always a mixture of spending time in Indonesia, mostly during the European winter time, and then being in the summer in Germany or here, in Vienna.

I think I was always quite fascinated in Indonesian fabrics, especially batik. And I am always really interested in how the creation processes is, I was very curious. Then one came after another and I just started something with Indonesian textiles, mainly batik, but also tenun fabric and ikat. But at the moment, I working mainly with batik.

Who is from Indonesia, your mom or your dad?

My dad is from Bandung. But most of my family lives in Jakarta now. Usually, once a year, I come to Jakarta, I visit my family and then I go to Yogya and Sulawesi, so I travel around and I really like to go diving. So, (it is) between exploring the country and also on holidays and looking for new fabrics. 

Probably the question is: how do you get to know about the textiles? How do you fell in love with it?

I remember when I was little, my mum really likes to buy batik clothes for me. So I always wore batik dresses and stuff. But when I got into puberty, it was not that cool anymore and then the interest stopped. During my studies, I studied International Culture and Business Study in Passau, Germany, with the focus on South-East Asia, (with) specific focus in Indonesia. We had student projects and stuff like that. Some parts of me have always been interested in textiles, so I did a lot of student projects of batik. I went to Bogor (to) interview people there about batik. It was more of an evolving process actually. It was curiosity and, after a while, it just came together.

You said you went to Bogor to learn about batik?

Yeah, I did a batik workshop in Bogor once, and also in Yogya. I think I am not a person who really likes to do batik but I like to watch it. Now, when I order fabrics, I really like to just being there in the batik factory and watch the artisans. I can do that for the whole day, just watch the process and just watch them in their art. It is really nice. And I try it (make batik) as well, but it was really hard and it looks bad in the end. So, I’d rather watch it than doing it myself.

I guess it is part of the process of understanding it and to try it, finding out the tactile feel and what they are going through and so you can explain better.

Yes, I tried batik tulis. I try to draw and it was just wax everywhere. It did not look nice at the end. I think it is nice to try once to actually know how hard it is and to appreciate the work. It is such a big respect to all the batik artisans who draw all the kind of fine lines, colouring and stuff. I like to watch it.

Yes, equally therapeutic to watch it too. What makes you start your brand?

That was actually out of a little emotional crisis. It was in 2017 or 2018. I just quit my Master studies and I was not feeling well and I moved back home to my parents. I really do not know what to do. I just want to do something with my hands. I was thinking so much, really ambitious and trying so hard and I needed a break. So, okay, I just want to do something with my hands. I wanted to relax and to take time out. Then I found a closet in my parents’ basement, a big old closet. I opened it and there are so many nice Indonesian textiles. Actually, textiles from South-East Asia, because my parents used to travel a lot. There is old ikat from Sumatera, 20 or 30 years old, and really nice handmade stuff. This is so nice. And my mom said, “Ya, I am not doing anything with them. You can have them. I do not know what you want to do with them.”

Then, I started to learn how to sew. Just watch, basically I start with, Youtube videos, just really basic. I just really want to do something with these nice fabrics. I do not want them to be forgotten in the basement. So, I want to create something out of them. I just started to do something with them, like pouches and some bags, just for me and I give it as a present to some of my friends. Then, I started to post one on Instagram and people think that was so nice. I thought that people are actually interested in that and I had really fun, I really liked it. I think for almost one or two months, I was just in my own room in my parents’ place, sewing and creating something out of the fabrics.

And one came after another, I set up a website and I just go with the flow. So, people got interested and I created something. A few months later, I went to Yogya and found a really nice and really traditional batik (factory) who have been doing batik for almost 70 years now, a really traditional one. I was really getting along with the Ibu, so I ordered some fabrics, and met other artisans who do artwork with batik in modern ways. So, I really like to mix up everything – mix up traditional patterns with modern patterns and colours and do my own thing with it and that is basically how I started.

It is so nice to hear the journey behind starting a brand and it is definitely an eye opening, because different people has got different connections to their brands. I want to ask in terms of you creating a product, if you can share a little bit about what kind of products you design with all these and how do you incorporate batik into them?

The designs are not specific. I really like accessories, so I think it suits for most of people because you do not have to try them on and to see if they fit. But (things) like little bags, some pouches, and hairbands, and due to COVID, I also make some face masks. The design is more basic and l just like to keep it plain. It is very intuitive, I just have an idea and I just try it and put it in my shop. Sometimes people are giving me ideas, “Lara, I saw this and very useful, maybe you can do something similar or something like that.” It is very intuitive. I have an idea and I do it.

It is very interesting about doing accessories. Are you doing mostly online or you have an offline presence as well?

Mainly online. So, every few months, I have an exhibition or market or something like that, but mainly online.

The plus point of accessories for online, because it is a standard sizing, as you said.

Yeah, exactly. It will be really hard with sizing. I also thought about doing clothes and it it still in my mind. But, I feel like accessories are way easier because you see the picture and you see how big it is. You may have a photo of it and then you can apply it for yourself. So, you do not have to think, “maybe it is too tight or it doesn’t fit my type of body, or something like that.” and you have to send it back. So, these kinds of things you do not have with accessories and that is why I think it is a bit easier.

I find it impressive that you actually just start to learn to sew, and to create all these amazing different accessories. Are there any specific batik patterns that you use?

It is a mixture. It is a mixture of traditional patterns, so I have parang and kawung, these kinds of traditional patterns. But, I also have some modern ones that do not go back to a cultural roots so much. It is a mixture. I think I have a lot of different patterns.

I am wondering, like how is the response of the audience over there about batik?

In Vienna or in Europe?

Yes, where most of your customers are.

Most of them come from Germany actually. I think for people who do not know Indonesia at all, for them, it is just a pattern, either I like the pattern or not. There are a lot of people who like to travel to Indonesia a lot or who are also mixed German (or some other countries in Europe) with Indonesia would feel more attached to batik fabrics. So, it is a mixture of all of them. I think it comes in waves, sometimes I feel like so many people are interested and then another time, I feel not so much. So, it is an up and down.

When you say they are interested, are you talking about the process of making it or like the pattern?

The end product, basically. For the process itself, I think it is more for people who really have some sort of relations to Indonesia. Most people are like, “that is how it is done, but it is more of first, they like the product and then, how it is done. That is interesting.” That is not like, “I am really interested in how batik or how fabrics are made.”

That is very important to me to really tell the story that it is not just a pattern or a printed fabric.

Yeah, understand. Definitely there must be a certain link, either a shared culture or history. Like in The Netherlands, people might be more aware of batik textiles versus in Germany and, probably, (by) using an accessory or a feasible end product could be an avenue to start introducing the art of batik textile.

Yeah, that is very important to me to really tell the story that it is not just a pattern or a printed fabric. I think for people who do not just want to buy something and go away, for them, it is interesting. I had some exhibitions and people are really interested, like, “How is this made? It is interesting.” But, it depends on people.

Do you have any observations or insights in terms of motifs or colours that your audience get drawn to?

I use Instagram stories a lot to do some polls like, what patterns do you prefer. It is very interesting and I think most of my patterns and fabrics have a maximum of 2 or 3 colours, apart from the white. So, it is more plain and more minimalistic. I think some patterns that a lot of people really like are the hujan (rain) pattern which is like little dots and also the ceplok grompol which looks like flowers and circles. I think that is thing that is sort of symbiotic or… not too crazy.

It seems that they want something that is quite simple and not too complicated that goes all the way into abstract art.

Yeah, but I think it is also what I use the most. I do not have the very colourful or batik fabrics that have very different patterns. I still think that they are nice but I decided to go with the plain ones, with plain patterns and maximum 2 colours.

I think I mostly see natural (colours) like the brown, the blue, black and warm red. Is that a conscious decision on your part versus doing something that are crazy colourful like yellow, green, or purple?

I do not know if that is a really conscious decision. That is more what I personally prefer. I like the plain patterns and colours that are not too bright and not too shiny as well, like the black and white, brown, ruby, dark red, these kinds of things.

It is definitely important too, especially if you are calling your brand in your name. I understand that you definitely have to have a stamp in terms of curating patterns and how you use it. That personal touch which I think is important for your personal brand.

I mean, that is nice because actually I just do the thing I like.

Exactly, yes.

Not so much that I think it is for the brand or for the people. It is of more that I like this colour, I like this fabric, I like this accessory, so I do it. I am happy other people like it as well.

Exactly, and that creates less stress on your part, because you are doing something you like versus doing something other people like.

I think it is more authentic for me. I do not have to think so much, if this pattern make more sense or this is more like going out of my gut feeling. When I do some polls in my Instagram stories, I considered what people like more but if I do not agree with that, I am not doing it.

And that leads to one of the initiatives that you have released on Batik Day in this year (ed.: 2020), the one that you do a questionnaire and then you send the result to pick your batik patterns, which I thought, it was very fun stuff to do, especially when people are (staying at home). If you can share more about the creation (of that survey)?

That was because I do a lot of customised orders. So on my website, I have most of my fabrics and then people can request to, for example, have one hip bag with specific pattern or with specific fabric but there is no pattern in the shop that they like. I was looking for a way to make that easier, to match it quicker or to help people find the right pattern for themselves. Of course it is always taste but at least for me I connect more with things if they have a meaning. Or if I know the meaning, if it suits me, what I need right now, or what I want right now. So, that is why I use five different categories. There are strength, clarity, connection, growth and trust. All patterns are located in different categories. So that in this questionnaire, you respond to what you really want in your life right now or what your current situation is and how maybe a symbolic reminder can support you or remind you of what you want to attract basically, so this is the thinking behind that.

Then it’s nice to do the quiz and for example, I am really looking for more change or, right now due to COVID. I think we faced with a lot of changes so I think it is nice to wear the symbol to connect with this kind of situation and I think like these patterns symbolise change and this pattern more symbolised clarity. So, it is actually for the customized orders to better get an overview of what fabric suits you basically.

(Editor’s note: As Lara is not accepting customised orders at the moment, the quiz is currently deactivated.)

Well, I tried it (ed.: the quiz) myself, not because I want to order anything yet. It is just a fun way to learn more about the patterns, especially the one that you offer and how it got associated that with all the different meanings. People should try that out, just to have fun. I want to find out more about getting your fabric. How do you source your fabric for your brand?

Right now, I am working together with one specific batik factory in Yogya. That was a coincidence that the neighbor of where I lived in Yogya, is friend with the Ibu who owns the batik factory. It is always a fun coincidence where I just meet new people. I always go there once a year and spend a lot of time there, maybe two or three weeks. I just spend and look at which patterns I want to try. It’s quite a long process actually, I think to explore two or three weeks to try first how the fabric looks, or the pattern looks, then try with different colors. I always have an idea what I’m sort of looking for, but I always end up with something else, basically.

So, do you actually go there to discuss?

Yeah, I do not buy the finished fabric, I order them myself. I pick the patterns and I pick the colours. So I try (making a sample batch) and then I adjust the colours. It always takes time for us with drying the fabrics. Last time, I lived quite close to the batik factory. For, I think, two or three weeks I went there almost every day to check and then to also try which kind of cloth, if I like it to be thinner or bit thicker.

And how is it now that you can not travel?

I still have a lot of fabrics. I am not running out of them yet, but I still want to go to Indonesia this year. I am really hoping that this will be possible again. And otherwise, I will find a way.

So probably sourcing is not yet an issue since you have a lot of supplies, but what are some of the challenges that you face when you are running Dewi?

It is more personally actually that I do not stress out too much or that I think like I have to control everything and actually I want to trust more and just go with the process. There is always ups and down so sometimes I feel like this is going so well, fun and going great and then some other weeks I feel that this is so hard. So, it is kind of inconsistency. I think this is a challenge.

You are doing all on your own, right, like a one-woman show?

It is more or less a one-woman show. It depends on the sewing. Sometimes if there are a lot of customer’s orders I get help with the sewing. But I do everything myself. Sometimes people are helping me with photos or with videos and stuff like that. I do not do that all by myself, but I do not have any fixed employees or something.

Also part of appreciating culture, one of the fun stuff that I saw on your Instagram and also quoting, “in the vision to get to know the culture from a new perspective” so you went back to Yogyakarta and learned to dance. If you can share that experience, first of all, why dance?

I do not know. I think it was just one rainy winter day in Vienna, I was sitting in the Metro and I was like: I want to go back to Yogya and want to go back to Indonesia. I think maybe I saw it somewhere but it was really just to take an idea like I want to learn how to dance in the Javanese style. That sticks in my mind and I asked around all my friends in Yogya. Then I found a really nice dance teacher. I think she dances at the Keraton (Editor’s note: royal palace in Indonesia) as well and she is a really nice woman and she does dance classes as well. Then I asked her and for one to two times a week for about one or two months, I was practicing with her.

For me, it was just a really nice experience to dive into the culture from a totally different perspective, more from a movement perspective because I was always very into “things”: like fabrics or the figures, the wayang. I want to get more into the movement and I thought dance would be a nice thing to do that. I also think that traditional clothes are just beautiful. I really wanted to wear them as well. It is quite meditative and I learned how to be more patient because just really tiny movements of the foot or the hand and you have to do it again. It has to be very precise and to be patient with your movement and with your body.

Do you dance other dances before that?

No. I like to dance just for fun, but I am not formally trained. It was just really personal for me. I really wanted to learn it. I think it is a very nice experience and I wish someday when there are some festivals again or an Indonesian festival, I would like to share the dance. I have the whole outfit. I have a big hat, full of jewelries.

So, you brought all those back from Yogya?

Yes, I ordered like the big hat. You can see it on the videos or pictures on Instagram. Everything that I wore in the video, I bought them all.

Maybe you can share a little bit of the ideation and execution behind the video. I believe it is Prambanan, right?

It was not Prambanan but close to Prambanan. I forgot the name.

How did you decide to make this one video and to wake up at 6 AM in the morning…

I have a good friend in Yogya who is a videographer. I studied together with him in Passau and he is also very interested in showing batik, cultures. He was interested in doing the video as well when I asked him. It is quite hard to find a temple, which is not very busy and to get the perfect light, we had to be there at five o’clock or six o’clock in the morning. And we had to get an extra permission because the temple opens at seven o’clock while we had to be there before everyone came in. To get an extra permission to make film there and stuff like that. It was quite a big project. But it is very nice. I forgot the name of the temple but it is close to Prambanan area and then you can see the Merapi, the volcano in the background. It is a very mystical and a very interesting atmosphere very early in the morning.

So, it was very nice, and I just wanted to bring something back because since I got private lessons and I was not in a group, I do not have something like an end performance. So, I thought, for me, taking a video was a good memory. Maybe one day, I can share the dance at some festivals or some exhibitions or something that has to do with Indonesia. That would be nice.

Patience and precision are also the connection to batik.

I think everyone should check that out on your Instagram. I would link it back to your Instagram video too. So you mentioned about being patient in terms of movement, if you can share some of the learnings that you have after doing that dance in terms of cultures and also in association to batik and culture, if there is any?

In association with batik, maybe the patience and the precision. For example, when I think of batik tulis, it is very precise and very calm and you need a calm hand. I think with the dance, it is the same and especially with the Javanese dance. The Balinese dance moves a little bit faster. The Javanese dance is not so much movement, just with the hands. So, patience and precision are also the connection to batik maybe.  

Well, I used to dance a little bit, way back when. I did a Balinese dance. It is physically taxing but definitely not very slow movement so you still have a beat. It wasn’t that bad. It is just that you go up and down, high and low, (those) kind of thing. So, I can definitely understand (the struggle) in terms of moving really slow.

Sometimes I think just one movement (Lara demonstrates the tiny shift in movement in Javanese dance) and (seems that it) does not make a difference but my teacher is really precise. I must do it again and again. It was so hard.

One other thing that I am very interested in at the moment, is that act of movement. It is because of what I am working on, it is kind of a personal project to do textile drapery and one of the things that I am exploring is the act of movement of fabric. I think these traditional dances, it is really like putting it together in terms of that movement and textile. We will see what I can come up with because different textiles move differently and when you use it in different dances, they also move differently and I think it is very interesting to see for myself.

And just before we close off the conversation, what is next for you and for Dewi as a brand?

Right now, I have many ideas but there is nothing very clear yet. I think in 2020, I used to have like a part-time job next to it as well. But in 2021, I want to just do DEWI, to focus more on that. I think it would be nice to cooperate with more people, especially in Europe, who are passionate about batik as well. So that would be nice to go more into the sustainable sector of it because right now I would like to think of a way to improve the sustainability, such as maybe only use natural colors and maybe organic cotton and stuff like that. Maybe even to do some clothing actually, even though it is harder than the accessories, but it is a dream of mine to have some dresses or kimonos and stuff like that.

It is definitely very exciting. You talk about kimono, kimono (outer) is definitely something that is relatively easier in terms of sizing because it is mostly an outer and most of them, at least, will be able to wear them. A lot on your plate and definitely we are looking forward to what you have in the near future. Before we close our conversation, if you have any final word to sum up our conversation today, if you have any messages for your fans?

I think the message, and maybe also a message to myself, to not stress out too much and just go where your bliss actually is, what you are passionate about and you will find a way.

Thank you so much for dropping by today.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of aNERDspective. Check out the previous episode on IGTV and our gallery and store if you would like a piece of Indonesia for your home or wardrobe. You may also check out  DEWI’s Instagram or Website for the latest DEWI collection.

Photo credit: DEWI, unless stated otherwise.